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Reviews For: Ten-Tec Omni-VII

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Ten-Tec Omni-VII
Reviews: 110MSRP: 2850
Description:
Ten-Tec Omni-VII Model 588AT (with Autotuner) 160 thru 6 meter Transceiver
Product is in production
More Info: http://radio.tentec.com/amateur/transceivers/588
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001104.9
W8AAZ Rating: 2014-11-14
Maybe my last radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I looked back and did not see I had reviewed it yet. Bought at Dayton 08 fully loaded, with the idea of it might be my last main HF radio. I rate it high purely as a transceiver. Outside issues, like my computers no longer have serial ports for programming, are not rated. Great for SSB receive. If QRM is low to none, open it up to 2.6 to 3 KHz and hear good SSB stations sounding better. CW sounds good too. Has all the filters notches shifts and gizzies you need to pull sigs out of the QRM, though. Bandscan is not realtime so if you scan a dead band and a signal is not there at the exact instant it looks, you will miss it and therefore I rarely use that. Transmit has plenty of parameters you can adjust if optimum TX audio is your thing. I have tried many many mics on the radio, and nearly all sound great or good. The radio starts out with excellent TX audio so you would have to use a pretty crappy mic to sound bad. As for the built in tuner. I forgot I ordered it installed and two years never tried it. Still tend to use an external tuner. Overall I really like the radio. Like that it is USA made.
WQ3Q Rating: 2014-08-13
Good to Great Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
As a follow up on my experience... the logic board fried I was told it was a surge. Hmmm. Well I still am skeptical and I know there are true blue TT people on here, but the jury is still out on my experience. I must however give some credit to the Service Manager Paul. He didn't feel it was the unit but he gave me a break on the final bill. I acknowledge his willingness to do that and so I don't want to be a sourpuss about this. That was a class thing to do when he could have just been stubborn about it. So thank you Paul and I hope we never have to meet again in a situation like this. 73! May my OMNI VII live long and prosper!
KF6BKH Rating: 2014-08-04
The Best I Own Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just bought my Omni 7 during the big July sale, only took 2 weeks for me to receive it. Now I've only had it 7 days but I must say this is a great radio. I keep reading reviews about how quiet the receiver is, and boy are they right. There are times I'm not sure the radio is even on, it almost sounds like I have FM stations on (ok maybe not that quiet). I have been thinking about this radio for a few years but never pulled the trigger, but at the sale price I thought I could always sell it later and not lose much. The only thing I wish is I had bought it years before. Anyway guys I think everyone should give this radio a try. Also when I ordered it the guys from TenTec where great to talk with and answered everything I asked them, don't think the other manufactures are like that. I'll give a follow up in a month or so.
K1TP Rating: 2014-05-30
Tentec repair Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the omni vii a few years and like the radio. I still own the Icom 756 PRO III and consider it an equal . I just had the display go and sent it to Tentec. I was surprised at the $349 repair bill to replace a non color display....not really happy about it! On a brighter note, the repair turnover was a week which is fantastic !
K2AGZ Rating: 2014-04-25
Great Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got back on the air after retiring. trying to find the right set up, went thru a few different station setups, nothing seemed to float the boat then decided to try TenTec, tried the Orion but more then I needed, had also tried a FTDX 3000 and 5000. Then came across a good deal on a mint Omni VII. Great receiver, great transmit reports, easy to use yet all the features there for what every you want, Tentec factory support is the best I've ever seen. All the top brands make good rigs but I urge you to look into Tentec, call Stan before you spent your money. They even have a thirty day return policy. My entire station is now Tentec, just bought their linear and got my eye on an Eagle. You have to use a rig to see if it suits you, all the technical stuff looks good on paper, but where the rubber meets the road is what counts, this for the money is the best equipment I think you can find.
KD6SX Rating: 2014-02-02
Very Happy Now Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a revision of the review that I submitted on December 23, 2013. After I wrote the review outlining my problems with high SWR and rig shutdowns, I received an e-mail note from a Ten-Tec Ambassador who was very courteous and helpful. He put me in contact with the Ten-Tec service department. I sent the rig in again and got it back a few days ago. It's working fine now and I have no problem giving it an enthusiastic 5. I've used it on most modes and it works as advertised. I appreciate not only the quality of the rig but also the Ten-Tec people who resolved the problem. A great company that makes great equipment. I've owned more Ten-Tec radios over the years than anything else.

KD6SX
W9WLW Rating: 2014-01-07
A terrific and very diversified radio Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The Omni VII is a very nice radio to use. I enjoy using mine on SSB, CW, AM and digital modes. I love the keypad, band stacking registers, and the single tree menu. You can remote into the radio via the Internet using Ten-Tec's OnePlug application and have full control of the radio.

BTW - N4PY's control programs work great with it.

I always get great audio reports using the Ten-Tec 709 microphone, and great tone reports on CW.

Ten-Tec has a protection feature built-in to keep you from frying the finals. If you transmit a 100 watts into an open connector, or a load that has an SWR greater than 3:1 it will shut off to save you from embarrassment. Other manufacturers use a power fold-back solution, but it doesn't keep you from over-heating your finals.
AC4R Rating: 2013-09-22
Top Shelf Radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my Omni 7 for over two years . The other two rigs in the rack have been gathering dust ever since. Easy menu system, great audio , big display screen. It produces very good AM and can go up to 4 KH wide on transmit for ESSB. You wont go wrong with a Omni 7.

AC4R
LA2RRA Rating: 2013-04-28
So fare nice :-) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just played for 7 days but i am impressed.
I own K3 but on low bands this make me recieve better than K3.
I have lot of urban noice and Omni VII is more quieter but i can read stations low in noice better.....
Now K3 are connected to 2 el Steppir and Omni VII to my home made carolina windom 80m...
Nice ragshew rig ...will conect to Steppir later.
Post new experience when i do this.

73 from Norway
KA4UPI Rating: 2013-03-29
Love the Omni VII Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My first Ten-Tec rig and I really like everything about it. I like the menu driven interface, the ability to update the firmware, and all of the other features. I was a little sceptical of it at first since I work mosty CW and digital modes but it quickly proved itself. The more I use this radio the more my other rigs sit collecting dust. I use HRD with it and have had little to no issues with it interfacing. You can tell that this is a very high quality made radio for the price range. I plan to install the two 300 and 500mhz Collins filters this weekend since I operate CW so much but even without them it really performs great and the QSK is exeptional. I never realized how well QSK is when working CW. You won't miss a thing with it. I typically don't do reviews and such but I had to give Ten-Tec thier dues on such a quality radio. This is definitely my primary radio from now on.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by KA4UPI on 2012-05-10

Yep there is good reason why this radio gets a near perfect mark. I have used this rig now for nearly a year and half and it has performed flawlessly for me. I use it on Phone, CW, and most of the popular digital modes with HRD (Ham Radio Deluxe) interface with no problems at all. I like the software menu setup and absolutely love the CW performance and the full QSK and quite keying. Also the AutoTuner is worth every penny and tunes anything within reason for an antenna. I get many good reports on the audio and transmit quality of the radio that i have never gotten on any of the other radios I have used over the years. Well not to ramble on but if you are searching for a well made performer this is definitely it. You may find a cheaper one but you won't find a better designed or performing radio for the money. Thanks Ten-Tec for design well done.