[TenTec] 160 Meter Problem

Mon Aug 18 11:43:08 EDT 2014

OK, Omni VI+ on Dummy Load, Omni VI on dipole.  With no antenna on VI, I
can barely hear the VI+.  With the dipole I hear it loud and clear.

Thanks!

73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen

On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 10:30 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP <Rick at dj0ip.de>
wrote:

> WAIT, that was a very stupid comment from me.
> If it's not drawing power, then it's not a relay on the LPF board.
>
> Instead, I wonder if it's even transmitting at all on 160m.
> With power turned down low, tune to the same frequency on a second receiver
> and see if you hear any signal.
> To be safe, start with no antenna attached to the second receiver, if you
> hear nothing then add a short piece of wire as an antenna.  Normally you
> should hear a 599 signal if it is transmitting at all.
>
> If it is not transmitting, then it might be the local oscillator which is a
> crystal oscillator.
>
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Rick -
> DJ0IP / NJ0IP
> Sent: Monday, August 18, 2014 5:26 PM
> To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem
>
> This sounds like a 160m band relay not functioning on the LPF board.
>
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim Allen
> Sent: Monday, August 18, 2014 5:21 PM
> To: n4py3 at earthlink.net; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem
>
> I'm out here in the shack now with the radio to a dummy load. To answer
> Carl's question, no, there was no noticeable change in current going from
> receive to tune.  I tune at very low power, just enough to make the AH-4
> happy, and generally run QRP anyway.  When I "tune" now, the red "tune" LED
> illuminates, the green "ALC" illuminates, the audio goes away and nothing
> else.  There is no output.
>
> As I advance the PWR control, and get on the other side of halfway, there
> are occasional spikes on the meter, very short.  As the PWR is advanced,
> the
> Ic suddenly jumps from zero to about 10, then increases erratically up to
> near 20, with no output on the wattmeter.
>
> On 80M, as I advance the PWR, the output shown on the wattmeter and FWD
> meter increases smoothly up to 100 watts.  Ic advances slowly then up to
> about 16 amps at full power.
>
> On 40, it draws more than 20 amps at full PWR, slightly more than 100 watts
> on the wattmeter.  On 30M, it draws about 13 amps and gives about 35 watts.
> On 20M, full 100 watts on about 15 amps.  Same on 17, except Ic is about 18
> amps. and the same on 15, 12 and 10M, with some variation in Ic between 15
> and 18 amps.
>
> Thanks for the suggestions so far.  Any ideas?
>
> 73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen
>
>
> On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 9:36 AM, Carl Moreschi <n4py3 at earthlink.net>
> wrote:
>
> > Was the Omni VI drawing lots of current from the power supply when you
> > keyed it on 160?
> >
> > Carl Moreschi N4PY
> > 58 Hogwood Rd
> > Louisburg, NC 27549
> > www.n4py.com
> >
> >
> > On 8/18/2014 10:31 AM, Jim Allen wrote:
> >
> >> The AH-4 actually matches just about anything as long as it is longer
> >> than 7M, the longer the better, but not an even 1/4 wl.  There is a
> >> spreadsheet of "forbidden lengths" available in the Yahoo Groups
> >> files section.
> >>
> >> I intend to run the Omni VI+ on a dummy load today, on every band,
> >> but I saw nothing that made me think the match was a problem.  I can
> >> imagine seeing a bad load would "fold back" power but there was
> >> nothing
> to fold.
> >>
> >> The 706 matched up just fine, same antenna, same feed line, same
> >> tuner, same connector, etc.
> >>
> >> I'll report back if anything develops.
> >>
> >> 73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen
> >>
> >>
> >> On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 9:17 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP<Rick at dj0ip.de>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>  Start with a dummy load.
> >>> Make sure the Omni VI is working OK on the dummy load.
> >>>
> >>> I'm surprised the AH-4 even found a match.
> >>> It is only rated to cover 80 thru 10m.
> >>> I used an AH-4 a lot in the past but I could never get it to load
> >>> anything up on 160m.
> >>>
> >>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> >>> (Nr. Frankfurt am Main)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Jim
> >>> Allen
> >>> Sent: Monday, August 18, 2014 4:12 PM
> >>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> >>> Subject: [TenTec] 160 Meter Problem
> >>>
> >>> I was sitting in the shack minding my own business last night when I
> >>> noticed on the DX cluster that W1AW/5 was on 1821.5 in Oklahoma.  I
> >>> have not tried 160M here, but do have a 130' dipole and an AH-4 to
> >>> match it with, which might work, so I thought, "what the hey?"
> >>>
> >>> I got it all set up and could hear W1AW/5 extraordinarily well.  I
> >>> moved up the band a bit to tune and ........ nothing.  No output
> >>> whatsoever.  I checked... traced the coax, antenna connected to
> >>> wattmeter, wattmeter connected to Omni VI+, AH-4 tune control
> >>> getting power, etc.  All seemed to be in order.  I tried again...
> >>> nothing.  The radio went into tune no output no tone, nothing.  I
> >>> switched to 80M, found a clear spot, tuned normally.
> >>> I went back to 160M, nothing.  I advanced the power knob from
> >>> nothing to as high as I dared... still nothing.
> >>>
> >>> I then moved to the 706MKIIG, got it going on 160 and made the
> >>> contact, no problem, although I did have to use 100 watts instead of
> >>> 5.
> >>>
> >>> This is the first time I have tried this Omni VI+ on 160M, but it
> >>> seems to be working just fine on the other bands, very well,
> >>> actually.
> >>>
> >>> What could this be?  Where should I start?
> >>>
> >>> 73 de W6OGC  Jim Allen
> >>> _______________________________________________
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> >>> TenTec at contesting.com
> >>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >>>
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> >>>
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