[TenTec] jupiter replies

[CATFISHTWO@aol.com]

in reference to the item annotated  below,  I have owned lots  of rigs 
including an Orion and a TS 570.  The ts  570 is a darn good  radio, it has the good 
kenwood audio and is a pretty darn good radio for what I  use it for.  I am 
not a CW fanatic so that end of the radio is  not of  a big concern to me.I 
usually don't filter down less than 1800 or 2k in  bandwidth and the TS 570 
worked quite well for me.
 
I also enjoy the Orion and it too has a lot of options  available to me in 
the way I set it up. It is a great radio and I use it as my  main HF rig 
currently.
 
I also have a ts 2000, which is a great dc to daylight rig, (  the orion 
stinks on 6m/ 2m and 440 mhz, ) and it is my "monitor " rig I use it  with a 5btv 
and a couple of uhf/vhf antennas to see how the other stuff works.  It is not 
the most sensitive reciever I own but it works fine for what I need it  for.
 
I also have a TS 930 which is probably the last rig made by  kenwood that is 
not able to be computer controlled, and it is super for rag  chewing and 
nets.. good sound, good autotuner, a nice vox, and pretty bullet  proof.
 
I also use my ft 847 in my pickup with a dk3 and a diamond for  6/2 and 440 
fm and ssb. it works quite well mobile. 
 
I have a couple of  ft-857 d's, one in each car, and they  are easy to 
install, one uses an ATAS 100 the other a ATAS 120.  not the  best reception, not 
the best reciever, but small, easy to operate mobile, and  lets me play when 
driving, and they fit with room for a passenger  too.
 
I just sold the IC 756 and still have a  Ic 746 pro ,  ic2-kl and at500, 
which makes for a 500 watt search and pounce rig.
 
I also have a swan 350 for when I feel like looking at tubes.  I plugged it 
in last friday, and it is still drifting, but it is slowing down  now  :)
 
I have had probably ten FT 101's of different flavors and  the 101 zd is a 
darn good rig.
 
 
I have a friend with a bunch of ten tec stuff and they also  work well. He  
likes to listen to short wave broadcasts, and works a lot of  cw and probably 
owns 5  TT rigs, and a couple other brands  too.
 
my point is that ten tec makes a good radio, and they work  very well on cw 
and pretty good on ssb ( those that have a hole to plug in a  microphone , any 
ways) but I don't get the comment about the  "far east are  mans radios" . If 
you get that reaction from you fellow club members,  perhaps  you are in a 
less than perfect club.
 
You will please notice here I did not say this or that is  best.  some are 
better for cw, some for ssb, and some do both well and some  do neither well.  
when most folks  rate radios, it is usually a  case of " its my radio so it is 
best" and not have any thing else to base their  judgement on having used 
other rigs. 
 
My final comment is that most modern radios do a pretty good  job. Ten Tec  
has a different approach to the radio than others, in their  method of sales, 
and the way they operate. Yaesu, Kenwood, and Icom, still make  good rigs, and 
they are actually better for some folks purpose's than a Ten  Tec.,  so I  
find the ability to use  a different radio for   each type of operation is more 
important to me than the size or shape of the  skirt of the band pass filter. I 
don't actually have much  use for QSK on ssb.. go figure !!  All most all 
rigs are useable..  depending on the use....
 
..........................................................................
 
I do agree the 516 has tighter skirt and the guys in
> the club was  really surprise a "QRP" radio by "Ten 
> Tec" really outperform the TS570  by Kenwood.
> The emphasis on the names were intentional. These
>  guys think TT is a toy and the far east radios are 
> "real" man radios.  (heh heh, what ever that 
> means...)

It means they made judgements  without the benefit of
experience.  As a woman I'll be happy not to have  some
of the really crappy "far east real man radios" out
there.  It's  nice not being a "real man" or any kind
of man at all sometimes :)

An  Elecraft K2 would blow the doors of their little
Kenwood too.  Do they  think it's a toy as well?
> 
> I plan on going for, at minimum, a  Paragon with
> proper filters, to a maximum of Omni 6.

Is general  coverage important?  If not please look at
the ARRL lab test results for  the Corsair.  They are
better than those for the Paragon and a fully  loaded
Corsair with lots of filters will cost you less. 
Indeed, in some  categories the Corsair receiver is
still in the top 10 radios ever  tested.