[TenTec] First comments: Triton IV Model 544

Jim Reid jreid@aloha.net
Wed, 4 Aug 1999 20:39:37 -1000


Aloha,   now it is operating.

> The rig appears to be in "brilliant,  uncirculated,  mint"  
> condition!  

Oops,  when the power was applied,  all was well,  except,
the S-meter was NOT in the window!!  It was loose,  sort of
fallen back.  Evidently suffered a jolt in shipping;  but the
little rig was wrapped in about four layers of bubble wrap,
and had foam inserts on the sides of the shipping box.

Bright light within the S meter lights up the area around it inside
the case,  now visible via the window where the S meter should
be sitting.  No sign of any mounting hardware;  wonder if the
meter came "unglued" from its mounting case? Clear plastic
case around the visible front of the meter appears to be in
fine shape.  Will have to go inside in the morning and re-set
the meter somehow up against the view window.

Before I go inside in the morning, any comments about the
S meter mounting from anyone who has been there,  done 
this?

Meter is working fine;  agress within 1/2 S unit at various signal
levels with the same signals tuned by the Omni VI+;  Omni is
the bit more stingy with readings,  hi.

> Looks  very nice on the shelf just above the Omni VI+;  will
> have a comparison between them in a day or so.
> First is to compare  noise,  as that was the impetus;
> someone was praising the "quietness" of the Triton,
> so we'll see.

Well,  they sound different.  But when listening to a quiet band,
then switching the antenna ON or OFF to either rig,  the noise
appears to increase the same delta in each.

One quite noticable audio difference, without headphones,
is that the Triton sounds thin,  high passed,  but the speaker
is beneath the rig which sits close to the desk top,  whereas
the built-in Omni speaker is on the top above which is plenty
of space on my desk.  So that makes a very noticable sound
difference using the built in speakersl  Just discovered two
snap  down legs below the Triton which raise the front
helping the audio out from the bottom speaker.

Headphone audio is also a bit high passed sounding;  however,
with my Heil phones,  audio only goes to the left ear,  so I
turn the phone around,  hi.  Guess need to get mono phones
for the Triton.  Unfortunately, the phone jack is on the rear of
the radio,  so with it up where it is,  I would really need an
extension cord for the phones.  So for now,  my comparisons
between these two rigs will be using speaker audio.

The Triton has wider pass band width than the Omni,  even with
the Omni using cascaded INRAD 2.8 kHz filters.  On both
CW and SSB  I can hear adjacent signals with the Trition,  
but not with the Omni.  Cannot find a spec on IF pass band
with using SB-N mode for the Triton.  On CW,  the Triton has
a CW-2 mode poition which the manual describes as using
the same bandwidth as the SSB channel except when the 
Triton 245 CW accessory filter is not  installed,  which it is in this
rig.  When installed,  the "CW passband curve is peaked at
750 Hz with reduced response on either side";  this is when in
the CW-2 mode.  In the CW-1 mode position with this filter
installed "the full 150 Hz wide filter is connected into the
circuit, which provides very sharply attenuated skirts."
Quotes from the Triton manual.  

Noticed that the manual I rcv'd is for the analog,  dial
version of the Triton.  Quite a bit about dial adjustment,
and dial cord replacement.   Not a word about the digital 
display I have.

Note that the tuning rate of this unit is about 13 kHz per
complete rotation of the main tuning knob ( at least on
20 meters;  quite a bit of DX tonight also).

I will spend more time with this little fellow tomorrow,  after
going in to re-seat the S meter.  Hope to have more meaningful
comparisons between these  two fine Ten Tec rigs.

Tonight I would say the Omni remains my rig of choice!!

But I have to become more familiar with the greatly
differing operating controls and characteristics of
the Triton IV.

73,  Jim,  KH7M 



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