[TenTec] My First Ten-Tec

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

I am interested in hearing how others came to their first Ten-Tec radio, why
they bought it and how they used it.

Jim, if you feel this is not an appropriate topic for the Forum, then pull
the emergency brake.

DJ0IP's First Ten-Tec:  Argonaut 505

1974:  I was living in Berlin, fresh out of the US Army.  I wanted to remain
in Germany for a couple of years and tour Europe by motorcycle.  I had a
Honda CB-750 with a full Fairing on it.  A great touring bike for its day.
Radios at that time were mostly BIG tube radios, or perhaps hybrid with a
transistorized RX, transistorized low-level TX stages, but a tube driver and
pair of tubes final - not conducive for traveling by motorbike and camping.

In December I visited the local ham radio shop in Berlin, who happened to be
a Ten-Tec dealer (as well as everything else).  He had a brand new Ten-Tec
Argonaut 505 on display.  It was love at first site.  Exactly what I needed
for my planned 2 year bike tour of Europe.  Liechtenstein, Andorra, San
Morino, Marraco... there were plenty of expedition targets on my hit list.
Little did I know at the time that 2 years would become 20 years.  I bought
the Argonaut as a Christmas gift to myself.  After all, I had no family in
Berlin.

This radio and its successor, the Argonaut 509, accompanied me on bike tours
for the next 20 years or so.  It was the perfect radio for operating off of
the motorbike battery because it's current drain on RX was only 150 mA when
the dial lamps were switched off.  

The 509 was eventually modified considerably, getting an 8-pole SSB filter
and 8-pole cw filter, as well as a home-brew audio filter, all installed
inside the transceiver. Sometimes I even took the 405 amplifier with me on
the trips.  It was always a tough decision:  the amp or the XYL?

The highlight of my travels was taking first place overall in Europe in CW
Field Day; must have been 1987 or 1988.  FD is a club sport and I operated
alone, but using an HB0 call sign surely helped draw attraction to my QRP
signal.  I beat all of the clubs in Europe in the QRP class.

When my XYL complained about getting wet too much on motorbike camping
trips, I gave in and switched to an RV. That was about 1996. I was nearly 50
years old and had never had a vacation without the motorcycle.  The Argonaut
was replaced by a Scout, and then later an Argosy.  For some of the
important contests, I took along my Omni VI+.

Unfortunately I did not take many pictures back in those days, but some of
my expeditions with the Argonaut are pictured on my web site:
http://www.dj0ip.de/my-expeditions/ .

That's my Ten-Tec story, or at least the start of it.

73
Rick, DJ0IP