Ten Tec 588 HF AMATEUR RADIO TRANSCEIVER User Manual Chapter 1 YOUR NEW OMNI VII

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Document Title	Chapter 1 – YOUR NEW OMNI-VII
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Section 1 – YOUR NEW OMNI-VII
Our aim in designing and producing OMNIVII was to meet the demands of increasingly
intense competition in DXing and contesting,
while adding many non-performance related
features that the active ham can also
appreciate. OMNI-VII offers superb
reception and transmission of CW, SSB,
digital modes, FM, and AM on all 10 HF
amateur bands and 50 MHz.
UNPACKING OMNI-VII
Examine OMNI-VII for signs of shipping
damage. Should any damage be apparent,
notify the delivering carrier immediately,
stating the full extent of the damage.
Retain all damaged cartons. Liability for
shipping damage rests with the carrier. We
recommend that you keep the carton and
fillers in the event that storage, moving, or
shipment becomes necessary.
The hardware and accessories listed in
Figure 1-1 come standard with your OMNIVII. Make sure that you have not
overlooked anything.
ABOUT THIS MANUAL
The OMNI-VII is a firmware updateable
transceiver. Features and functions on the
transceiver can change as time passes
when new firmware revisions are issued via
Ten-Tec’s www.rfsquared.com firmware
download website. The latest version of the
OMNI-VII manual is posted in .pdf format on
the OMNI-VII section of the Ten-Tec website
at www.tentec.com. Schematic diagrams
are not included in this manual but are
available for download from the
www.rfsquared.com firmware website.
This manual was written by
Scott E. Robbins, W4PA.
Qty
Part #
Description
#27074
Mini-ATC Blade
Fuse, 25 Amp.
Phono Plug
8-pin Microphone
Connector
#35003
#35363
#35165
#41020
#35017
Phone Plug, 3circuit
#38040
#38088
#38313
#46172
#46176
#74020
#74409
#86095
.050 Hex Wrench
.062 Hex Wrench
T10 Torx Wrench
Serial Cable
Accessory Cable.
5-pin DIN to phono
female
Warranty Card
User’s Manual
DC Power Cord
2-pin Power
Connector Shell
Female Power Pins
Figure 1-1 OMNI-VII Packing Kit
CONNECTING A POWER SUPPLY
The OMNI-VII transceiver requires a source
of well-filtered and regulated DC voltage.
The supply voltage can range from +12.8 to
+15.0 Vdc but +13.8 Vdc is the optimum
value. The voltage source must be capable
of supplying 22 amperes continuous duty.
We recommend using the included DC
power cable (P/N 86095). We have also
included spare connector pins (P/N 41020)
and a spare 2 pin power connector shell
(P/N 35165) for building your own cable.
The power supply plug will attach in only
one direction to the polarized two-pin DC
connector on the OMNI-VII rear panel. Use
no less than #14 gauge (#12 recommended)
stranded wires for three-foot long
connections to accommodate the required
current demand during transmit. Use
heavier gauge wire for longer power supply
leads.
NOTE: always enable the power source first
and then the transceiver. If a generator or
alternator supports the dc source, always
turn off the transceiver before starting or
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shutting off the dc source equipment. These
recharging devices often generate large
voltage spikes that can damage the
transceiver.
A WORD ABOUT GROUNDING
A good ground system is essential for
optimum operation of any HF transmitter.
The best solution is to connect all the station
equipment chassis together using a heavy
gauge of flat ground braid. Use a short
length of braid to connect to a ground rod. If
you are not using a linear amplifier, a less
ideal ground may suffice. A ground
connection to a copper cold water pipe was
often suitable, but that is now a violation of
the National Electrical Code. Be aware that
many modern water connections use plastic
pipe, and are not suitable ground
connections.
Antenna type and its proximity to the station
are also factors in choosing ground
methods. With good resonant antennas
located away from the station, the AC
ground in your house wiring might be
adequate.
PHILOSOPHY OF DESIGN
Ten-Tec’s goal with the OMNI-VII
transceiver was to provide an HF transceiver
that meets several disparate criteria. 1) Be
easy for the average amateur to operate.
2) Have a feature set that experienced
amateurs expect a top of the line piece of
equipment to include. 3) Offer Amateur
Radio’s first completely Ethernet controllable
HF rig, with an eye to remote operation
becoming more and more popular as time
passes. 4) Include general coverage HF
receive capability plus 50 MHz.
