[TenTec] Ok, if the Argo was/is so popular.....

[Goveia, William P]

I have only been a ham for a little over 2 years, and only been working H.F.
for around 3 months. My context is somewhat limited, but as I shopped,  I
did try a lot of the local ham's rigs; Icoms, Yeasus, Kenwoods, etc...

In the price range I could afford ($600-$700), I came to the conclusion that
a used Scout or Argo was my best bet.  So I watched the Factory Refurb list
out of Tentec for a while, and got lucky (a little over $400) with a Scout.
I have to say, I love the rig.  Reports are that my audio is very nice, and
apparently it puts out a nice clean signal, from 5 to 50 watts, if I can
believe the signal reports I've been getting...

In my opinion, the Scout and Argo are the best rigs you can buy in the under
$700 range.  At least from the shopping I did.  I run mine exclusively off
of a 12 volt, 650 cold cranking amp deep cycle marine battery (about $40
from a local wholesale club), and it seems to run for weeks (with my
operating style, anyway) at a time without needing to charge the battery (I
meter the voltage before I operate each time).

It's small, simple to operate, and the manual is that same as the manual you
get for a late model Argo, so my assumption is that if I took out the little
linear amp in the back of the rig, I'd have an Argo. So it probably performs
nearly identically to a late model Argo.  The one drawback is that the power
adjustment for the Scout is on the bottom, and you'll need one of those
little plastic "tweak tools" to turn the power down, since they come from
the factory set for 50 watts.

Hope that helps.

73,
Bill Goveia
KB9RBW


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tom H [mailto:biskit@snip.net]
> Sent: Thursday, April 15, 1999 9:09 PM
> To: tentec@contesting.com
> Subject: [TenTec] Ok, if the Argo was/is so popular.....
> 
> 
> 
> My interests have turned to QRP operation here of late, and I have my
> feelers up looking for a new or used rig.  Owners of the 
> Ten-Tec Argonaut
> series seem to praise them highly, and are reluctant to part 
> with them.  So,
> here's my question:  If the Argonout series was so popular, 
> and seem to
> continue to be, why were they dropped from the product line?  
> I know I can
> obtain QRP operation from many of the "high power" gear out 
> there, but I'm
> looking for a pure QRP rig (did I just answer my own 
> question?).  And a
> follow-up query:  How does the 555 Scout measure up to the late model
> Argonauts as far as performance goes?
> 
> 
> --
> 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
> 

--
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