Safe Power for the Ten Tec Triton and Omni Radios

photo of the Ten Tec Omni Series "C" rear panel

I was recently asked about the power switch on the Ten Tec Triton IV transceiver. Was it capable of switching the 12-volt line used to power the radio? The short answer is no. Co-located on the volume control, it was intended to switch an external power supply like the Model 252 or 262. Switching the 15 or so amps of 12-volt power needed for the 100 watt transmitter would destroy the switch.

How to Upgrade the Ten Tec Omni C with the K3JLS DDS VFO

photo of The Ten Tec 5464C CW Station

I was having a lot of fun with the restored Ten Tec Omni (series C), but like all of the older Ten Tec radios, the Permeability Tuned Oscillator (PTO), aka VFO,  left a little to be desired. Back in the day, when I bought my first Ten Tec, these PTOs were considered very good — but time marches on and we’ve gotten used to smoother and more stable VFOs.  An upgrade would be nice.

Restoring A Ten Tec Omni Series Transceiver – Part 2

photo of the Ten Tec Omni "C" in use

In part one of this restoration, we tackled the Ten Tec Omni C’s two most glaring problems: garbled signals on receive and blowing fuses when the radio was switched to the 30-Meter band. I could now receive and transmit signals in almost all the band switch positions, albeit with varying sensitivity and power output. It had been quite a chase so far, and the remaining repairs would prove equally challenging.