[TenTec] New Jupiter

[pywacker@fuse.net]

Received my new Jupiter on Friday March 30, 2001 and immediately hooked it
up and hear are some findings and thoughts:

The Jupiter with the optional encoder Keypad totals $1328 plus shipping,
more expensive than an Icom 746 that comes with a keypad and antenna tuner
as standard and much more expensive than the Kenwood TS-570DG that also
comes with a keypad and antenna tuner that as standard. Even the Kenwood
TS-570S is standard with the keypad, antenna tuner and 6 meters is cheaper
due to recent discounts. The Icom 706MKIIG doesn't have the keypad or tuner
but comes with 6 meters, 2 meters and 440 for barely over $900.

What I am trying to say, this rig isn't actually cheap and some faults that
I have heard from some in the past have been typically sluffed off
with the phrase, "Well the rig is cheap, it only costs $1189". Same with the
Pegasus, "Well the rig is cheap, it only costs $895". Cheap is not an
excuse.
I feel Hams should expect first-rate gear for their dollar.

(1) The DSP filters are different than any other I have used. When going to
a wider filter on phone the pass band appears to go one way, UP, so you
loose low end response(Bass). The audio gets higher pitched. When going to a
narrower filter on phone the pass band appears to also go one way, DOWN, and
you gain low-end response(bass) but lose (Highs). This is on both transmit
and receive. In other words instead of the filter pass band getting wider
or narrower by expanding or narrowing both low and high
end frequency response together it appears to only go one way.
Good thing I have an EQ box which helps to some degree at least on the
transmit side. The receive and transmit HP(low frequency cutoff) appears to
be set at 300 hz no matter what bandwidth you are set to in either transmit
or receive. It would be nice if  TenTec would add the ability to change what
appears to be a fixed 300 hz point to 250, 200,150, 100, 50 or 0 HZ giving
you more bass response if you desire. I do realize you can play with the
Pass band tuning to add more bass to the receive audio but this is kind of
backward. This needs to be accomplished correctly and not by a work around.
N4PY in his
software adds what is located in the settings menu as LOW FREQ CUTOFF. This
fixes the transmit issue but you must be in the Pegasus mode to take
advantage of it.
Some might say brick walling the HP at 300 hz adds clarity and that might be
true.

(2) To change bands you push a button and move down the bands in frequency.
You cannot reverse the direction. How about TenTec setting up something
like hitting the ALT button then the BAND button to change directions. Also
notice you must push the button each and every time you change to another
band. It would be nice to just hold the button down and let it scan or cycle
through each band.

(3) In the Menu (MNU) the transmitter, TX filter BW, and speech
processor settings should all be together(Transmit Functions). Other than
the transmitter and TX filter BW located next to each other the speech
processor setting is all the way down the menu at the bottom. They all need
to be together.

(4) When I get a TenTec in the shack RFI problems tend to show their ugly
face. I do have it isolated to the optional encoder/keypad. I have put some
snap on cores on the encoder cable and it has helped some but not completely
illuminated the RFI so for now I have the encoder disconnected and all is
well. I had the same problem with a Pegasus. Will work on this later.
(((Update 4-3-01 appears to have been fixed)))

(5) It would be nice if TenTec could add a simple EQ in the menu so the
operator can change the audio characteristics to their voice. I was told
this is not simple to accomplish. So I guess no flash upgrade on this
one. It would be a real nice addition.

(6) I have been watching this rig since it's introduction and immediately
noticed it had no noise blanker, speech processor or EQ. Very happy two have
been added through flash updates although the speech processor was not a
big deal with me but the noise blanker is and it does an outstanding job.

(7) The noise reduction (NR) is sufficient but I have used others that are
better. I would like to see TenTec add an adjustment for levels of NR so you
could adjust the aggressiveness of this feature. Possibly this would make it
more effective. Another possible flash update?????

(8) What was TenTec thinking about on the floating speaker jack in the back
of rig???  What is the purpose?

(9) Notice an unused Din connection located at the back of the radio
referenced as, FOR LATER USE", in the owners manual.  Key Board CW would be
a terrific addition. Even more laziness would be a CW reader in the area
where the sweep is displayed. Something to think about.

(10) When changing frequencies with the optional $139 tuner/encoder it would
be nice (Example) if when changing from 3.850 LSB to 14.200 that the mode
would change with the frequency. Naturally 20 meters should go to USB. As it
stands now it does not. You must manually change modes if qsy'ing from 75
or 40 to 20, 17, 15, 12 or 10. When the frequency is changed 40 -160 meters
mode should automatically change to LSB...20 -10 meters automatically change
to USB. Modern rigs have been programmed this way for over 10 years now.
Something really great would be a change to CW when you enter a frequency in
the normal CW portion of a band. It also would be nice to set one of the F
keys to cycle through
the different bands

(11) When a set of headphones are plugged into the PHONES jack I notice a
good deal of noises (DSP NOISE??) buzzing in headphones. Push the AN (AUTO
NOTCH) button and listen to the noise.

(12) When listening to transmit audio with the monitor on I notice no change
in audio when changing bandwidths. Transmitting on SSB and listening to the
monitor with the 3.9 bandwidth and 1.8 bandwidth I notice no difference in
the audio but listen on another receiver and you will notice quite a
difference. I guess some will say the reason this was done was because the
rig is cheap and doesn't cost much???????

On the good side other than the band button and the order some items are
laid out in the menu I like the layout of the buttons and knobs on the
front panel.

Overall transmit audio has been very good. On the receive side, its good.
Many have mentioned the receive audio is very good. As mentioned above
I would like the high pass end to pass frequencies below 300 hz. Then I
would say the audio is very good. TenTec give us the choice.

The rig does suffer from what appears to be overload problems on 40 and 80 .
The ATTN button appears to be the solution. Other than beef up the front end
I guess built in 20 db attenuation on 40 and 80 would be the cheap solution
although I guess engaging the ATTN bottom gives you the choice.

After all that...........the rig is kind of fun to operate. Frequency 5
cycles low on 3.900 mhz and 5 cycles high on 28.600 mhz........actually
excellent. Like the Pegasus they both appear to be the only Ham rigs Ten Tec
makes where the frequency readout is pretty well on the actual frequency
throughout 160 to 10 meters. TenTec you're getting better in this respect.
It took long enough.

I was not written this as a bashing of TenTec. Just some comments of things
I notice and things I would like to see added or improved.

73 de KE4WY Jim









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