[TenTec] Omni VI / +

[CSM(r) Gary Huber]

I have both the Corsair II (and remote VFO) with 2.4k, 1.8k, 500, and 250 Hz filters and the Omni VI Plus with the same filters plus 1.8k and 500Hz filters in the second IF. I've had both receiving off the same antenna with an A/B switch, with the Omni VI  Plus slaved thru the Corsair AUX RX connection or in other configurations. The only time I hear a significant difference is when the OMNI VI Plus has the narrow 1st and second IF filters in with the RF Gain wide open. The Corsair is "quieter" but the OMNI VI Plus has much more selectivity and "rejection" when trying to work weak DX close to strong signals in a pile-up. I do use an outboard audio filter, an AOR TDF- 370 DSP and a Maxell ANC headset magnetically coupled to my Siemens hearing aids which have a 6db per octave rising response from 300 to 3000 Hz.

Both radios have their place... the Corsair II is easier to listen to but the OMNI VI+ can approach it IF you make adjustments to RF Gain, PBT, and other controls.

Best regards,

CSM(r) Gary Huber - AB9M
9679 Heron Bay Rd
Bloomington, IL 61705
(309-662-0604)
www.csm-gh.com
glhuber at msn.com
gary.huber at us.army.mil 



--------------------------------------------------
From: "Andrew Moore" <andrew.nv1b at gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 05, 2009 6:00 PM
To: <ken.d.brown at hawaiiantel.net>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Omni VI / +

> <<
> At least one person has complained that since the receive audio passes
> though DSP system, even when you are not using DSP, it sounds bad all
> the time. I have been tempted to bypass the DSP (it should be easy by
> unplugging those little coaxial connectors and rerouting one of them) to
> see if I notice an improvement.
>>>
> ...
> <<
> Since you don't have the Omni VI anymore, it
> may be difficult, but could you describe what it was about the audio
> that you did not like?
>>>
> 
> Best I can describe is "fatiguing."  I just felt the need to change the
> pitch to give some relief to my ears.
> 
> I suspect it was something to do with the DSP / noise reduction system, and
> seemed to happen when narrow filters were engaged -- it just didn't sound as
> purely "analog" as some receivers I've heard.  And of course it doesn't.  It
> isn't!  Of course it's all tradeoffs.  It's nothing specific, but I noticed
> it.  I've operated basically 100% CW for about 20 years on a bunch of rigs.
> There are some that stand out to my ears as more pleasant than most
> (Elecraft K1, Ten-Tec Corsair II) and some that stand out as fatiguing (Icom
> IC-703+, Omni VI+, and occasionally the IC-706MkIIG -- though I find the
> latter just fine when the signal is strong).  And again this is just with my
> ears, and there may be many factors involved, and some of the higher
> performance  radios wouldn't achieve those higher performance levels without
> signal processing or other tradeoffs that might take the audio signal
> farther away from its pure/raw state.
> 
> --Andrew, NV1B
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>