[Premium-Rx] Tentec 340 and WJ8711 comparison

[Gore, Greg]

I agree, the 8711A is one fabulous receiver; essentially it's SDR equipped with a front panel. Plastic shaft is the way to go if you can find an encoder. They must have been "specials" by Avco (do I have the name right?) as replacements are available but only with metal shafts. I've also noticed plastic encoder shaft equipped 8711A's seem to always have pressed on tuning knobs and no set screws. You can recognize them by their unique tuning knobs which have no set screw access holes. I can't remember where I saw the advice to sparingly apply a very small amount of light weight machine oil at the point where the plastic shaft protrudes from the plastic encoder bushing. One 8711A I purchased a few years ago had a completely worn out encoder shaft bushing. The shaft had so much lateral play that the tuning knob could be moved over enough to rub the front panel so perhaps they do not like to be run dry. Sources for replacement parts have disappeared so it might not be a bad idea to be on the lookout for a parts unit to have on hand. AFAIK the step encoders, potentiometers, s-meters and curved face pushbutton switch covers and others are all pure unobtanium now.

Greg
WA1KBQ

-----Original Message-----
From: Ed <aidehua at aol.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2018 1:16 PM
To: Don Nelson <ac7zg at frontier.com>
Cc: Gore, Greg <ggore at hmsracing.com>; rwbetts <rwbetts at sbcglobal.net>; premium-rx at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Premium-Rx] Tentec 340 and WJ8711 comparison

Yes. Steve Pappin modified mine by grounding the receiver internally. Really too bad he pulled the plug on servicing WJ receivers. 

Thanks,
Ed

> On Jul 11, 2018, at 8:07 PM, Don Nelson <ac7zg at frontier.com> wrote:
> 
> I have noted that hand tuning gives noise in the audio with the 
> wj8711a receivers I have and no such noise in the hf100a’s and 
> wj8712p’s. I attribute that to the metal shaft in the encoders and 
> metal knob for tuning that the 8711a’s have vs plastic in the hf1000a. 
> Would not have bothered sigint operation as these were all done with 
> remote control operation Ymmv Don
> 
> Sent from my iPhone
> 
>> On Jul 11, 2018, at 9:20 AM, Gore, Greg <ggore at hmsracing.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Software versions do make a difference as do plastic encoder shafts versus metal shafts and whether or not a pre-selector is on board.
>> 
>> Vy 73Greg,
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: premium-rx-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>> <premium-rx-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Ed via Premium-Rx
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2018 12:16 AM
>> To: rwbetts <rwbetts at sbcglobal.net>
>> Cc: premium-rx at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: Re: [Premium-Rx] Tentec 340 and WJ8711 comparison
>> 
>> All 8711s are not equal. I would say that the comparison of the two is fair only if the WJ has the latest boards and firmware.  
>> 
>> I hope this is the case for the gentleman who bought the two WJs for $600 each!
>> 
>> I paid top dollar for my two WJs (one HF-1000A and Sigma-IDT 8711A). Best receivers for me. 
>> 
>> 73,
>> Ed NI6S/7Z1ES
>> 
>>> On Jul 11, 2018, at 4:14 AM, rwbetts <rwbetts at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I just wanted to add a few of my personal comments concerning these 
>>> two Great Radios. Several years ago I have had both of them on the 
>>> bench at the same time and they perform almost identically. I was 
>>> really pushing the test equipment to the limits to measure internal 
>>> noise and the Watkins Johnson may have a very slight Edge over the 
>>> Tentec. But I think anyone would be hard-pressed to arrive at that 
>>> just by listening. With both of them the MDS is so great that I 
>>> think it's just a matter of the ergonomics and the choice of which 
>>> one you like better. In subjective testing just by using both radios 
>>> on a Nintendo switch at the same time I kind of preferred the 8711 
>>> only because of its layout. But now with parts so hard to obtain or 
>>> maybe even impossible I would have to give my vote to the Tentec. I 
>>> sold the WJ some time ago and I still have my 340. It was a painful 
>>> decision but life goes on and I'm Not Looking Back... Well sometimes I do.
>>> Anyhow those are just my personal comme
>> nts please don't be offended either wayGood signals to all Bob N1kpr
>