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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
K5UX Rating: 2008-08-06
Excellent user interface Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been using the Omni 7 for a month and found it very easy to learn and use. I borrowed a Pro3 to compare with and I am not going to bore everyone with all the previous comments and comparisons. The Pro3 is going back to its owner and the Omni is staying. TT was very clever in the way they arranged the functions around the display. I didn't crack the manual before I was on the air. I was attracted to the Omni because of it's capability via the internet. If you need help with configuration settings, there are plenty of folks in the Yahoo group that will help and of course, a simple call to the TT service department will put you in touch with a live body that's willing to spend time helping you with your question. If technical specs are your thing, take a look at Rob Sherwood's website. His perspective in this area is very intersting.
K4BFD Rating: 2008-07-18
Easy to learn Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For a simple person like me this is the best radio I ever had, right out of the box and had it up and running and understanding it in 30 min.

Also another surpruse a phone call from Ten-Tec about a week after getting the radio just to make sure everything was ok and did I have any question on the operation of the Omni
AD9P Rating: 2008-07-18
Very Good Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My first impression is positive.
Very good receiver, good transmitted audio.
The one thing I don't like is the fact that one cannot save the line selection in the band stacking memories, or the conventional memories.
Before you can use PSK the line input has to changed via the menu. Perhaps a firmware upgrade could correct this.
Other than that i find the OMNI 7 to be an excellent overall radio.
Thanks
AL
AD9P
W1FYI Rating: 2008-07-01
Excellent performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently added the OMNI VII to my shack and am very pleased. The footprint is small and the performance impressive.

The ethernet remote operation is easy to set up with the One Plug GUI. I needed one call to John Henry at Ten Tec who was most polite and helpful. After determining I was using a bad cable I was on the air with my laptop. The One Plug instructions, although very easy to follow, could be a little more clear. That said, it's still pretty much a snap to use.

Excellent roofing filter design gives the receiver a good, comfortable sound and versatility.

The receiver very quiet, dynamic range is good and it is nearly as sensitive as my Flex 5K.
The performance is well above the norm.

The menu system is easy to learn and use and is quite extensive. The radio does a nice job with ESSB, especially with a good microphone and some external equalization, and I've gotten excellent reports. You don't need anything more than a good mic and some experimentation with the internal bandwidth and tone controls and you'll be very surprised with the audio quality.

The antenna tuner is quick and quiet in comparison to others I've had.

So far, the radio has performed well on both CW and PSK-31 and I'm looking forward to using on 10 meter FM when I get a chance.

There are a couple of nits as you will find with any radio; it's all dependent on your operating style. The "alt" system below the screen could be ergonomically better, but the front panel is well designed and very simple to use. The spectrum scope is useful, but not mindblowing, but after using the Flex, nothing really compares anyway.

When you switch back and forth between remote and internal operation you don't return to the setting you had before you switched. Again, a nit and it will probably be addressed eventually in a firmware update, I hope.

I think the OMNI VII is an excellent value for the price and compares well against other radios I've used in the price class. If you want a cost effective, versitile radio that is a breeze to remote, this is the one.

The attributes far outweigh the few improvements needed and adding in the Ten Tec service, the radio deserves a "5" rating. Between the OMNI and the Flex, I have the best product and tech support in the business.

One last thing. The matching Ten Tec 12 volt supply is light as a feather and will fit just about anywhere.

