[TenTec] Equipment reviews.

[K3BU at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/16/03 8:48:30 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
ac5e at comcast.net writes:
>>I suspect it would take a well funded, completely independent, no 
advertising magazine, with a well equipped lab, staffed by enthusiastic contesters and 
DXers, to do rig tests the way rig tests should be done. <<


OK, lets start here, this is the most evangelical group around the radio. 
Some are blind believers, who would descend on an occasional critical soul 
unjustly or for the lack of knowing any better. I am not eager to hear from those 
and I can smell the difference between well wishers and helpers and those who 
... you know what.

I will setup my www.K3BU.us page with REVIEW department and start with top of 
the top -Orion and work my way down by the price tag and my pile of rigs. It 
will be my view and review from the point of competitive ham, aka race car 
driver and picking on most important factors needed by contester (like 2 radios 
on the same band operation). I would like to have also modifications department 
and suggested techniques of use pertinent to particular radio. I would 
welcome any contributions by others (with proper credit given), especially search of 
other sources for mods (time consuming). I would try to inject some humor to 
relieve the dryness of technical reviews and to spice up or drive the point to 
those thick headed designers who still don't get it :-)

As far as lab and skills, most of it is here, enough funds to buy the rigs 
(no juiced up mfgrs "samples"), some test equipment, my staff (me) is familiar 
with circuits (homebrewed since 1958, I designed and built my first transceiver 
when only KWM1 (2?) was around), did some contesting (like beating OH2BH in 
1969 WPX with Inverted Vee on 20m as OK5BU) and being shunned by manufacturers 
(offered help) I have enough incentives not to be overly nice to them :-)

As far as pay per review, I will be happy if the readers will reward me with 
QSO during the contests. I will post on my web site which contest and what 
call and category I will use and would appreciate that 599xx THANKS or 599xx 
YOUSUCK. 

One note on peculiarity of ham radio and manufacturers. With hams we have 
some things ("working" DX on the list, packet contesting) that in rest of the 
world would be classified as insane (like shooting animals in the ZOO, or fishing 
with diver hooking up the fish). Ham manufacturers ignore to large extent the 
requirements by their race drivers of rigs. TenTec is the one working closer 
with us, but still major room for improvement. So, I understand the situation, 
and maybe with our reviews and critiques and suggestions on public parade we 
will make a small improvement and end up with better rigs than 5 kHz wide 
clixes from $3000 radios. 

The only problem I can see is with timing, sometimes more important things 
pop up and radio has to take a back seat. I am trying to balance my life with 
radio, family and business is more important to me than my second love - radio 
and contesting. I had to take major 10 year break from radio in order to secure 
the family and get our boys through schools, rather than end up as crazy ham 
squeegee window washer in NYC. 

So if this is welcome and appreciated and I get constructive criticism and 
help I will continue. I will test rigs in their raw state and after some 
modifications to show the benefits. In most cases, buying used "medium" rig and 
applying some mods can upgrade that rig to next one up price category. (Smart ars 
remarks, cultist zeal and bitching will be duly discarded :-) Any comments, 
requests and suggestions will be appreciated.

Stay tuned .... off to clear the accumulated "treasures" from the lab and 
let's roll! 

73 Yuri, K3BU