[TenTec] OMNI VI and Contesting

[Peter Inskeep]

Tim,

I ordered an Omni VI Plus earlier this year which was delivered on June 5.
I have used it in a couple of contests, at least.  I am not a contest
fiend, but really enjoy participating.  I run barefoot, and generally into
one of a couple of dipoles.  My prior rig was a TT Delta 580, which I have
had for 17 years and run in many a contest, most of which were cw.

There was an immediate and dramatic "world of difference" when I set up the
Omni VI on the same table with the same antennas as I used before.  I am
primarily a hunt and pounce contester.  Start at the bottom of 20 meters
and work my way up, station by station, using CT and my Logikey K-1.  The
vast majority of stations responded to my calls, and often on the 1st or
2nd call.  The combination of filters and DSP really allowed me to focus in
on the station I was calling.  I really enjoy WPX, but did not have the rig
in time for this year's contest.  I look forward to having it in the CQWWCW
this fall, and in the WPX next Spring.  I did run it on Field Day (1-D) and
got through that mayhem quite nicely.  

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that I could work a contest on
Sideband.  I never had much luck on sideband with the Delta 580 in a
contest.  It was fine for ragchewing, but never seemed to have the punch in
a contest.  I have been able to successfully check into the TenTec Sunday
net almost every week, and hear a lot of stations that others do not seem
to be able to hear as well.  Of course, being in Kentucky may have
something to do with that.

I am more into DX than into contesting.  The Omni VI Plus is great for dx.
Again, I find myself getting through more easily than I was on the Delta.
Since there is not much difference in power - I run both of them at about
80-85 watts out - I can only surmise that I get through better because I
can hear the other station better and know where to be when I call him or
her.  I also think that I call stations now that I could not hear, or not
hear well, before.  Obviously, if I did not even call I could not make the
contact.

Based on my enthusiastic experience I don't see how you can go wrong if you
get an Omni VI for cw and contesting.  I use the 1.8, 500 and 250 filters
at 6 mhz., and 500 and 1.8 at the two 9 mhz positions.  I thought about the
250 hz filter in the n-2 position, but discussed it with Ten-Tec and they
suggested that I would not see much advantage over the 500 hz. filter,
which I already had.  So, I went for the 1.8 in n-2 because I want to try
more sideband contesting, and I think it will help.

If you have any specific questions that I can answer, please don't hesitate
to send me a note either through the reflector or direct at
pinskeep@igloul.com.

Regards.
Pete, NO2D
Pewee Valley, KY.
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At 12:09 PM 8/17/98 -0700, Tim Jones wrote:
>
>I am thinking about a Omni VI real serious and I will be using it for
>DXing and Contesting.(just CW) If there is a contester please send me
>some info about how the 
>Omni VI operates in contests.
>
>Thanks
>K9NI
>Tim Jones  
>
>
>
>
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