In general, it is best to decide your product and marketing strategy, and stick to it. Responding to a competitor in the short term is usually not an effective aproach. It sucks up valuable resources and diverts you from your main plan. If TenTec has a next-gen program in the works, maybe it should include a low-end version. But, making a feature-crippled version of an existing box probably won't be well received in the market.

73!

I use a complete saltwater fishing rod to cast my lines over the trees. One suggestion from my experience in the golf and fishing worlds: Use a brightly colored golf ball as the weight. I screw a small screw-eye into the golf ball. Then attach the golf ball to the fishing line using a swivel hook [fishing item]. This setup permits easy removal and attachment of the weight - particularly useful when your shot over the tree wasn't perfect. NEVER pull the line back over the tree with the weight still attached. This guarantees a broken line and an orange golf ball hanging in the tree permanently [Merry Christmas.]

This casting method is good to at least 90 feet - probably more. Right now I have well-placed lines in trees that are in the 75-80 foot range. Good luck; get those lines in the trees!

73,

Jim K1IR

There is also a small chance that the TL922 has a problem. Make sure you are tuned up properly. Try the amp at a friend's shack. But, I don't think you'll find that the amp is functioning improperly.

Geoff,

I own the same setup, and have had it working just fine. I suspect that your problem is related to RF interference to the 1000MP resulting from running higher power.

Do you feel any RF burns if you touch the mic connector of the FT1000MP when you are transmitting? This would be a sure sign that you're getting RF back into the transmit audio circuits.

What kind of antenna are you using, and how far is it from the equipment room? If it is close to the room and/or you have a high swr, you are very likely to be getting radiation back into the shack.

Is all your equipment properly grounded? Are you sure? Try removing the ground connection and see if the problem gets worse or better. If it gets worse, look into an even better ground, and look into other places where the radiation might be coming into the system. If it gets better when you disconnect the ground, it means your ground is probably acting more like an antenna or creating a return loop for the RF. You may need to improve your ground connection.

To find out where the RF is coming in, try disconnecting every accessory from your setup. Just run the rig to the amp to the antenna. Remove antenna switches, keyers, headphones, external speakers, computer connections, etc. If the problem remains, consider the possiblity that your RF is entering through ground or through the ac power line. If it is gone, start putting all your accessories back into the setup one by one. Eventually, you'll find the culprit.

Hope these ideas help!

73,

Jim K1IR

Thin, invisible wire is your best solution, for sure. Keep the feed line very short and close to the building. Run that invisible wire out away from the building to any reasonable support. Use a tuner. Run 100 watts or less. Apply good rf grounding/counterpoise techniques. You'll do a whole lot better with 30-50 feet of skinny wire than that little vertical would allow - and spend less, too.

I have the manual . . . it's not very pretty, but I have it. I would be happy to scan it and email it to you as a .pdf file. Give me your email address. Email me at k1ir@designet.com

73,

Jim K1IR

Don't think about this problem for more than a few minutes. Then, when you realize that you can't possibly accurately predict the results, go ahead and put up that antenna. If you are using wires now, and that tribander is sitting unassembled in your garage or out in the yard, you will certainly be taking a MAJOR step forward when you put it on that roof mount. I had a tribander on a 20-foot house-bracketed tower for a couple of years - I had a great time with that antenna. It sure was better than letting it sit in the garage!

Just do it!

Jim K1IR

Wire beams, my friend. Three-element wire yagis at 40-70 feet will work wonders on 80m. Best if you can make them with straight dipole elements, rather than inverted vees. With an swr analyzer, these antennas are not difficult to construct. From zero-land, you'll need the switchable version. It takes two relays, a power supply and a bit of extra wire to make the beam bidirectional. And, you can be even more fancy with the switching to move the antenna from ssb to cw.

I have a couple of photos, if you'd like them.

73,

Jim K1IR

 . . . and ugly, too!

Why are hams so old?

To get the line over the tree, I use a surfcasting rod. The weight I use is a bright orange golf ball with a small screw-eye screwed into it. I attach the ball to the fishing line with a swivel hook. This works great. I highly recommend using the swivel hook as a quick disconnect for the weight that goes over the tree - independent of what you use to propel the weight over the tree. Makes it easy to remove the weight after a bad toss.

I use the fishing line to pull another light line over the tree, then the final Dacron rope.

I don't use any springs or counterweights. I just repair broken ropes every 6 months to a year. This method currently suspends a 3-el 80m wire Yagi, a 2-el 40m delta loop array, a 2-el 40m vertical array, and a 160m inverted-L.

The technique doesn't work well if a) you don't know how to cast a fishing rod, or b) you are in the woods and can't swing the rod in the clear.

Otherwise, it's great!

Jim K1IR