[TenTec] SOTA RADIO

Wed Mar 16 07:38:48 EDT 2016

Besides its 3.6lb weight, what is the receive current consumption?

Barry N1EU

On Wed, Mar 16, 2016 at 7:31 AM, Carl Moreschi <n4py3 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> What's wrong with the Argo VI for SOTA.  It will run on as little as 8
> volts.
>
> Carl Moreschi N4PY
> 58 Hogwood Rd
> Louisburg, NC 27549
> www.n4py.com
>
>
> On 3/16/2016 2:33 AM, rick at dj0ip.de wrote:
>
>> (changed the subject:  was Service, overhead   and the future A/K...)
>>
>> Barry,
>>
>> I did a lot of reading in the past day and I believe you are right.
>> The KX3 is exactly the radio I described. PERFECT.
>>
>> Unfortunately it's beyond my budget.
>>
>> The basic KX3 costs $1500 here in DL.
>> Add in a tuner and roofing filter and paddle and it's over $2K for a 10w
>> radio that I might use 5 or 6 times per year on a mountain top.  The ROI
>> just isn't worth it.
>>
>> For home use, say as my 2nd radio, I would need an amplifier.
>>
>> Bottom Line:  It's a champagne dream on a Budweiser budget.
>> For that money -(at this point in my life)-  I would get more bangs for my
>> buck out of playing with something else, such as a 7300 or an Annan, etc.
>>
>> I need a Plan B for SOTA.  Maybe it's just "bite the bullet and carry my
>> Scout up the mountain."
>>
>> I don't mind spending $500 or so but I would sure like to know how the
>> radio
>> is going to perform BEFORE I buy it.
>>
>> My primary bands for portable have always been 40 and 20.  15 will be
>> dying
>> soon.  Do I really need 17m for SOTA?
>>
>> QUESTION FOR YOU ACTIVE SOTA Ops:  What bands do you mainly operate when
>> you
>> are on a mountain top?
>>
>> I've only been on one SOTA outing together with a buddy and we operated
>> 40/20/17/15 making a lot of QSOs on each band.  Perhaps not quite as many
>> on
>> 17.
>>
>> I think I will take a second look at the LNR offering.
>> It is indeed an SDR with DDC - so not an NE-605 type of radio.
>> Unfortunately they don't show much detail; just a block diagram.
>> There is a box called SDR-RF BPF.
>> This is a make or break component.
>> Some SDR radios have ham band BPFs (good), others have an LPF, with
>> 0-12MHz
>> (useless).
>>
>>
>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
>> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Barry
>> N1EU
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 5:48 PM
>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Service, overhead, and the future. A/K/A/ I've got
>> my
>> 2 cents!
>>
>> Rick, I'm not sure if you would be satisfied by the KX1 or the MTR radios.
>>
>> Unfortunately I don't know the answer to something better but not too
>> expensive.
>>
>> I suggest you try to borrow an MTR-5B.  That's the only lesser expensive
>> radio that will do 40-15M inclusively.  And you'd have to search around to
>> find one for sale currently although LNR should be bringing it out soon.
>>
>> Or, just stick with the FT-817.  I like the radio, although it really
>> needs
>> an external speech processor to work well on SSB.
>>
>> 73, Barry N1EU
>>
>> On Tue, Mar 15, 2016 at 11:50 AM, rick at dj0ip.de<Rick at dj0ip.de>  wrote:
>>
>> Hi Barry,
>>>
>>> I'd love to have a KX3 but it is much too heavy.
>>> It's weight would place too big of a dent in my wallet!
>>>
>>> For SOTA I really only need 40/20/17/15m.
>>> 10 is dying and by the time it comes back, I doubt that I will still
>>> be running up any mountains.
>>>
>>> My next scheduled SOTA operation is 1-April.  "Fool on a hill" - that's
>>>
>> me!
>>
>>> I don't know yet if I'll try carrying my Scout up the mountain or not.
>>> I can borrow an FT-817.
>>>
>>> How good is the KX1?
>>> We have some heavy challenges on our receivers here in EU.
>>> A weak DR3 destroys 40m, especially at night, and a weak DR2 makes
>>> working 20m difficult - especially at night.  You guys in the states
>>> can't appreciate that.  You have to see/hear it to believe it.
>>>
>>> I once built a 20m QRP rig based on a design by Rick Littlefield.
>>> Had some kind of IC mixer.
>>> It was marginal.
>>> I ran a QRP CW contest using a home-brew magnetic loop antenna.
>>> Sitting in my living room with radio, mag loop, and battery, I worked
>>>
>> dozens of QSOs.
>>
>>> Thought it was great.  Then I put it on a big antenna and all hell
>>> broke loose at night.
>>>
>>> So I bought the MFJ 20m QRP CW rig.
>>> It was no better than the one I built.
>>> I sold both.
>>>
>>> I want something better than that - but not too expensive.
>>> But I don't know the QRP radios at all, except for the Argonauts.
>>>
>>>
>>> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
>>> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Barry
>>> N1EU
>>> Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2016 12:25 AM
>>> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Service, overhead, and the future. A/K/A/ I've
>>> got my
>>> 2 cents!
>>>
>>> On Mon, Mar 14, 2016 at 9:40 PM, rick at dj0ip.de<Rick at dj0ip.de>  wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> My Scout is a bit too heavy and over-powered, but the FT-817 just
>>>> isn't enough radio for me.
>>>> I'm looking for something in between.  I'd like to see a 10w or 20w
>>>> radio with a good RX.
>>>> I want it to have both SSB and CW.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It's called a KX-3
>>>
>>> I've got one, but I usually carry a much lighter KX-1 or MTR-5B when I
>>> actually hike up a mountain.  (200 SOTA activations here)
>>>
>>> 73, Barry N1EU
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