[Premium-Rx] Ten-Tec SP-325: opinions wanted

[Walt Novinger]

Glenn Little WB4UIV wrote:

> I had one of these that I bought on a Government surplus sale. It was 
> complete with the original box. I quickly unloaded it at a hamfest. 
> The performance was not all that great. The circuit boards looked (as 
> do all Tentec board that I have seen to date) as it it were drawn on 
> with a grease pencil then etched. It definitely was not done in CAD.  
> I suspect that this was a budget receiver for some special Navy project.
>
> YMMV
>
> 73
> Glenn
> WB4UIV

I, too had one of these little beasties. I called Ten-Tec looking for 
advise, and was told the "real story" about the receivers. They were, 
indeed, built for a Navy contract, back when most of the radio techs 
were just transitioning from hollow- to solid-state circuits. The 
receiver was designed purely as a teaching tool, complete with theory 
manuals and the like. The receiver was never intended to be used as a 
"real" rig...it merely had to receive well enough to illustrate 
diagnosis and repair techniques.

Now, you know the rest of the story. :)

Walt Novinger
Raleigh, NC