[TenTec] Omni QSK with Alpha's 87A QSK

[JAMES T BRANNIGAN]

The reason your TT is not plug capatable with the Alpha is the same reason
Nikon lenses will not fit a Minolta...it is called MARKETING....
and this  is not a bad thing, it is simply good business..

but what happened to ham ingenuity??
we have been interfacing rigs from different manufacturers for years....

I hope we havn't reached the point where we need a "HAM RADIO FOR DUMMIES"
book
it could start with .....if the radios are different colors, they might not
work together.

>Aloha from Kauai,
>
>To Scott and the bunch at Ten Tec,  and the guys here
>on the reflector who have already commented to me
>on this topic.
>
>Problem restated for the guys at Ten Tec:
>
>Ok,  I cannot get the VI+ and the 87A to do their thing.  I have
>tried using the 87A in the keying loop a la Ten Tec linears.
>The result,  whenever  the rig is on,  it is transmitting!!  I
>connect the Omni TX Out to the 87A relay in;  and the
>87A  "c"  key output  back to the Omni TR EN.  And it
>is keyed continually ON,  no matter what state the
>87A is in;  Standby or Operate.   There is no response
>of any sort from the 87A,  other than it indicates RF
>power passing through,  but,  if the Omni is on 20 CW,
>and the 87 was last on 40,  that's where the 87 stays.
>So the indication from the Omni to the 87 is not taking.
>When the RF output is continuous from the Omni,  and I
>press the CW key,  the sidetone appears and follows
>the key,  but the RF out is constant.
>
>From what I read about
>the Omni Control Board on pg.. 4-16 in my manual,  this
>should work,  I think.  The manual text says,  "the Logic
>board generates a transmit acknowledge voltage at
>connector 63.  This drives Q11 which  sends the key
>signal over to the Relay on the 87A, as I read it.  Then
>the 87A would send the key signal back into the Omni
>TX EN connector,  and we should be off and running.
>
>On the Corsair II,  I connected my key signal directly to
>the 87A Relay input;  and then keyed back to the
>Corsair II key input from the "c" key output of the 87A;
>that seemed to work fine.  Again,  tried this with the
>Omni,  and it didn't work either.
>
>I now have had several QSO's:  JA, EA, OE, 5V7, SP, DL,
>I,  and KC4 down at the South Pole.  However,  I am using
>the mechanical relay in the Omni to talk to the 87A relay
>input line -- which is driving me nuts with its "clacking".
>That's why I sold the foreign rigs and bought the Omni,
>was to achieve fabulous QSK.  But it is not happening.
>
>There is no way,  with my eyes,  for me to even begin to
>think of performing the mod Paul,  W9AC,  has suggested.
>By pass the LCO relay,  change the xistor,  and key the
>Alpha with the former relay key signal.
>
>I bought the OmniVI+ especially and specifically for the QSK
>feature,  and having had no trouble using QSK of the Corsair II
>with my 87A,  presumed this would be duck soup with the
>newer design and better rcvr Omni.  Now I am really unhappy!
>
>I specifically mentioned the 87A in my order to Ten Tec;  Scott
>responded with the comment that it was just a matter of connecting
>up RCA jacks,  and all would be well.  Well I have tried the connections
>for the Ten Tec QSK linears in the manual,  and that does not
>seem to work with the 87A,  unless there is something obvious
>I have yet to notice.
>
>However,  Jim,  W5ODD,  has emailed that he has had the same
>experience with his 87A,  that is,  no QSK ability!  And Walt,  K8CV,
>sent the following:
>
>    "You probably have it figured out by now, but, when you key the 87
>and it keys the Omni you need to put the jumper plug back in on the
>in and out key thing. From the linear to the Omni is just 2 wire to
>the key ( rca ) jack in. I have never done this but, if you want to
>use the INTERNAL keyer on the Omni then you need the in and out
>thing! With an external keyer just key the amp and let it key the
>rig. Works for me!".
>
>This sounds as if it is exactly the same set up I used to have QSK with the
>Corsair II and the 87A.  Not completely sure I
>understand Walt's input.
>
>Anyway,  in the several years now that both the 87A and the Omni's
>of various generations have been on the market,  I have to
>believe someone,  and especially someone at Ten Tec
>must know how to set this up in some rather straight forward
>manner so one can have the QSK features of both the Omni
>and the 87A,  and also be able to use the Omni with the 87A
>for the occasional SSB QSO.  It would seem with the Corsair
>and Walt's solution,  you have the 87 available only for CW, unless
>you lock the CW key down when you want to transmit SSB in order
>to tell the amplifier to operate,  hi.
>
>Am sorry to have bumped into this problem within the first
>36 hours of owning the Omni.  Sure hope someone on the
>reflector,   or at Ten Tec,  can come up with the needed
>solution.  Not sure I will keep the Omni if this cannot be
>resolved,  as that was the principal reason I bought it.
>It is,  obviously,  in warranty,  and for me,  this is a warranted
>feature of the Omni, QSK computability with QSK capable
>commercial linears.  The only caveat in the Ten Tec manual
>for needing to use the LCO Control Board K1 relay is when
>one is using a non-QSK capable linear (see note on the
>linear of the OmniVI+ manual  Fig. 1-10,  pg. 1-7.) The
>Alpha 87A is certainly QSK capable!
>
>73,  Jim,  KH7M



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