Ten Tec Radios

[albino128]

I'm looking to buy a base radio set up and was just wondering what everyone thought about Ten Tec radios. Thank you

 

[W5LZ]

I've thought about them. Haven't bought one though. Nothing wrong with them (except in very particular circumstances), just didn't 'appeal' to me. Typically, they are not the 'typical' radio. They do have some very nice features. They also have some not-so-nice features (in my opinion, but then, if you ain't got Kenwood, you got squat, right?). Ten-Tec has been a sort of 'trend-setter' for computer based radios. Not always the 'best', but what 'start-up' thingy ever is?
What should you do? Just about what you are doing now, ask about them. And just like any other brand, you'll find those that think the sun rises and sets on them, and some who couldn't be given one. And while it's never that easy to do, sitting in front of one and playing with it is probably the best solution.
One word about 'older' models of any brand. If they were so @#$ great, why did they stop making them? You know? A 'bad' feature to me probably isn't a 'bad' feature for someone else less discriminating, or I just might not know what the @#$$ I'm looking at anyway.
Like one of them thingys? Try it.
- 'Doc


(That's about as useless an answer as you'll find, ain't it?)

 

[n8fgb]

I have played around with them.They make some very nice rigs.A little out of my price range though.Just bought a Ft 450 and love it.
Rich

 

[fatdude1]

I have played around with them.They make some very nice rigs.A little out of my price range though.Just bought a Ft 450 and love it.
Rich

have to agree with n8fgb on the ft 450 nice rig worked it with him on field day nice rig

 

[NorthStar]

From what I can tell Ten Tec sets the standard in Amateur Radios.
Hope to have one someday.

 

[949Jake]

I had an Omni D. I probably should have kept it for a back up rig. The most impressive thing that I can remember about it was the quiet receiver. You could very nearly full quiet an HF frequency.

 

[dudmuck]

One of the reasons tentec has such a quiet receiver is their low LO "local oscillator" phase noise. They actually publish what it is. Tentec also says what their receiver specs are, such as Third order intercept point, imd3 dynamic range, and blocking dynamic range. All these things make a receiver able to operate with a strong adjacent signal.
Yaesu doesnt tell you what the number are for their receiver in the FT-450, because they are nothing to write home about. FT-450 is still a great deal at $700, yet it doesnt have the good numbers like the tentec radios, albeit at 3x the cost.