The filtering system in the OMNI-VII uses
what we refer to as “distributed” roofing
filters. The definition of roofing filters varies;
in Amateur Radio terms the term has come
to mean a crystal or mechanical filter that
allows for the preservation of available
receiver performance for realistic on-the-air
situations, as opposed to lab conditions
when only two signals at a given spacing are
present for test purposes.
General coverage HF transceivers today are
of an upconverting, VHF level first I-F,
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followed by two or three more conversion
stages. This VHF I-F first stage is
somewhat problematic due to physics to
create an adequate mode-appropriate
roofing filter. At the same time, some
amateurs are reluctant to use a ham bandsonly HF transceiver that may have a low
frequency first I-F and be generally more
suited to high performance applications than
a general coverage HF rig.
The question was how to combine a general
coverage receiver with a mode-appropriate
system of filtering appropriate for high-end
Amateur Radio receiver performance.
We refer to the roofing filters in the OMNI-VII
as “distributed” because filters are spread
across both the first and second I-F stages.
The conversion stages in the OMNI-VII are
70 MHz first I-F, 455 kHz second I-F, 12 kHz
(DSP) third I-F. Monolithic filters at 20 and 6
kHz are present at the first I-F stage.
Selectable second I-F filters at bandwidths
of 2.5 kHz, 500 Hz (optional) and 300 Hz
(optional) can be cascaded with the first I-F
monolithic filter at 6 kHz bandwidth.
Bandwidth filtering is done in DSP at the
third I-F and is controlled by the BW encoder
on the transceiver front panel.
The net effect of using 455 kHz second I-F
filters plus the 6 kHz monolithic at the first
I-F is to increase blocking dynamic range
over what the receiver would be capable of
without the second I-F filters installed. Third
order intercept point essentially remains
constant. The front-end AGC in the
transceiver is after the 455 kHz I-F filters;
having them installed prevents the radio
from attempting AGC action on a signal that
is outside the bandwidth of the 455 kHz I-F
filter.
Non-CW operators will not require additional
filters; additional filters can be installed
optionally by CW operators to see the
benefit of this filter arrangement to a mode
appropriate bandwidth if desired.
50 MHz transceive operation at 100 watts
output power is included in the OMNI-VII.
Additional receive capability to 48 MHz has
been provided for monitoring of VHF
European TV coverage and other signals of
Initial release – October 2006
interest that may indicate to the serious 6
meter operator when a band opening is
underway. Repeater operation via the
SPLIT capability is provided for, as are
CTCSS tones and retaining both of these in
the transceiver memories.
interface. The intention is to give a user in
local proximity enough information and
access to controls to troubleshoot and
adjust, while keeping in mind that the true
operation will not be done in front of the
radio.
The remote control capability of the OMNIVII is unprecedented in Amateur Radio.
While remote operation of HF equipment
has been done via the Internet or data links
for several years prior, OMNI-VII is the first
transceiver that allows direct connection to a
high-speed router via Ethernet without a
computer for remote operation.
The default is RADIO STATE. To toggle to
NET STATE, turn the transceiver off. Press
and hold the 2 button on the band change
keypad. Turn power on, continuing to hold
the 2 button down. After a few seconds, the
NET STATE version of the screen will
appear and you can release the button. For
the curious: go ahead and have a look. You
don’t have to have the radio connected to
anything or plan to use it remotely to put the
radio into NET STATE.
Additionally, we have made available a
graphical user interface for controlling the
radio remotely, the source code for the GUI,
and programming instructions for the
transceiver available on our firmware update
site www.rfsquared.com.
RADIO STATE VS. NET STATE
OMNI-VII operationally at first glance is not
much different from other HF transceivers.
However, within this product lies the ability
to remotely control it from virtually any highspeed Internet access point.
RADIO STATE is what we describe as the
“traditional” operation of the OMNI-VII.
Turning knobs, pushing buttons just as with
any other Amateur Radio transceiver. How
the screen looks and the radio operates in
RADIO STATE is described in detail in
sections 2 through 5 of this manual.
To return to RADIO STATE, turn power off,
press and hold the 1 button on the band
change keypad. Turn power on, continuing
to hold the 1 button down. After a few
seconds, the RADIO STATE version of the
screen will appear and you can release the
button.
