[TenTec] eagle

[wa3fiy at radioadv.com]

Mike, 

Are you sure your Omni VI should not have left the factory delivering only 80 watts?   For that 
matter, what was it's power output when it left the factory? 

I ask that because there is a target spec and a tolerance involved.  The target spec for the 
Omni VI according to my manual is 100 watts max.  What is the tolerance?  Dunno.  the 
manual does not say.  For the Orion, the spec is 100 watts max. plus or minus 1db.  That 
means that the radio may deliver anywhere from 79.4 watts max to 125.9 watts max and be 
within spec.   I doubt TT ships radios at the extreme limits but even if they did, who on the 
other end of the signal would know?    Since the power output depends upon the setting of 
two pots among other things, there are a number of reasons the max output power may shift 
over time, etc.  If it is important that the power meter show exactly 100 watts, it can be done.  
But I ask again....why bother?

BTW, I've owned a lot of radios over the years and worked on a lot more from most major 
manufacturers.  I've not kept a record but my rapidly fading memory tells me that the output 
power rarely matches the rated power.  Some higher, some lower according to my so so 
equipped lab.   The numbers I see here and elsewhere whenever this subject comes up 
represent a VERY small sample of the total number of units out there and are interesting 
perhaps but of little meaning otherwise.  One would need to take a fairly large sample to get 
an accurate mean and std deviation.   I used to know how to do that but remember that 
fading memory.....     :-)

73,

-Lee-


On 1 Apr 2011 at 13:21, mike bryce wrote:

> Lee,
> 
> you're absolutely right!
> 
> but...
> 
> I still paid for a 100 watt radio. I shouldn't have to tweak and peak
> the trimmers inside to set the power correctly.
> 
> The omni VI I own shows about 80 watts give or take a few. And I KNOW
> that no one alive will know the difference.
> 
> But...
> 
> It should not have left the factory like that.
> 
> I talked to Paul at the dayton hamvention about this issue and he told
> me that in the case of the Omni VI, each radio has to 'learn' what the
> power output is. While all the staff was overwhelmed with people from
> the hamvention, he was unable to give me more details other than "send
> it down"
> 
> And...
> 
> It's like buying a new automobile and finding out that the speedometer
> is off, it's just a quick adjustment, but you still paid $28,000 for
> the car-it shouldn't have left the factory like that.
> 
> 
> mike
> 
> 
> Mike, WB8VGE
> SunLight Energy Systems
> The Heathkit Shop
> http://www.theheathkitshop.com/
> J e e p
> o|||||||o 
> "If you can't explain it simply then you don't understand it well
> enough" Albert Einstein 
> 
> On Apr 1, 2011, at 11:04 AM, wa3fiy at radioadv.com wrote:
> 
> > 'Couple things,
> > 
> > The difference between 88 watts and 100 watts is about 0.55 db which
> > is slightly less than 0.1 S unit (using 6db per S unit).   Can
> > anyone hear that difference under anything other than lab
> > conditions?   Can anyone hear 0.55 db difference under any
> > conditions?  Probably not.
> > 
> > BUT you say...."I bought a 100 watt transceiver and I want a 100
> > watt transceiver!"   OK, no biggie.   First of all, get a lab
> > standard power meter and dummy load and set everything up.  Then
> > adjust the two pots (it's two pots in most of the later TT rigs. Not
> > sure about the Eagle though) in the radio to calibrate the radio
> > power and alc such that you get exactly 100 watts.  Not hard.   I've
> > never seen a 100 watt TT radio that would not deliver at least 120
> > watts or so if you coaxed it.  The radio can do it but why do it?
> > 
> > In fact, I generally calibrate my radios so 100 watts indicated is
> > well under 100 watts, 80 to 90 typically.   I rarely ever operate
> > over 50 watts.  Why?   Because that's all I normally need and every
> > thing runs cooler and cleaner.  If I need more, I fire up the
> > amplifier and get about 500+ watts with 50 watts drive.
> > 
> > We're not buying a lab instrument...we're buying a radio.  In the
> > case of the Eagle (and most other radios I imagine), they do quite
> > well at that task. 
> > 
> > To each his own.  But you can have it spot on if you so choose.
> > 
> > 
> > -Lee-
> > WA3FIY
> > 
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> 
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