[TenTec] all mode ten tec (argonaut V?)

[Steve Berg]

Much of the art of rig selection is based upon the needs and perceptions 
of the operator.  I have an Argonaut II which is the 5 watt version of 
the Delta II.  I never knew it had an AGC problem until I found a web 
article on how to fix it.  I never did the modification, and like the 
rig very much.  After using it for years on HF, I put it to work as the 
tunable IF for my VHF station.  It has worked superbly with both the Ten 
Tec transverters and the Elecraft units.  The tuning is not as smooth as 
my Omni V, but is more than adequate.  Using an amplified D104 
microphone and the speech processor, I get excellent audio reports.  The 
noise limiter works far better than the one in the Omni V, or any other 
rig I have, and has a useful undocumented feature in that in the 
presence of strong signals outside of the bandpass, it desenses the 
radio a bit, which is a nice way to hear when there is a band opening. 
Backing off the RF gain, minimizes this when operating.  The only flaw I 
have found in the little radio is that the LCD display backlight wears 
out.  I bought several spares when they were readily available so should 
be set for the next 20 years or so.  Is the Delta II a high powered 
contest radio?  I rather doubt it, but one would provide many years of 
  fun in more normal use.  I have no experience with the Argonaut V.  I 
did have a 526 6 and 2 meter multimode for a while, but it did not work 
any better than my Argonaut II does, and has no way to adjust the QSK or 
amplifier switching speeds.  This made it unusable with my old Mirage 6 
meter amplifier, so I sold it.  A simple mod makes it possible to hard 
key external transverters and amplifiers with the Argonaut II, and I 
have installed it.  I do not miss DSP filters, ethernet ports, and the 
like.  So, the old clunkers like the Argonaut II and Omni V suit me just 
fine.  Ten Tec has made remarkably few lemons in its long history, and I 
think you will find most of their products to be excellent and very 
reliable.  You might like them so much as to get a complete set.

Steve WA9JML

john ferro wrote:
> i would like to get an all-mode ten tec. i was thinking about a paragon 
> or paragon II, delta II (if you can find one) etc. the new ten tec's 
> like the orion and omni models are a bit out of my reach right now. i 
> have been thing of buying a used argonaut V, but the 20 watt Max is a 
> bit low for me as i am into ssb. would it be possible to run the 
> argonaut off a non ten tec amp to bring up my wattage to the nominal 100 
> watts of most transceivers. does anyone run there argo's from an amp? on 
> average, how much power will an amp put out from the max. 20 watt output 
> of the argo. tia, john
> 
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