When powered off in either RADIO STATE
or NET STATE, the radio will retain the
same STATE setting until changed from the
front panel by the user. In case of power
failure in NET STATE remote operation, the
transceiver will always come back up in NET
STATE when power is restored.
RADIO STATE is also used for “local”
control of the OMNI-VII with a PC. Local
control is connecting the radio directly to a
computer via either the Ethernet or RS-232
ports on the rear panel. The transceiver
then can be controlled by the user from the
local PC, from the front panel controls, or
both.
NET STATE is when the transceiver is
placed into service as a remote device via
the Internet. NET STATE disables many
transceiver functions from local control and
disables some (like VOX operation and the
internal CW keyer) altogether. NET STATE
also alters the layout of the radio screen to
give you a much more utilitarian user
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common
Section 2 – OMNI-VII FRONT
PANEL CONTROLS AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS
Section 2 of the OMNI-VII manual covers
the various controls and connectors on the
front and rear panels, with an explanation of
the each control and how it is used for
operation of the radio.
(1) POWER
Key or dit
dah
Figure 2-1
Paddle Wiring for Using Internal Keyer
This switch turns the transceiver power on
and off.
(2) PHONES
This jack uses a ¼” receptacle for plugging
headphones into OMNI-VII. Either stereo or
mono headphones may be used, nominal
impedance 16 ohms, though ‘phones using
an impedance of 8 to 16 ohms load will be
useable with the transceiver. Headphones
above 16 ohms (like 32) can be used
without damage to the transceiver but audio
output to the headphones may be reduced.
(3) KEY
Pin 3 on the ACC 1 connector on the rear
panel also allows you to connect an
independent keyer or computer to share CW
keying.
This would be useful if using the output of a
computer program for transmitting CW (like
contest logging software) while also desiring
a paddle to be connected to the radio for
using the internal keyer. Connect the CW
keying output of the computer logging
program to PTT pin (3) on the ACC 1 jack,
and then connect your paddle to the front
panel KEY jack. See the description of (31)
ACC 1 in Section 3 of this manual.
(4) MULTI ENCODER
The front panel provides a ¼” stereo jack for
connection of a key, external keyer, or
paddles. See Figure 2-1 for proper wiring.
OMNI-VII on initial power-up has the internal
keyer disabled. To use the internal keyer in
a CW mode, press the SP button (‘SPeed’)
and then rotate the MULTI knob for an
appropriate CW speed (Note: In SSB
modes, SP is used for speech processing
and displays a different value).
The front panel MULTI knob is used for
adjusting a variety of transceiver functions.
Pushing various buttons on the
circumference of the screen enables
functions that are then value-adjusted by the
MULTI knob. Display letters in green on the
transceiver screen indicate either the item
being adjusted and itself value or the item
itself. Example: pressing the PWR button
to adjust power changes the green display
to read POWER
20W – turning the MULTI
knob adjusts power level up or down.
Example 2: pressing the NR button
changes the green display to read SET NR
but the NR value is shown just above the
NR button.
Several items that are found inside the
transceiver menu are adjusted using the
MULTI knob. These items can be accessed
by pressing the MULTI encoder towards the
front panel of the transceiver. The OMNI-VII
will cycle through various menu items
allowing them to be adjusted without
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accessing the menu itself. Note not all
menu items are accessible via this method.
(5) PBT/BW ENCODER
Receiver bandwidth (BW) and passband
tuning (PBT) are adjustable using this
encoder.
To adjust BW or PBT value: A green LED
indicator is next to the BW and PBT legends
on the front of the radio above the encoder.
Press the encoder to switch between BW
and PBT.
The BW control is used to set the value of
the DSP bandwidth filters. A value for each
filter is shown on the screen next to the
encoder itself. BW 2800 indicates a DSP
bandwidth value of 2800 Hz. There are 34
selectable DSP filters from a minimum of
200 Hz to 9 kHz maximum. Filtering is
selectable independent of mode.
common 8 pin microphone jack used by
many amateur radio transceivers. Most
dynamic or electret microphones can be
used. When adapting a microphone, please
refer to the wiring diagrams in Figures 2-2
and 2-3.
