[TenTec] New Jupiter

[Carl Moreschi]

The only comment I have concerns the receive filters.  The algorithm used
keeps the low frequency cutoff at 200 hertz for all the SSB filters.  I
believe
this to be a normal and good approach.  This mean as you get wider, the
center
frequency will get higher.  If you wanted to keep the center frequency fixed
at say 1500 hertz, you would go below zero and hear on the other side of
zero beat once you went to 3000 hertz.  Conversely, if you tuned with say
1600 hertz bandwidth,
you would hear from 700 to 2300 hertz.  I belive TT picked the overal best
way to do it.
When you go to a tight filter on SSB, you would almost always use PBT anyway
to find the best position to knock out the QRM.

The things you point out are the very reason that a computer controlled
radio is
so great.  You can change any human factor thing you want to and are not
stuck
with a fixed layout.


Carl Moreschi  N4PY
Franklinton, North Carolina
n4py@earthlink.net
----- Original Message -----
From: <pywacker@fuse.net>
To: "TenTec Mailing List" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2001 3:06 AM
Subject: [TenTec] New Jupiter


>
>
> 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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>


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