[TenTec] Ten-Tec does get it right, within our constraints.

[Bill Miner]

Hey Allan,

Thanks for the insight on a great rig.  I hope you are
able to share more in the future.  Do you know when I
will get my ORION?  (Just joking :)

Keep up the good work.

73,
Bill - K6WLM
--- Allan Henry Kaplan <w1ael@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Argonaut is a darn good radio, if the majority
> comments on two
> reflectors are any indication.  The limitations of
> the radio stem
> primarily from its use of much 6N2 tooling without
> modification.  New
> tooling would have been a very substantial expense. 
> Anybody with
> business experience will understand that constraint,
> but many hams do
> not have that point of view, which is
> understandable.
> 
>   Argonaut V's limitations, then, are not due to
> lack of forethought nor
> indifference but to the simple concept that we ran
> out of room on the
> panel!  It was quite a challenge to adapt the design
> to the many
> features desirable on an HF radio, and the designers
> had to make some
> compromises.  We believe the result is more than
> merely acceptable and a
> host of customers agree.  
> 
> On to fans and heat sinks -- another constraint is
> the available space
> for a heat sink.  Argo does not need a fan at the
> five watt QRP level. 
> We feel that 6 dB more power is a real asset for
> those who will use it. 
> At 10 to 20 watts in a continuous duty mode the
> design needs more
> cooling than convection alone can supply.  The size
> (again!) dictated
> small fans.  Small fans are noisy -- another
> compromise.  Building
> affordable rigs with decent performance is replete
> with such
> challenges!  
> 
> The innards of Argonaut V, like most of our
> transceivers, do not need
> fan-cooling; only the final amp heat sink, and only
> under fairly intense
> key-down operating.  While others may have different
> opinions, this
> engineer feels that internal dust and dirt are not
> an issue at all.  If
> there is a compromise here, it is that our rigs need
> some air
> circulation.  That does not happen within the
> confines of some
> consoles.  Our radios simply cannot be all things to
> all hams, we have
> to aim down the middle and satisfy most of them!
> 
> The knob on the 6N2/Argonaut design is huge, but
> most hams believe it
> feels great!  In HF operation, most of us have a
> hand on the knob very
> frequently.  Again, we designed a fairly popular 6N2
> rig and then
> realized that we could squeeze a nifty low-power
> (but not
> QRP-minimalist) HF radio into that chassis.  A few
> compromises in human
> factors result, but most feel we made good choices. 
> YMMV!
> 73 all,
> Allan, W1AEL,
> One of the hams at Ten-Tec,
> (writing strictly per my personal opinion, and not
> necessarily on behalf
> of Ten-Tec)
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