[TenTec] Centaur AMP
Paul
pfb@eriecoast.com
Tue, 14 Sep 1999 01:33:16 -0400
Ariel and Carl,
I didn't respond to this intially and with Ariel waving the Hi Ho I thought
it would be worth a word or two. The question "do I need an amp" was not
included in any of my posts. I am not tyring to be rude but stating a fact.
My station -- the entire operation from day one -- was engineered to handle
legal limit power. Period. The feed line, the solid state rig, the 50ft
high Carolina Wimdom postioned between two towers with pulleys will allow me
great flexibility in trying different field configurations and even the
ability to exepriement with my own designed antennas. The Power I can do
nothing about at this site. Nothing--Nada!!!
Both of you -- I apprecitae you wisdom and views. I salute you and respect
your operating methods and preferances.
I gentlemen, maynot have a Tentec Omni 6 plus but I do have what I consider
a great station with a properly engineered set up for what I want to do. I
use no traps in my antennas, only the finest feed line and do not think
that 6 amps of currnet draw on a Centaur would be a problem for the current
wiring on 110 Volts, and I would never own a marginal transmatch! Nor do I
think any other serious player in this hobby would. Maybe a QRPer would -
not this station.
>From day one this was set up for power---My questions came because of my
finding a Centaur -- My situation was "Do 600 Watts now or keep saving" for
Centurian or Alpha. All the while saving and missing the winter fun when
just a little extra umph would make that Scotish contact on 80 just a little
more injoyable for those European listners on the band. When one of those
serious players calls from overseas -- I don't want him to have to twiddle
his dials or insult him with a 2nd rate signal. Maybe a Centaur would
help -- maybe not. I just don't want to only think about it or ponder the
possibility. In the end It may take a Centurian or an Alpha 99 to
ultimately do the job right but I want to expand my horizon and capability
with more power as I planned from the first day. I just wanted this piece
of equipment to be the first piece of Tentec gear. That would qualify me as
a Tentec owner -- would it not??
That is only reason why I posted to this Tentec Arena ----feed back and
information on Tentec Centaur and fan noise stated it. Before you know it
the snowball keep going.
I am gland to hear of your reasons for not trying it, and how you logically
worked out the desire to not do it for 29 years --I have to "Thank You!!"
Both of you have helped me decide! I don't want to say that when 29 years
pass by my window and a new ham operator looks for Elmer Friends. If I did
let that happen I would always wonder what I missed and what I would do to
potential DX contacts. What far off destinations would elude their RF
transmission, Knowing a station is there but being uable to confirm that
contact????? Who knows maybe It was a King or Art Bell!! My Elmer friends
helped me in the beginning and told me that I would want to add a linear as
soon as possible. It is the right thing to do. When You need it -you got
it. I do believe He was right --- It Only took 6 months to get the
bug----and thanks to Ariel and Carl I have solidified my wants form my needs
and ability. I will buy now with the budget I have and worry about the
Centurian or Alpha 99 at a later day when I have the 220v line. If it is
Centaur all the better but even that will not stall this effort out. Why
miss the experience
while years pass and then maybe, with alittle luck and effort I will
realize how lucky I am even have a linear.
Who knows -- the way our bands are being auctioned off and increased sharing
of bands continue, Our paranoid friends want us to loose our second
amendment rights with each little new "common Sense gun control" law that
goes on the books. But all of us should Beware ---It will not stop there!!!
Our first amendment rights are not far behind.-----and with those intrusions
on the 1st amendment You and I may watch our radios be taken and melted down
too. Imagine that----never being able to get a linear even if you could
afford it because we would not have Amateur Band to speak our thoughts.
How dare we be allowed a method to share opnions and ideas. This, Ham
Operators is not so silly as it may seem to some at first! Just some
additional food for thought as we wait to see what the restructure of the
licenses are.
Now I am off my soap box!
I WILL POST THE PURCHASE NO MATTER WHAT IS BOUGHT
Thank You ALL who have contributed and advised and elmerred(sp)
Paul
KI8HO
----- Original Message -----
From: Ariel Elam <k4aal@jackatak.theporch.com>
To: Carl R. Gansen <wb0cff@hotmail.com>; <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, September 13, 1999 9:52 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Centaur AMP
>
> Hi Carl-- Absolutely right!! VI+ & TR7 !! 73,Ariel,k4aal
>
> "Carl R. Gansen" wrote:
> >
> > I have been in ham radio for 29 years and have avoided the "Need"
> > for an amp though I must admit I have been severely tempted
> > (or maybe Seviervillely tempted??)to get one at times. It has
> > always come down to a $$$/db issue for me.
> >
> > I know from other ham's experiences that if you can't get a 220Vac
> > feed you should rethink the whole idea. Otherwise, It will go something
> > like this: You buy a small amp so you can run on 120V.
> > You then find out that its a marginal situation. Once the novelty
> > of being able to dim the light wears off you decide to bite the
> > bullet and pull in a 220V line. Now, you wish you had the big
> > amp that you would have bought if you had the 220V available in
> > the first place. Of course, now you buy the bigger amp and fry
> > the heck out your marginal transmatch. You need to buy a heftier
transmatch
> > in oder to find out that you need a better grade of
> > coax going to your antennas and maybe replace an antenna or two if
> > you have 300 watt traps in the system. It's at this point you
> > realize you should have put up better antennas in the first place.
(multiply
> > all of these hassles by some exponentially increasing
> > variable if you are married :-)
> >
> > To go from 100 to 400 watts will strengthen your sig by 1 whole
> > S unit at the receiving end. You'd have to go to to 1600 watts
> > to go up aother S unit. The amp + 220V line + transmatch + coax +
antennas
> > could end up running a couple kilobucks/S unit. Personally,
> > I've had a tough time justifying that in the face of a family budget.
> >
> > For my part, rediscovering CW about 10 years ago and buying a
> > TT Omni 6 has made it easy to work the DX. With the exception of
> > 160 meters I can almost always work anything I find. On 160, I
> > have a marginal antenna...so far.
> >
> > Good Luck on your decision.
> >
> > >From: "Paul" <pfb@eriecoast.com>
> > >To: <tentec@contesting.com>
> > >Subject: [TenTec] Centaur AMP
> > >Date: Fri, 10 Sep 1999 11:59:24 -0400
> > >
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