Ten-Tec Omni V......

I don't usually go in for designer radio equipment, but there's a remote possibility that our local repeater club may be looking to unload one of these radios when the club's emergency station equipment is replaced, and that may be real soon.

I do not yet know how old this unit is, or what it's capabilities and limitations are, but I do know Ten-Tec is considered by many to be the Cadillac of ham radio equipment.

I got to tune around the dial on it last night for a while, and so far I do know that it receives, all the lights and relative functions work, and it has it's own separate power supply with speaker that also works. However it does not have an "AM" function...(USB, LSB, FM, CW & RTTY only).....and no 60 meter...(although I assume that's just a simple mod).

The thing is a beast, one of the largest radios I've seen, and if I did acquire this monster, I'd have to modify the lower shelf to accommodate it's massive size.

All I know about the history on this radio is....it belonged to an old HAM that passed away, the widow "gave" it to a member of the club who never used it because it was too big to fit on his small desk, and stored it in a closet for several years. When the club set up shop at the local American Red Cross, and was given a radio room to set up, this radio was "sold" to the club.
Now the American Red Cross has budgeted the funds to purchase a new inventory of radio equipment with a new HF rig included, and once received, the club will either offer this Ten-Tec Omni V for out right sale, or hold an inter-club auction for it.
Having some general idea of it's worth would help in deciding if I want to make an effort to buy it, or how high to bid on it......???

949Jake said:

One thing you may want to keep in mind is that I don't think it has a general coverage receiver. If I were going to have one HF rig in the shack, I personally would like it to have general coverage receive.

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This radio deffinitely has it's limitations, and it wouldn't be my first choice, but if I can score the thing for say $200.00 or possibly less, it'll get me on the HF HAM bands, and down the road it may provide some trade-in value towards something a little more modern with general coverage receive, and transmit on the 60m & WARC bands. Right now I've got nothing but 2 meters, so anything is an improvement, even if that improvement has limits.....

949Jake said:

I think I'd probably snatch it up for 200 or so too. Seems like that would be a great deal.

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That is of course assuming I can get it for that low of a price.......

I really don't know how the club will go about selling it, or how much greed will play out in the sale of it. The unit is old, and does have several limitations compared to a brand new Icom IC-718 that sells for around $550.00, so if they want to try and get max resale on the Ten-Tec, and ask for anything more than $300.00, then it's just not worth the money to me, I'd rather hold out til I can afford a new IC-718 with general coverage receive, and 60m is just a clip away, plus I'll have a new radio with a warrantee.

If they decide that putting this Ten-Tec into the hands of a club member that has no HF equipment, and help get him on the HF bands, even if it means letting it go for far less than they could probably get for it on eBay, then I might have a shot at it......

We'll just have to wait and cross that bridge when we get to it......

I got a lead on another used rig that I "might" be able to get cheap.....

An Icom IC-735....

The general spec's look far more impressive than the Ten-Tec Omni V, and it's a hell of a lot smaller too....probably wouldn't have to reconstruct my shack shelving to accomodate this one.....

Any thoughts on this Icom......?

Approximate value assuming it's in good working condition......?

Well it looks like we're back to the Ten-Tec for now, just got off one of our local Sky-Warn nets, and was informed that particular IC-735 had already been sold.....