[TenTec] The $1200-1400 TenTec - What features would you want and sacrifice?

[seweber@netnitco.net]

How about a Delta II+ or a Delta III or an OMNI 2000?

Delta II+ would go like this:

Start with the original delta II and tweak it to address some or all of the
issues brought up in the 1/92 QST review, particularly the filter quirks.
It should be fairly straightforward to have the filter *remember* settings
from mode to mode either through software or separate controls for cw and
phone.  Costs could be held down by making things like a built-in keyer, AM
transmit and FM available as user installable options The bulk of the
engineering, tooling and production method development have already been
accomplished, so instead of expensively engineering a whole new rig, refine
the delta II.  Apparently there is a problem with display longevity that
would justify going to something similar to the Omni VI+ display scheme.


Delta III or maybe OMNI 2000 (everything else is bloody-something two
thousand, why not a radio?) could be a modular design.

A basic chassis would contain the core of the rig and slots would be
available to optimize it for the mode or modes of choice, be it CW, SSB,
AM, or whatever.

I work in industrial process control, and a common scheme in
instrumentation is a chassis with a backplane motherboard that accepts a
series of boards that plug in through the front panel.  Kind of like the
slots on the back of a desktop PC, but with the board edge connector
running vertically on the backplane.  The boards are multiples of a
standard width and all controls pertaining to a given module are located on
the front panel of that module.  Unused slots are blanked off.  I could see
the basic rig as a very large plug-in, and other modules available to take
care of filtering, keyers, computer interface capability, FM, AM transmit
and the like.  The motherboard/backplane could be available in several
versions, perhaps a narrow version with limited slots for mobile use, a
standard version for us regular folk, and a *wide body* version for the
hard core guys who need every option plus a few empty slots just in case.
These chassis and card-rack motherboards appear to be standardized
off-the-shelf industrial items, and since ten-tec is also in the enclosure
business, they may already make something suitable.

Much of the design work would consist of simply repackaging the superb
circuitry of the Omni VI+ and older TT rigs.

A plug-in modular design would nicely dovetail with TenTec's superb
philosophy of user serviceability, and would be a neat jumping off point
for outside suppliers to develop accessory filters, trick keyers and the
like.

If you don't want AM or FM, don't buy the module.  CW guys can fill slot
with CW optimized filtering and delete the SSB module.  Buffet style radio!

food for thought.

Steve Weber, KD9BO
seweber@netnitco.net

When promulgating your esoteric cogitations or articulating your
superficial sentimentalities and amicable philosophical and psychological
observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity. Let your verbal
evaporations have lucidity, intelligibility, and veracious vivacity without
rodomontade or thespian bombast. Sedulously avoid all polysyllabic
profundity, pompous propensity, and sophomoric vacuity.

In other words, KISS (keep it simple etc.)



--
FAQ on WWW:               http://www.contesting.com/tentecfaq.htm
Submissions:              tentec@contesting.com
Administrative requests:  tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems:                 owner-tentec@contesting.com
Search:                   http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm