[TenTec] auto tuner

[WA3FIY]

On 8 Mar 2002 at 17:42, Steve Ellington wrote:

> And they won't make you buy all those optional filters either but if
> you want any perfromance, you'll have to buy them. 

If you are referring to the internal "roofing" filters, you are 
quite right about not being required to buy them and that is a 
wonderful thing.   If I am strictly a SSB operator, why would I 
want to buy CW filters and if I am a CW op, why buy SSB 
filters?  Besides, I suspect the radio is going to do VERY well 
with the standard roofing filters.   But having the option to 
install the others puts it in class of it's own!!!   That's exciting!   
The point I am trying to make is that Ten Tec trusts me enough 
to let me make the decisions that are best for me.   Unusual in 
this day and age.

>Auto tuners have
> become standard on newer equipment because hams like them. It seems
> strange to me why we would want a rig with so many features an leave
> out one of the most popular items of the day. 

I think it is more a case of tuners being a requirement for the 
rigs to operate properly.  Besides, the built-in tuners that I have 
had experience with were rather limited in matching range as 
compared to an external tuner.

Again I ask, why put in something that I don't need when the 
money could be better spent making the basic performance of 
the radio unbeatable?

>So I suppose with this
> rig you will need to crank the roller inductor and capacitors, flip
> switchs, reduce power, tune for dips just like the old tube days.
> 
I'm not sure what you are referring to here.  Ten Tec sells a 
very fine auto tuner with a wide matching range and high 
efficiency.  If you want one, put it on order with your Orion and 
you will have no cranking, flipping, reducing, etc.  In my case I 
don't have any of that either.  I use a two hundred fifty some 
foot off center fed dipole that loads with less than 3:1 SWR on 
all but one of the HF bands.  So, I don't have to do anything 
other than hit the key or PTT and go,  another Ten TEC feature 
not found on most other rigs.  It will continue to deliver full 
power or nearly so into moderate SWR without shutting down.  


Satin Gold, that's the only change I would make!    :-)

-Lee-