[TenTec] Scout frequency jumping, Enough!
Steve Ellington N4LQ
n4lq@iglou.com
Mon, 1 Nov 1999 18:39:48 -0500
It was typical of one who is consumed with "BRAND LOYALITY" and can't
stand any criticisim about their investment. Virtually every Scout
will jump frequency when keyed over 25wpm. It is nothing to do with
operator error or poor installation. It is caused by a design flaw
which TenTec refuses to acknowledge publicly but will in private. If
in fact TenTec is fixing this problem then let us hear from them
"Scott". Maybe this is like the hidden warranty on autos where the
manufacture only makes repairs on demand.
No, enough is never enough until we either have an answer or a cure.
I'm glad our founding fathers had no such attitude otherwise we would
still be paying tribute to the Queen. Let TenTec owners continue to
voice complaints, offer suggestions for improvements and work together
with the factory to enhance our equipment. Those individuals who are
indifferent to technical weaknesses and offended by negative remarks
about their toys need to be more objective.
Steve N4LQ
----- Original Message -----
From: James Parsons <k5rov@earthlink.net>
To: <randas@mindspring.com>
Cc: Larry Kayser <kayser@king.igs.net>; <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 5:33 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Scout frequency jumping, Enough!
>
> I agree with you, Tim. He was pretty extreme...
>
> randas@mindspring.com wrote:
> >
> > Gee Larry...95% operator failure...hummm... that seems a bit
extreme to me.
> > Should a ham expect to have to put a "mobile rig" in an
temperature
> > controlled, stable environment with exact voltage to have good
results..?? I
> > agree that the scout is a fine rig...but its certainly not without
problems.
> > I think you took the discussion to the far left extreme. The true
lies
> > somewhere in the middle.
> >
> > de Tim K0FL
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Larry Kayser <kayser@king.igs.net>
> > To: tentec@contesting.com <tentec@contesting.com>
> > Date: Monday, November 01, 1999 9:59 AM
> > Subject: [TenTec] Scout frequency jumping, Enough!
> >
> > >
> > >Greetings All:
> > >
> > >This memo is to those who persist in trying to make a problem out
of the
> > >Scout's occasional propensity to change frequency under program
control of
> > >the internal microprocessor. The microprocessor has the job of
stabilising
> > >the analogue VFO in this radio.
> > >
> > >In the last few weeks several amateurs have opinioned on this
forum and
> > >other forums that the Scout is getting a bad rap, the so called
"frequency
> > >jumping" is not a real problem. My intention in this memo is to
carry this
> > >issue one step further, to categorise the blame for the problem
into two
> > >piles. The first pile is the tiny minority of radios that
actually have a
> > >problem and need to be sent to the factory for service. (see the
PS below)
> > >The second pile, and the vast majority of all the discussion here
on this
> > >forum and in other forms is the result of using the radio in a
way that is
> > >less than optimum and results in the radio responding by jumping
around.
> > >
> > >I have a Scout. I use it both mobile, fixed, and portable. When
someone
> > >says it is jumping around I know immediately that I am doing
something
> > >wrong. I know that I have RF feedback or I have a power supply
with a
> > >higher than acceptable internal resistance or I have a power
cable that has
> > >higher than acceptable internal resistance. I can also tell that
when I
> > >operate the radio in a physically challenging condition, bouncing
around on
> > >the front seat, or in a temperature challenging environment, -25C
in the
> > >winter and the heater on full blast, that I am asking more of the
radio
> > that
> > >I have a right to. I also know that if the Radio is jumping
around I have
> > >done something wrong, I have a job to do to fix it, and when I
have it
> > fixed
> > >I will not have a jumping around problem anymore.
> > >
> > >On this forum in the last three years I have found over a dozen
different
> > >references to frequency jumping that was resolved by fixing a
problem
> > >outside of the radio.
> > >
> > >If you have a frequency jumping problem remember that it is a 95%
chance
> > >that you are doing something wrong and further that you are
broadcasting
> > far
> > >and wide that you do not know how to solve your problem! The
radio for 95%
> > >of the time is telling you that there is a problem that needs
fixing, only
> > >approximately 5% of the time is the radio the problem maybe.
> > >
> > >Now lets talk about the one place were the radio has a design
issue that
> > can
> > >not be overcome without some consideration by the operator. If
you are
> > >operating CW at and over 30 WPM you must supply a .5 to 1 second
time
> > >interval from time to time for the microprocessor to get a
reading of the
> > >VFO frequency and apply the correction to the VFO. The VFO is
doing what
> > >all analogue VFO's do, it is wandering along moving its frequency
at some
> > >rate per unit of time. The microprocessor needs to measure the
VFO
> > >frequency, check what frequency the VFO was last moved to and
then apply a
> > >correction voltage to the VFO so that the frequency does not jump
to the
> > >next increment of change for the VFO. What is the "time to time
interval"?
> > >I sense for a Scout operating in a non physically and non
temperature
> > >challenging environment it is every 20 to 30 seconds at a
minimum.
> > >
> > >If you do not want to allow for the 1 second update interval buy
a
> > different
> > >radio. You will not get a radio with the low internal noise and
the price
> > >of the Scout that will meet such a requirement. The lower price
is the way
> > >that Ten Tec found to not have to individually tune up the VFO's
with
> > >temperature compensating capacitors like they do for their other
analogue
> > >PTO's.
> > >
> > >Remember, when you complain about the Scout jumping around your
really
> > >displaying your inability to deal with your problem - you might
not like
> > the
> > >message, but you now know plainly what your peers think when they
see the
> > >ongoing noise about this radio, 95% of the time.
> > >
> > >Larry
> > >VA3LK
> > >
> > >PS How does one know if a Scout VFO needs service? This is an
area that
> > >the factory could have put more attention to in my opinion. The
> > information
> > >you need is at what rate is the VFO drifting and how often is the
> > >microprocessor having to apply a correction to the radio to keep
it on the
> > >frequency it is set to. It would be ideal to have some
indication from the
> > >radio as to what the rate of change of the VFO and the
corrections applied
> > >by the mircroprocessor are. This would help the user understand
the
> > >performance of the radio and become part of the solution rather
than a lack
> > >of information encouraging the user to become part of a perceived
problem.
> > >This is a design philosophy issue that Ten Tec should not be
expected to
> > >discuss in public.
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >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
>
> --
>
> James (Jim) Parsons, K5ROV USAF, Ret. Ham for 58 yrs.
> k5rov@earthlink.net QCWA, NWQRP, Fists, ARRL
> EX: W1RLA, K5FBB, K4FEO, SV0WN (CRETE), SV0WN (RHODES),
> DL4NC, DL4JP, KA2FC (JAPAN), KA2JP (JAPAN).
> JOHN 3:16
>
> --
> 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
>
>
--
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Administrative requests: tentec-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-tentec@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm