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Reviews For: Ten-Tec 1208

Category: Transverters

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Review Summary For : Ten-Tec 1208
Reviews: 12MSRP: $95
Description:
SSB-CW 6-Meter Transverter Kit
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.tentec.com/Tk1208.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00124.4
KB2VUQ Rating: 2001-02-28
TwoThumbs Up! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use a Yaesu FT-707 HF rig
on (20)Twenty meters into
the Ten-Tec 1208 transverter
for 6M ssb QRP work.

Typically 5 watts in gives me 8-10
watts out. Receive sensitivity
is under .2uv

The transverter allows me to operate
6M SSB just like the "big boys", for
much less than a 6M all-mode rig.
It's given my Yaesu a "new life"!

It operates on whatever mode my
radio is set to.

Tx / Rx audio is great.

Every band opening I work several
"new grids". From the Pacific Coast,
to Europe and South and Central
America, they just can't believe
I'm only running 8 watts!

By the way.....
I'm using an M2 Ho-Loop antenna (25' up)
for an antenna.

$95.00 for the transverter + $89.00
for the antenna and voila....
I'm racking up the QSL cards from 6M.

Catch the magic on the magic band!

Best 73,
de
Dennis Volin
(KB2VUQ)
K0KP Rating: 2001-02-02
What a nifty little rig! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I believe it was the late Doug DeMaw - W1FB, who said this little transverter was the greatest value in ham radio! The Ten-Tec 1208 is a super little transverter and a great way to explore 6 meters. All that is required is a HF rig capable of 20 meters with the ability to reduce power down to about 5 watts. My 1208 went together without a great deal of difficulty. (My own initial error was to install the MOSFET receive preamp transistor upside down. Ten-Tec quickly provided a free replacement transistor even though this was my own error.)

Receive is fantastic! Used in conjunction with my twenty-year-old Kenwood TS-120S transceiver, the transverter combo has better "ears" on 6 than my new Icom 746! And hey, I'll tell you, the 746 ain't bad! I have had no overload problems, no birdies, just great, clean 6 meter reception.

Transmit works great too. Although rated for 8 watts PEP output, my 1208 produces a clean 10 watts. Audio reports have been great. When 6 is open, 8 watts can certainly make lots of fun QSO's! I built mine in April of 2000. By September 31, 2000 I had CONFIRMED 49 states on 6 working toward WAS 6 meters! This includes confirmed KL7 and KH6......alas.....If I only had California! To be honest, by mid summer I did purchase a TE Systems 175 watt amp which the 1208 drives flawlessly to full rated output, and did upgrade from a simple J-Pole vertical to a 3 element yagi at 35 feet. Anyway, the point is you can do wonders with this little rig!

The rig has full QSK CW and SSB. The only change I made was to add a small relay to key the transverter into transmit mode via PTT when on SSB. Although QSK on SSB worked fine, I just couldn't get used to the idea having it key in and out of transmit on each spoken word.

I would rate the kit as an in-between a first and advanced building project. Take your time, understand the directions, and it will go together just fine! The step-by-step instructions rival the good works once produced by the old Heathkit ham team.

I echo DeMaw's sage advice and rate the kit 5 out of 5.