Good review of the Argonaut VI by K4SWL

Although I was critical of the price of the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver at $995, I see it has received a rave review on the QRPer blog today from K4SWL who was one of the beta testers.  In his opinion it is better than an Elecraft K2 with a receiver that is likely to be highly rated in the Sherwood tests.

The Argonaut VI image on the QRPer.com website

As he points out, this is not really a "trail-friendly" radio. Rather, it is a small radio designed mainly for home use where its excellent performance, size (a bit smaller than the K2) and good ergonomics make it ideal. He praises the simple uncluttered controls and ease of use and the nice flywheel tuning knob. But, overall he rates it and likens it to a miniature Ten-Tec Eagle with superb DSP performance and RX dynamic range.

The lack of 60m and 12m and an auto-ATU disappoint me, as does that high price tag, but it does look like this is a very capable little radio. It is just such a pity that it is so expensive. It will be very interesting to see a side-by-side comparison against the KX3 in the coming months.

See also the eHam.net review at http://www.eham.net/reviews/review/115480.

Now if only Father Christmas would bring me either a KX3 or an Argonaut VI, HI.

472kHz WSPRing (now QRT)

It is now clear that the issue of my NoV for today's date was an error, either with OFCOM or the RSGB and that there was, sadly, no intention of releasing the band earlier than Jan 1st 2013. So, I have now gone QRT on the band again until the new year. I question why an NoV should be needed at all: why not just release the new band in the UK to all full licence holders and save the time wasting and paperwork chasing!

In the few hours of operation with my antenna very wet and lossy, so the ERP was around 10-20mW only at best, results achieved were very promising.

472kHz WSPR TX results today (10-20mW ERP)

Reports of my WSPR signal were received from 4 countries with the best DX being from Germany and the far NW of Eire.

I'm now back on 500kHz WSPR for the rest of the evening.

472-479kHz NoV received

Today I received my 472-479kHz NoV via the RSGB website. The NoV for 5W eirp (about 20dB more than I can run!) seems to indicate that the new band may be used by NoV holders immediately judging by the date of issue.

There is some confusion as the OFCOM website says:
"However, as a result of the World Radio Conference, under Agenda Item 1.23 amateur radio has been given an alternative allocation, on a secondary basis, of 472 479 kHz. We propose that Full Licensees should be able to to apply for an NoV to operate in this band from 1st January 2013. Application can be made online at http://www.rsgb.org/operating/novapp/nov-472-479-khz.php" 

My official OFCOM NoV says applicable from Dec 20th start date so I am allowed to operate from today unless told otherwise later by email or phone from OFCOM. This may be pedantic, but they should have checked before sending out the form.

My first WSPR reports have been received from PA3ABK/47 at around -24dB S/N with my ERP currently around 10mW only (too much wet on the antenna). Also received a report from G8HUH (250km) and PA3FNY (360km).

It now seems that the official 472kHz NoVs issued this afternoon (mine was this morning)  now state a Jan 1st 2013 start date.  So, am I legally operating I wonder? If the world ends tomorrow, at least I've got a few 472kHz reports in the log, HI.

10m WSPR today

Today my 200mW from WISPY beacon was not enough on 10m to get any reports. So, I went up to 5W with the FT817 and managed a few reports this afternoon. Conditions were not good. Nonetheless reports came in from North and South America and from Germany.

10m WSPR reports today with 5W and halo

The ISWL

Many here will not be aware of the International Short Wave League (ISWL) but at one time this was THE club to belong to if you were interested in shortwave amateur and broadcast listening and transmitting. At one time it had a great number of members from all over the world.

Today the ISWL is still going strong, albeit not as large as it once was, but they produce a good A5 full colour magazine packed with articles and news every month called Monitor. Unlike most amateur magazines, this has good coverage of shortwave broadcast news and reports as well as lots for SWLs and radio amateurs with monthly RX and SWL reports. The ISWL offers a number of other benefits to its members and you may like to consider membership. The magazine has few adverts and is a real amateur/SWL magazine, rather than a shamateur magazine for those with deep pockets. Like the GQRP club, the ISWL is run totally by volunteers. I like its ethos.
 
Membership is £18 a year for the paper magazine version but just £12 if you take the magazine electronically.

