[TenTec] Omni VI Plus or VI Opt. 3

[Bob McGraw K4TAX]

To answer the question; Can somebody explain me the differences in 
between Omni VI Plus or VI Opt. 3 please?


Evolutionary changes in no particular order:

  * The 564 has a different font silk-screened on the input keys from
    the 563 keypad.
  * The later 564's replaced the crystal oven with a 2ppm TCXO on the
    logic board.
  * The later 564's use slightly different BFO crystal frequencies
    (9.0003 USB and 9.0033LSB/CW) from earlier units, apparently to
    improve the alleged CW key click problem
  * The later 564's have certain changes to top and bottom foil
    grounding on certain boards to improve 10M birdies which are a major
    problem with this rig.
  * The BPF filter on later 564's has a broadcast band mod to improve
    intermod in the presence of strong local AM BCB or SW signals, which
    may make a huge improvement.
  * Later 564's use significant amounts of SMT construction (note: the
    logic board, PBT board, Control board and IF/AF board became SMT -
    the 9Mhz Xtal Filter board was SMT from the start)
  * The last 564's lost the orange dot in the Ten-Tec insignia
  * Later 564's have improved keying loop circuitry to drive non Ten-Tec
    QSK amplifiers.

Omni 6 upgrades:
There were three options released all at about the same time that the Omni
VI+ was released.

Option 1 - adds the VI+ DSP chips, labels for front panel keys that have
changed function

Option 2 - adds the VI+ DSP chips, new keycaps for front panel keys that
have changed function instead of the labels (looks nicer)

Option 3 - adds the VI+ DSP chips, adds the VI+ 9Mhz mixer/IF board with the
extra filter slot, includes all wiring changes to change functionality 
to be identical to a VI+

Option 1 was user installed, while Options 2 and 3 were factory installed.

Comment:
I've owned all vintages from 563 option 3 to early production 564 to the 
latest production 564. Differences in performance are subtle.


There is a difference in model numbers being the Omni VI is model 563 
and the Omni VI Plus is model 564.  The model 564 was only available 
from the factory, where as the Omni VI opt3 is a field upgrade.

Thanks to N1LQ for a large part of this compilation of the two models.

73



On 7/19/2020 5:31 AM, Petr Ourednik wrote:
> Hi folks,
>
> Sorry for bothering with that maybe stupid question...
>
> Can somebody explain me the differencies in between Omni VI Plus or VI Opt. 3 please?
>
> As I have not that model in collection and never met it deeply just read several articles and reviews ...I am newbie in that and want to know and learn more about it.
>
> Many thanks,