[TenTec] 253 interface 4-6.5mHz?

[John Rader]

I went make up some new interface cables for the 253 and found some 
intresting things.I have been using a 253 autotuner with an Omni 6+ infaced 
with the Riley's 236 cable. This cable differs from the TT 236 in 2 ways. 
The Riley's cable lacks the second DB25 for a computer interface as well as 
a connection for, odd as it may seem, 4-6.5mHz. The TT drawing I have for 
the 236 cable indicates that there is a provision for this "band". My tuner 
was made in 1994, and I didn't know that usage in the 4-6.5mHz range was 
contemplated. Lately I have been using the 253 with the Orion interfaced 
with the Riley's 236 and a TT 311 converter. The converter has lights for 
each active band, including 60m. weel since the Riley's cable is missing the 
org/blk wire to pin 7 60m doesn't go. Since we shoulnd't be tuning up on 
sixty it may seem a useless need. But It would be nice for thea utotuner to 
automaticlly swicth to bypass when 60m is selected rather the some bands 
settings you just switched from. Now I need to explore if this 4-6.5 band is 
one of the band pass filters in the HercII for grins. Operate 60m in stanby. 
The omni has no output for 4-6.5, but the 253 and Herc II do. So this is the 
unused memory in the 253, pin 7 org/blk. perhaps one could use this memory 
slot to split 10/12 or 15/17 by swapping some inputs and outputs in the 311.
Have Fun,
John K5XTX

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