[TenTec] SOTA RADIO
Bwana Bob
wb2vuf at verizon.net
Thu Mar 17 21:20:59 EDT 2016
Yes, and bring back the AN/TRC-77, too: receive current drain only 20 mA!
Seriously, I never had the opportunity to operate a 509. For a long
time I coveted the 515, but couldn't get 'round the price tag, which I
think was $400. I never see vintage Argonauts for sale, a testimony to
their enduring popularity.
73,
Bob WB2VUF
On 3/17/2016 3:28 AM, rick at dj0ip.de wrote:
> BRING BACK THE 509!
>
> With the dial lamps switched off, it drew only 160 mA on receive.
> There was a slide switch on the back panel for switching the lamps on or
> off.
>
> I added a mod to my Omni (A - analog) that did this.
> It drew only 350 mA on receive.
> A 24 hour contest (CW) was just doable off of a motorcycle battery.
> Always had to push-start the bike afterwards.
>
> If you are doing long term battery operation, this makes a huge improvement
> in battery life.
> I ran my Omni off of batteries for 10 days while on a DX-pedition.
> Ran it at 50w power with the dial lamps switched off.
>
> Many of today's "cool" radios such as the ELAD FDM-DUO are real Current Hogs
> and draw an amp or more on receive.
>
> 73 - Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Carl
> Moreschi
> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2016 11:31 PM
> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO
>
> The Argonaut VI draws 550 milliamps on receive.
>
> Carl Moreschi N4PY
> 58 Hogwood Rd
> Louisburg, NC 27549
> www.n4py.com
>
> On 3/16/2016 7:38 AM, Barry N1EU wrote:
>> 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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