We include a spare 8-pin microphone
connector (P/N 35363) with the packing kit
to allow rewiring of your current mic for use
with OMNI-VII The pinout for the 8 pin mic
connector on the front of the OMNI-VII is
shown in Figure 2-2. Recommended wiring
is shown in Figure 2-3.
Depending on whether or not AUTO has
been selected in the I-F FILTER menu
function, the BW control can also
automatically engage or disengage the
Collins mechanical filters. See I-F FILTER
in Section 4 of the manual.
PBT is adjustable + or – 2.5 kHz from
center. PBT can easily be cleared to zero.
When the PBT LED is lit next to the
encoder, press the encoder in and hold for
two seconds. The PBT value will revert to
zero.
(6) AF/RF ENCODER
Figure 2-2. Front view, mic connector, on
front panel of OMNI-VII
AF GAIN (AUDIO) and RF GAIN are
adjustable using this encoder.
Press the encoder to toggle between the two
items. Turn the knob clockwise to increase,
counter-clockwise to decrease.
Values for AUDIO and RF GAIN are shown
in blue on the screen next to the encoder.
Limiting receiver sensitivity with the RF
GAIN control is also reflected on the smeter.
For true manual control of receiver gain, turn
AGC to OFF and use the RF GAIN control to
limit receiver response.
(7) MIC
Front panel jack used for connection of a
microphone. The OMNI-VII features the
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(8) TUNE
The TUNE button, when pressed, will
transmit a CW carrier at approximately 20
watts output power to allow either the
internal automatic antenna tuner to tune (if
installed) or for user adjustment of an
external antenna tuner or linear amplifier.
It may be desirable to have keydown CW
carrier output at the power output level set
by using the PWR control (button 9). To do
so, press the PWR button immediately after
pushing the TUNE button. Power output will
move from the low power setting to
whatever level the PWR control has been
set at with the MULTI knob. Repeat
operation will require pushing TUNE then
PWR again for the higher output value.
(9) PWR
Figure 2-3. Recommended mic cable
wiring.
Pin 2 (+9 Vdc) need only be connected if the
microphone element in use is an electret
condenser requiring a polarizing voltage.
Keeping chassis ground and mic signal
ground separated are done to reduce the
possibility of introducing stray hum or RFI
into the transmit audio signal.
Note we recommend that the case of the
microphone also be tied to chassis ground
on the transceiver via pin 5. This is to help
assure stray RF does not have a path to be
coupled into transmit audio.
Some microphones are not wired to
separate microphone signal ground from
chassis ground, and the two are tied
together. We recommend separate pins for
use for mic negative signal and chassis
ground as shown in Figure 2-3.
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This button is used for setting RF power
output on OMNI-VII. Press the PWR button
and turn the MULTI knob to adjust value
from 1 to 100. The value set from 1 to 100
will roughly correspond to power output in
watts but this will vary a few watts
depending on band and load impedance.
ALC control is present from 5 to 100 watts
output - no ALC control below 5 watts
although power output can be dropped
below that level.
The PWR button also interacts with the
TUNE button (8) for key down power output
for tuning an antenna tuner or linear
amplifier. See the description of TUNE
immediately preceding this section.
(10) V>M and (11) M>V
The V>M and M>V buttons are used to store
and retrieve frequencies into and out of the
memory system.
To store a frequency from VFO A to a
memory location, press V>M. At the top of
the screen SAVE TO MEMORY and a memory
number will appear at the top of the screen.
Turn the MULTI knob to scroll through the
available memory locations. There are 100
available memories. When your desired
memory number has been selected, press
V>M again to save.
Initial release – October 2006
Memories will save both VFO frequencies,
mode, DSP BW setting, whether split is
turned on, and FM CTCSS tone in use.
If you want to exit the memory save function
above WITHOUT saving the memory to a
location, instead of pressing V>M the
second time to save the memory, press
M>V while the screen still reads SAVE TO
MEMORY at the top to exit.
To recall memories, press M>V. After
pressing M>V, RECALL MEMORY and a
memory location number will appear at the
top of the screen. Turn the MULTI knob to
scroll through the memories. To select a
memory to be imported to the VFO, press
M>V again.
If you want to exit the memory recall function
above WITHOUT recalling a memory
location to VFO A, instead of pressing M>V
the second time to recall the memory, press
V>M while the screen still reads SAVE TO
MEMORY at the top to exit.
