[TenTec] What's wrong with the Ten Tec Scout?

[Kevin Anderson]

I own two Scouts - an original (Model 555) and the 5 watt Argo (Model 556) version.  They are my only rigs, with the 556 my primary rig.  I bought both used - I've had the original since 2000 and the Argo version about 5 years now.  Both operate just fine for me, with no drift that others have complained about.  I use an external keyer most of the time.  I have used the internal keyer on the original Scout while operating stationary mobile (rover) each year in the Illinois QSO Party, but even then I haven't noticed drift.

Yes, it is a pain to need to change bands by swapping modules.  That is probably the biggest hurdle to truly enjoying the Scout.  But they are solid radios, which is what I like, and they are very simple to use.  There are PTOs in these radios, but they are not the same design as the older Ten-Tec radios, and so you don't need to rebuild them.  The tuning is stiff, however, which does take some getting used to.  Also the computer adjustments to help keep the signal from drifting means that very minor adjustments are almost impossible (because the computer interprets a very small adjustment as drift, and compensates back again).

But overall I like the Scout.  They give the confidence of being rock-solid radios that can take abuse and won't ever die.  If you can afford to try out a Scout, I'd recommend that you do, unless of course you are afraid of falling in love with its simplicity.

Cheers/73,
Kevin, K9IUA
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Kevin Anderson, Dubuque IA USA, K9IUA
k9iua (at) yahoo (dot) com
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