First QSL cards at G3XBM

Earlier this evening I was thinking about QSL cards. I send out very few paper cards these days (although hope to send out more after I move next year and have the chance of putting a nice windmill on the card!) but was trying to remember the very first QSL cards I ever received back in my SWL days in the early 1960s.

If my memory serves me right, the first ever QSL card came from Radio Nederland like the one on the left which had a flamingo and a windmill on it.  It was for reception on my shortwave crystal set. Subsequently I got several more cards using the crystal set and it became quite a challenge to see how many countries I could confirm with QSLs using the crystal set.  Although I heard stations worldwide - genuinely worldwide, not via relays - such as Radio Australia, All India Radio and Radio Havana, I don't think I ever managed any cards for crystal set reception beyond Europe.  My first ever amateur card was from a station in London that I copied on 28MHz in South Devon. I cannot remember the callsign sadly, but probably still have the card somewhere.The first card for a 2-way QSO was from my mentor G4PJ who had a shack right on the water's edge in Salcombe. His earth rod when straight from the shack into the salt water, so his signal was excellent even on my crystal set at 4 miles.

I still enjoy getting cards from the bureau and the quality of some cards these days is remarkably good and a far cry from the thin paper cards from the USSR when I was first licenced, although these were just as prized.

472-479kHz NoV Applications

The RSGB now has a link on its website (although at this time it does not appear to be working, but it did earlier for some) for the form to apply for an NoV to operate in the UK on the new 472-479kHz band.

This is the link I have http://www.rsgb.org/operating/novapp/472-479-khz-nov.php

I have yet to succeed and get my NoV application through, but hope to do so before Jan 1st 2013 when the band will be available to full UK licence holders as long as they have the NoV.

Dell PC update - a grateful customer!

You may recall that I wrote to the MD of Dell last week after getting nowhere with my 4 year warranty claim for replacement of an intermittent power socket and was pleasantly surprised when the corporate office offered to arrange for my laptop PC to be repaired free of charge.

Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop

Well, today the Dell service engineer turned up and replaced the WHOLE motherboard and the DC PSU. I am happy to report everything is now working well.  The engineer was courteous and efficient. Dell even rang from India to check the engineer had turned up and the job was done.

So, I'd like to put on record that I am, in the end, pleased that Dell performed so well. But, as a comment below points out, it took a carefully worded pleading email to the MD to get them to see sense and learn that the customer should be treated fairly and with respect.

WISPY reports

For the first time in a few weeks I set the WISPY 200mW 10m WSPR beacon running to see what reports I got whilst getting on with jobs.

It is fascinating that G8KNN who is just 12km away often gets me at similar levels to the reports I get from K1OF who is 5455km away, all due to the vagaries of HF propagation.

Ten-Tec Argonaut VI - at $995 FAR too much

Ten-Tec has now got the new low power HF transceiver, the 10W Argonaut VI listed on its website with details about its specification and how to place an order. It looks a neat, clean, simple radio and I believe it is not much bigger than the FT817.

Not having ever used Ten-Tec rigs and knowing that many people very much like Ten-Tec products, I cannot comment on how good this new radio is likely to be. However, I do feel qualified to comment on the price.

$995 for the basic radio (I guess around £995 here in the UK?) sounds far too much. I'm not sure this includes a microphone. The KX3 is a similar price yet covers ALL the HF bands and 6m as standard, with an optional 2m module, auto-ATU, battery charger and internal battery pack.  It has a more comprehensive features set and, probably, a higher dynamic range (i.e. better) RX.

The Argonaut VI does not cover 5MHz, 24MHz or 50MHz, even as options. There is no provision for an internal auto-ATU.

In my view, these omissions are unacceptable in a new HF QRP rig. The 12 year old FT817 covers ALL HF bands, and 6m,2m and 70cms with ALL modes yet is considerably less expensive. OK I expect the Ten-Tec has a better RX than the FT817, but to be honest I am pretty happy with the FT817 which hears most things and manages to hold its own from 136kHz (with a preamp) to 432MHz pretty well on RX.

To say I am disappointed with the Argonaut is an under-statement. Why, oh why, didn't they get this onto the market at a highly competitive $695 instead?