Note that the M>V function for memory
information recall is also dependent on what
the function RECALL SUB in the menu is set
to. Pushing M>V by default only recalls the
VFO A frequency, mode, and DSP BW filter
in use. To recall all information stored (both
VFO’s, mode, DSP BW filter, split, FM
CTCSS tone), RECALL SUB must be set to
ON. See RECALL SUB in Section 4.
(12) MODE
Mode selection for VFO A on the transceiver
is done by pushing MODE. At the top of the
screen below the row of 7 buttons the
available modes will appear: USB, LSB,
UCW, LCW, AM, FM, FSK. Use the top row
of buttons above the main screen to select
the desired mode. The selected mode for
VFO A is shown on the screen directly
below the MODE button.
If the MODE button is pushed and you do
not want to change modes, wait 5 seconds.
The mode indicators at the top of the screen
will disappear and the OMNI-VII will return to
usual operation.
VFO B can be on a separate mode from
VFO A. Modes can be transferred from
VFO A to VFO B by using the A=B or A/B
buttons to exchange VFO information. See
(18) A=B, A>B, SPL, REV.
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(13) STEP
The tuning step size is adjustable in seven
different steps, 1, 10, 100 Hz and 1, 5, 10,
and 100 kHz.
At the top of the screen below the row of 7
buttons the available step sizes will appear:
1, 10, 100, 1k, 5k, 10k, .1M (100 kHz). Use
the top row of buttons above the main
screen to select the desired step size.
If the STEP button is pushed and you do not
want to change step size, wait 5 seconds.
The step indicators at the top of the screen
will disappear and the OMNI-VII will return to
usual operation.
You can quickly jump back and forth
between the next highest step size by
pressing and holding the STEP button down
for two seconds. “x10” will appear on the
screen just below the step size. Example:
with 10 Hz step size selected, press and
hold the STEP button. “x10” appears on the
screen, and the radio now tunes in 100 Hz
steps (the next available step size) . To
revert to 10 Hz steps, press and hold the
STEP button again and “x10” will disappear.
When the rig is powered off, the “x10”
setting will not be retained.
(14) ANT
OMNI-VII is equipped with three SO-239
antenna connectors on the rear panel. Two
are for transceiver operation (labeled ANT 1
and ANT 2), the third (labeled AUX) is for
connection of a receive-only antenna.
Pressing ANT toggles between ANT 1 and
ANT 2. To access the receiver-only
antenna, press and hold the ANT button for
2 seconds. The legend AUXRX will appear
on the screen below and to the right of the
button. This indicator flashes red to remind
the operator the AUX antenna is in use.
When selected, transceiver operation is
receiving via the AUX antenna and
transmitting via ANT 1 or ANT 2 depending
on which is selected.
Initial release – October 2006
When AUX is in use on receive, switching
back and forth between ANT 1 and ANT 2
for transmit requires the AUXRX antenna be
turned off, then the transmit antenna
selected, then the AUX antenna re-selected.
The optional internal automatic antenna
tuner, if installed, is operable on either of the
ANT 1 and ANT 2 connectors.
(15) SWP
This button enables the momentary SWEEP
feature included on OMNI-VII.
Press the SWP button. The transceiver will
momentarily sweep a given range of
frequencies determined by the value set on
the SWEEP RANGE line item in the menu.
See SWEEP RANGE in Section 4 of the
manual.
The center frequency of the sweep is
whatever frequency the transceiver is set to
on VFO A when the SWP button is pushed.
A red cursor will appear on the center of the
display. Turn the main tuning knob to tune
to signals seen on the scope.
A series of green vertical lines will be
present with an indication of the frequency
range between them. Example: When
SWEEP RANGE is set to 150 kHz, each
division is + or – 15 kHz, for a total of 75
kHz of swept spectrum on each side of the
starting frequency. If the starting frequency
is 28.500 MHz with a sweep range of 150
kHz, each of the first green markers will be
at 28.485 MHz and 28.515 MHz. The total
sweep from end to end is 28.425 MHz to
28.575 MHz, a total of 150 kHz.
The divisions will also be noted by -15k and
+15k above each of the first green vertical
lines in this example.
Press SWP again to clear the sweep
display.
(16) AGC
Automatic gain control (AGC) is used to
automatically provide a somewhat uniform
output at the audio level of varying signal
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strengths that appear at the input of the
receiver I-F chain.
