[TenTec] It just depends...

[Vic Klein]

Interesting posts on the Ten Tec background. I first became a Ten Tec owner
when my wife sold a saddle and took a Ten Tec Triton I in trade from a
fellow who had accepted it as part payment on a truck and had no idea how to
use it on CB (really). When she asked if I was interested in the radio, I
jumped at it!  I sold my NCX-3 and was introduced to CW that was a pleasure,
with an 500Hz audio filter that still amazes me, and SSB that was clean and
worked well, too. The radio had all solid-state construction, RIT, broadband
finals and other cutting-edge stuff at that time. This was in 1975, and I
still have that radio.

As time went on, I became interested in other modes, like AMTOR, RTTY, and
PACTOR, and working cross-band splits or wide DX splits and the old Triton
just drifted too much to make those work or didn't have the offset needed,
so I retired it and bought a TS-930S/AT. I really liked the general coverage
receiver, and the digital modes worked well with real FSK capability. I used
that radio for about 10 years, when it began to exhibit some loss in
sensitivity. While it was away to be tuned up at Kenwood East, I pulled out
the old Triton, and WOW! Listening to the ham bands was fun, again! The
relatively low receiver distortion on SSB was much more pleasant than I had
come to accept, so before the TS-930 returned I decided to sell it and get a
newer Ten Tec. As a comment on Kenwood vs. Ten Tec repairs (I've used TT
both with on-the-phone or email help, as well as sending them the equipment
and always was happy with the results), the Kenwood returned WORSE than when
it had left. I sold it as a "repair or parts" unit and bought a clean
Paragon. I have filled out the filters on the 585 and find it most enjoyable
to use, a real joy. A simple mod put it on 60m right away, and the FSK works
even better than the 930, plus I can use any filters in any mode. I like
this Paragon so much, I suspect it, like my Triton I, will be a permanent
acquisition. In fact, besides the very early Tritons, I think the Paragon
and Omni V/VI styling was the most attractive of any of the TT radios, and
right up there with the Collins S-line as stuff I just like to look at! Now,
if I could just locate an RS-232 board for this radio, it would be just
about perfect! Will I ever get an Orion? Sure, probably in about 10 years...

=Vic=
WA4THR