[TenTec] Re Please tell me about the TT Omni VI+

[Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales]

If I remember correctly, the original post was about DXing and contesting, 
90% of the time
on SSB.  Not hi-fi receive audio or rig features.

None of the receivers listed below will top the Omni-VI/VI Plus for 
receiver performance.
There is plenty of independent test data out in circulation to back up that 
statement.

"Prone to RF in the audio" - That's certainly not something we hear 
discussed often as a
service issue with the Omni-VI's.   I remember you posting a message about 
having
a problem with RF in the audio on an Omni-VI at high power while using (as 
described
by you) an inadequate ground system.  You mentioned in that message:  "I've 
since talked
to a few other omni owners with the same problem and therefore think this 
is going on in a
number of QTHs and it all has to do with the installation." - if you're 
having an RF issue,
I can see that.  Every amateur installation is unique.
http://dayton.akorn.net/pipermail/tentec/2003-May/034353.html

This weekend, you could have bought an Omni-VI at our hamfest for $999 or 
an upgraded
VI to VI+ for $1099.   Now *that* was a very good deal.   Good enough that 
all of the
Omni-VI Plus and option 3 upgraded radios we had on hand were sold - and if 
you were
here this weekend, you saw the pile (literally, 3 feet high by 12 feet 
long) of used Omni's
we had available.  All gone.  Every last one of them.

And I agree - if you want hi-fi SSB audio, don't bother with an 
Omni-VI.  It was
designed as a high-performance, communications-grade amateur transceiver.
----------------------------------------

Just out of curiousity, I typed OMNI VI SSB AUDIO and OMNI VI+ SSB AUDIO
into Google as N4LQ suggested and wasn't able to find anything about poor 
audio
quality.  Try it yourself.  What I did come across were items like this 
from N1EU
on the reflector in 2002:

http://lists.contesting.com/archives/html/TenTec/2002-02/msg00098.html
The Inrad 2.8Khz filters are really a necessity to
complete the "mod".  The Triton, on the other hand,
benefits from stock 2.7Khz wide filters. For the Omni
VI, I'm confident that the combination of tapping the
audio off the product detector plus the wide Inrad
filters would result in excellent hi-fi quality ssb rx
audio.  The Omni's stock 2.4Khz filters just aren't
wide enough to pass enough bass to give the male voice
some body and enough treble to prevent the voice from
sounding muffled, at the same time.  I'm speaking, of
course, about "hi-fi" audio - for communications
quality audio, the 2.4Khz filters are perfect

73, Barry  N1EU
-------------------------------

Sounds about right to me.

73
Scott Robbins
W4PA


At 03:12 PM 9/29/04 +0000, you wrote:

 >>In this price range I would definitely consider a used TS850, which is 
an excellent dx and contest rig, has a better display and in >>my opinion 
better build quality (the Omni seems to be prone to RF in the audio problems).

 >>For not much more (a few hundred dollars) you can get a used FT1000 
which is an excellent analog dx and contest rig on SSB, >>and for about 
$1800 you can get a new FT1000MP Mk V field with newer DSP technology and 
many other features the Omni >>does not have.

 >>As a sidebar, if you want hifi audio quality, forget the Omni 
totally.  All the mods in the world won't get past the relatively narrow rx 
bandwidth its analog technology confines it to.  Get a used TS870.
>73,
>Rob/K5UJ


-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ten-Tec, Inc., 1185 Dolly Parton Pkwy, Sevierville, TN 37862 USA
   Contact Mon-Fri Eastern: Office/Tech (865) 453-7172 9 am-5 pm.
   Repair (865) 428-0364 8-4.  Sales (800) 833-7373 9 am-5:30 pm.
   Fax (865) 428-4483 24 hrs.  Visit us at <http://www.tentec.com>
   Email:  New product sales/product info         sales at tentec.com
              Service department                         service at tentec.com
   While we make every effort to answer email in an expedient manner,
   the telephone is a much more efficient tool for getting a quicker and
   more complete answer to your inquiries.  Thanks!