Generally, SLOW and MED are used for
voice modes, and MED or FAST for CW
mode. Advanced users may want to disable
AGC altogether by selecting OFF and
control the receiver gain manually using the
RF GAIN control – see (6) AF/RF
ENCODER as described elsewhere in this
manual.
To select AGC setting, press the AGC
button to cycle through the available
choices. OMNI-VII has four selectable AGC
settings: OFF, SLOW, MED, and FAST.
(17) BAND CHANGE AND DIRECT
FREQUENCY ENTRY KEYPAD
The 11 available amateur radio bands
useable by OMNI-VII are delineated in blue
print on the band change keypad buttons.
To select one of the 10 HF amateur bands
or the 50 MHz band, press the appropriate
band button.
The last mode and setting of DSP BW are
recalled for that band when moving from
band to band. The last bandstacking
register in use on that band will also be in
use.
OMNI-VII is equipped with four bandstacking
registers. Bandstacking registers allow
various combinations of mode and filter
bandwidth on the same amateur band to be
“stored”. To access the registers, press the
appropriate band change button for a band
already in use. When using 28 MHz, for
example, press the 28 MHz button again.
The four bandstacking registers are labeled
on the screen as A B C D just to the lower
left of the band change keypad.
Direct frequency entry is possible for the
main VFO using the keypad. To direct enter
a frequency, press ENT. The main display
will change to blue and a series of dashed
lines. Enter the frequency using the
numbers and decimal point. If entering a
frequency followed by a series of zeros, the
zeros can be automatically entered by
pressing ENT again to finish the entry.
Example: To move to 14.200.000, press
Initial release – October 2006
ENT, 1, 4, 2, ENT and the frequency display
will fill out to 14.200.000 automatically.
through selected step sizes. See VFO ENC
RATE in Section 4.
(18) A=B, A>B, SPL, REV
The main tuning knob has an adjustable
drag feature and can be removed from the
front panel if needed. See DRAG
ADJUSTMENT FOR THE MAIN TUNING
KNOB in Section 5 of this manual.
These four buttons control VFO A and B
functions on the transceiver.
The large main frequency display on the
screen is always VFO A – the smaller
frequency display below it is VFO B.
A=B takes the frequency and mode
information from VFO A and transfers it to
VFO B. The mode display for VFO B is
shown immediately to the right of the smaller
frequency display.
A/B flips the frequencies and modes
between the two VFO’s.
SPL is used for split frequency operation.
Press SPL and the VFO B frequency display
turns to red and the Tx indicator on the
screen moves next to it. In SPLIT mode,
receiving is always on VFO A and
transmitting is always VFO B.
When in split mode, the REV button allows
monitoring and/or tuning of VFO B while the
button is held down. Press and hold to
monitor VFO B. The main tuning knob can
also be turned while holding down the REV
button to adjust frequency.
Notes: The REV function can be used even
when OMNI-VII is not in split mode if
momentarily monitoring the VFO B
frequency is desired. When REV is in use,
the A=B and A/B buttons are disabled.
(19) MAIN TUNING KNOB
The large tuning knob is for adjusting
frequency when the transceiver is in normal
use.
When the transceiver menu system is
enabled, the main tuning knob is used to
scroll up and down through the various line
items. See also (20) MNU.
There is an adjustable rate control in the
menu for controlling the rate the knob tunes
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(20) MNU
The MNU button is used for two functions.
A quick push of the MNU button enters or
exits the transceiver menu system. The
function of all menu items can be found in
Section 4 of this manual.
The MNU button can also be used to lock
the main frequency tuning knob. Press and
hold for 2 seconds. The red LED above the
MNU button will light, indicating the tuning
knob lock is in use. To disable, press and
hold MNU for 2 seconds. The LED will go
dark and the main tuning knob will be again
in use.
While the lock function is in use, the menus
can still be accessed by momentarily
pushing the MNU button.
To exit the menu, press MNU.
Tip: the menu system can also be exited by
pressing the MULTI encoder or any other
transceiver button.
(21) TX, ALC, RX
These are indicator LED’s.
In receive mode, the green RX LED will be
lit. When transmitting, the TX and/or ALC
LED’s will light. In AM and FM modes, the
TX and ALC lights will be lit constantly while
transmitting.
In CW modes, the TX and ALC LED’s will
blink on and off with each character
transmitted.
