[TenTec] Scout for Sota

Tue Mar 22 03:32:15 EDT 2016

Hi Bob,

I changed the subject to calm the bitching. ;-)

My "REAL" problem is, I'm already carrying a Centurion amplifier up the
mountain in the form of excess weight.  So in parallel with all of this I
have begun a low carbohydrate diet and have borrowed a dog that I take for a
walk every day.  

I used the Scout a lot when it first came out.  It seemed to me it had too
much noise, audio accompanying it.  I tried a couple of types of filters.
Everything helped.  I sold it long ago, but bought another last year.  

So my first project will be to build a small audio filter and hope I can fit
it inside the box.

The attenuator is an outstanding idea since the Scout has no RF gain.
However I won't be on top of any mountains at night so it's not urgent.

I already have re-located the power pot and sidetone level pot to the top
and cut out a bit of case so I can adjust from above.  Moving the sidetone
was probably a waste of time but having an easy adjustment for the power
level is priceless!

The main problem is, there is not much space for mods inside the box!

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bwana Bob
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2016 2:52 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment; n4py3 at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO

Rick:

For 5 or 6 times per year, the Scout is fine, assuming you are hiking up to
the summit and not "mountaineering".  The performance of the Scout is
underrated. I have always gotten excellent audio reports on SSB and the
receiver hears just fine.  The noise blanker is the best of any radio I own.
I did do the VFO stability mod on mine (replace one N1500 capacitor with an
NP0) and I put a switch on the back to knock down the IF gain when signals
or noise are really strong, like on 80 and 40 at night.  My only complaint
is the mechanical stability of the VFO.  
Someday, I plan to put some cross-bracing inside, so that plugging in
headphones doesn't make the frequency shift.

                 73,

                 Bob WB2VUF

On 3/16/2016 8:35 AM, rick at dj0ip.de wrote:
> Nothing wrong with it.  It's just too expensive "for me" for a radio 
> that would only be used for SOTA.
>
> After my previous post, I decided that maybe I already have the best 
> SOTA radio for me.
> I threw my Scout on the scales.  It weighs 5.3 lbs.  Probably twice as 
> much as a good SOTA radio should weigth... but should I spend many 
> hundreds of dollars to save having to carry 3 extra pounds up a 
> mountain, 5 or 6 times per year?
>
> I may just buy a YouKits in order to have "something" really 
> lightweight, and then depending on the mountain, decide between the Scout
or the You.
>
> 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 12:31 PM
> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] SOTA RADIO
>
> 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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