Dick, W1FYI
WU7R Rating: 2008-07-01
Great Radio Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased my Omni VII having owned a number of Ten Tec radios including an Orion. Is it a perfect rig? No, but it comes very close. Although it doesn't have as many adjustible parameters as the Orion, it seems to me to be an equal radio plus it does six meters and is capable of operating directly over the internet. I am a simple CW operator doing a little light contesting and occassional SSB. I like the size of the Omni VII as opposed to the Orion. The only shortcoming for me is that it would be nice if it had a clock. Although it is a little more expensive than the Elecraft K-3, it is a better choice for me and my operations even though I am a devoted fan of Elecraft. I REALLY like this radio.
N1JMS Rating: 2008-06-01
Better Than Expected Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased this rig to use it as a remote controlled HF base. I've got it here on my bench next to my Yaesu FT-9000D and Icom 7800 and can't seem to part with it. It performes every bit as good as either of the high $$$ units. It does have fewer knobs and only 100 watts, however, for the price you simply can't beat this radio! Internet remote control is so simple that I can even set it up.
K8JHR Rating: 2008-05-28
Wonderful Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Very nice rig. Very quiet receiver. Audio reports are consistently excellent and ergonomically very easy to operate and very easy to set up. Software/firmware updates via internet assure this will be constantly "new" and Ten-Tec sales and service people are very helpful. New features to be added to the rig make this a work in progress that will continue to improve over time. Other radios are final versions and you gotta buy a new rig to take advantage of new features or bug fixes. Ten-Tec will continue to update the firmware and assure it is cutting edge equipment into the future.

I am very pleased with my station. // James - K8JHR //
WA2EWE Rating: 2008-05-24
Excellent! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been using my new Omni VII for just a few weeks and comparing this radio to my Yaesu and Icom I am just amazed at how well it performs. I bought this radio because of the internal Ethernet card and because of how easy it is to operate it remotely over the Internet. So, I was thrilled to find out that the receiver performance was so good. On my other radios, I was tired and had ringing in my ears after an hour of operation but with the Omni VII and its excellent receive and noise reduction performance, listening is a joy.
W1GOM Rating: 2008-05-01
My best radio ever Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After 47 years in the hobby, this is the best, by far, radio I have owned. Easy to use, right from the start. This is second Ten-Tec I have (Argonaut the other), and I will take them over the "Big Three" anytime. "Made in the USA" is a plus too.

Had a FT-450 and it required having the manual in your lap to use it. Was not really good for PSK either. Not like the Omni VII. I really recommend this radio.
N2JLI Rating: 2008-04-28
All as advertised & more Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My QTH in a highrise apartment precludes putting any antennas outside. I was looking for a way to operate remotely and had experimented with an ICOM IC-7000 installed in my van. The experiment worked but required a lot of the battery power of the van to power a laptop and radio, plus a wireless link to the laptop running a terminal server program and an audio streaming program. The OMNI VII seemed to slice the equipment and software needs considerably. I have yet to follow through with the mobile installation but in the meantime have become familiar with this fantastic rig. I was easily able to check out the ethernet interface using the instructions provided by Ten Tec's chief programmer, John Henry. He regularly contributes to the Omni VII Yahoo Group and keeps everone posted about how the firmware and software updates are going, asking for input from the users and following it up. The most recent firmware update included a very significant improvement in the operation of the noise filters. The kind of customer service you get from Ten Tec is unheard of from the big three. The ergonomics of the radio were well thought out. Having only ONE menu (although a long one) to wade through makes changing settings quite easy. It helps to have that big screen to let you see all the menu items with about a turn or two of the big tuning knob. The multiknob lets you roll through the various options in each item. Simple and easy to get back to with one touch of the MENU button. The most used functions are assigned their various fixed buttons on the front panel and you don't have to look in the manual to figure out what each does.
I have a Ten Tec 509a mic on a standard music mike boom and my audio reports usually start out with the word "Awsome.." The band scanning feature is very fast and can scan 300kc in about 2 seconds. I also liked the way Ten Tec includes a 13-pin plug for the ACC1 jack that is terminated with RCA type connectors for easy connection to the computer sound card and keying circuit. The ethernet port connects with a standard RJ-45 jack to any router or directly to a cable or DSL modem. With a crossover cable it will connect directly to a PC network card. The radio has it's own programmable IP and gateway address and even the MAC address can be programmed. Through the ethernet port or the built in serial port the radio can be controlled via commands from any suitable software. I won't go into the specs, they're out there for all to check. This is the most money I've ever spent on a radio and I feel I got more than my money's worth so far.