In LSB and USB modes, the TX LED will be
lit as long as the radio is in transmit. The
ALC light is used to adjust proper mic gain.
See (25) MIC/MON.
Initial release – October 2006
(22) RIT, XIT, RIT/XIT ENCODER
The knob located directly below the RIT and
XIT buttons at far right is used for
adjustment of RIT or XIT value.
To turn RIT and/or XIT on, press the
appropriate button. When RIT is pressed,
RIT+0000 will appear on the screen. When
XIT is added by pressing XIT, the display
will change to read RIT/XIT+0000.
When turned on, RIT can quickly be cleared
to zero by pressing the RIT button. Same
applies to the XIT button. If both are in use
simultaneously, pushing either button will
clear to zero.
RIT and/or XIT value will be retained and
brought back up if other than zero when they
are turned off.
To exit RIT and/or XIT, press and hold the
appropriate button for two seconds.
(23) ALT
Buttons 24 through 29 are dual function
buttons. The functions indicated in white
lettering are primary functions (meaning
when the button is pushed, that function is
active). The functions indicated in yellow
lettering are alternate functions and are
accessed by first pressing the ALT button.
Press ALT. The horizontal lines that
separate the transceiver functions shown at
the bottom of the screen will move
downward and turn yellow and ALT will
appear on the screen at lower left.
There is a window of 5 seconds for a button
to be pushed, selecting an ALT function
after the ALT button is pushed. If no
function is selected, ALT disappears from
the screen and the radio returns to regular
operation.
(24) NR/AN
The primary function of this button is NR
(noise reduction). Press NR. SET NR will
appear in green letters on the screen next to
the MULTI knob. Use the MULTI knob to
588 manual
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Printed in USA
adjust value. The NR value is shown on the
screen just above the button.
There are 9 different settings, and each of
the 9 are used to determine how
aggressively (quickly) the NR adapts and
identifies what is signal and what is noise.
Once the noise reduction value has been set
for a given signal, no further adjustment of
the noise reduction control is needed.
Turning the NR to a higher value adjusts
only how fast it adapts to a given signal vs.
noise situation.
The alternate function is AN (automatic
notch). Press ALT then AN. SET AN will
appear in green letters on the screen next to
the MULTI knob. Use the MULTI knob to
adjust value. The AN value is shown on the
screen just above the button.
The automatic notch filter is used for
notching out carriers in USB and LSB
modes. Multiple carriers will be notched by
the automatic filter. Higher values indicate
more aggressive action by the autonotch for
suppressing undesired carriers
(25) MIC/MON
The primary function of this button is MIC
(microphone gain). Press MIC. MIC GN
and the set percentage value will appear in
green letters on the screen next to the
MULTI knob. Turn the MULTI knob to adjust
the value.
In LSB, USB, and AM modes, mic gain on
the OMNI-VII is set properly by turning the
MULTI knob while speaking into the
microphone. The red ALC LED will flash.
When the light is flashing consistently on
voice peaks the proper mic gain level has
been set. There is some variability here
depending on the microphone used and how
loud you are speaking into the microphone.
In FM mode, mic gain set to the proper level
in an SSB mode will also function properly.
The ALC light used to adjust mic gain in
SSB modes is lit constantly while
transmitting FM.
Initial release – October 2006
10
The alternate function of this button is MON,
allowing monitoring of transmitted audio.
(26) ATTN/PRE
OMNI-VII is equipped with both a step
attenuator and on/off preamp.
The primary function of this button is the
engage the step attenuator on receive.
Press ATTN. The attenuator cycles among
6 dB, 12 dB and 18 dB of receive
attenuation and then reverts to OFF.
The alternate function is a 20 dB boost
on/off preamp. Both noise and signal levels
are brought up 20 dB when the preamp is
activated. Press ALT then PRE. When on,
the preamp designator PRE will be reverse
highlighted in green.
Please note that use of a preamp stage
always degrades overall receiver
performance.
(27) NCH/NB
The primary function of this button is to
activate a manual notch filter. The notch
filter is in the receiver chain post-AGC and
post-DSP filtering.
After pushing NCH, NCH FRQ and the notch
frequency in Hz will be shown in green
lettering next to the MULTI knob on the
screen. Notch freq is adjustable in 40 Hz
steps from 20 – 4000 Hz.
Notch width is adjustable – while NCH FRQ
is shown on the display, press the MULTI
encoder or the NCH button again. The
display will read NCH WID and the current
width value. The width is adjustable 10 –
300 Hz in 10 Hz steps.
As notch is post-AGC, signal strength of
notched signals will still be shown on the Smeter.
Tip: If pressing the MULTI encoder to cycle
through NCH FRQ to NCH WID – more
pushing of the encoder will start cycling
through the available menu choices present
on the MULTI knob (See (4) MULTI
ENCODER) and will NOT return to the notch
588 manual
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settings. Repeat pushing of the NCH button
will cycle through notch frequency, notch
width and OFF with OFF returning the
MULTI encoder to the last used function
before NCH was pushed.
The alternate function of this button is NB –
noise blanker. OMNI-VII is equipped with a
DSP noise blanker with seven selectable
stages of aggressiveness. Press ALT then
NB and turn the MULTI knob to set level.
(28) SPO/S-T
OMNI-VII is equipped with adjustable CW
sidetone and autotracking CW offset. This
feature is called SPOT and is the primary
function of this button.
Pressing and holding the SPOT button will
produce a tone at the value set by the
operator (default is 700 Hz). This tone can
be matched to the received tone of an on-air
CW signal to achieve zero beat. Press and
hold the SPOT button while tuning in a CW
signal. When the tone of the received signal
and SPOT match, you are on the proper
frequency.
To adjust the SPOT frequency, press SPOT
and then turn the MULTI knob. S-T FRQ
and the value or SPOTVOL and its value will
appear on the screen. Turn the MULTI knob
to adjust. This can be done while holding
the SPOT button down to hear the tone or
the spot volume as it tracks. Press SPOT
again to toggle between S-T FRQ and
SPOTVOL. S-T FRQ and SPOTVOL can
also be adjusted even without hearing the
tone if the SPOT button is not being held
down. The adjustable range is from 0 to
1270 Hz. This is also adjustable via the
menu system.
The alternate function of this button is
sidetone volume (S-T). Press ALT then S-T.
Turn the MULTI knob to adjust sidetone
volume. Sidetone volume is adjusted
independent of the spot volume described
above.
This feature is also adjustable via the menu
system.
Initial release – October 2006
11
No connection. For future use.
(29) SP/VOX
The primary function of this button (SP) is
determined by which mode is selected on
the transceiver.
In CW modes, the SP button is used to turn
the CW keyer on and off. Press SP. The
display above the SP button will change
from OFF to either A or B depending on
whether the keyer has been configured for
Curtis mode A or B via the menu system.
See CW KEYER in Section 4. Curtis mode
A and B cannot be toggled without going
into the menu – SP will only turn the keyer
on in the selected mode or off.
After pressing SP, the green description line
on the screen next to the MULTI knob will
change to read KEY SPD WPM with the
keyer speed value. Turn the MULTI knob to
adjust the keyer speed.
The alternate function of the button is to
enable VOX (voice activated transmit) in all
other modes. Press ALT then VOX. The
VOX annunciator on the screen will highlight.
Speak into the microphone to transmit.
Note: there are menu settings which affect
the ability or inability for VOX to operate with
desired action. VOX trip, Anti-VOX, and
VOX hang are all adjustable via the menu
system. See VOX TRIP, ANTI-VOX, and
VOX HANG in Section 4.
Section 3 – OMNI-VII REAR
PANEL CONTROLS AND THEIR
FUNCTIONS
(30) SPKR
This jack is for connection of an external
speaker. When connected using a standard
1/4” phone plug, the internal speaker in
OMNI-VII s disabled. Tip of the 1/4” phone
plug is audio, sleeve is ground.
Requirements for an external speaker
connected to OMNI-VII is minimum 4 watts
power handling, 4 ohms minimum
impedance load.
(31) ACC 1
(32) ACC 2
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Printed in USA
(33) REM POD
The REM POD jack is used for connection
of the model 302R accessory remote
encoder/keypad, allowing armchair tuning
and control of transceiver functions. See
REMOTE F1, REMOTE F2, and REMOTE
F3 in Sectrion 4 for information on control
functions.
(34) SERIAL
The serial data connector is used for both
loading Flash-ROM updates into the
transceiver and for computer control of
radio. One of the great features about
OMNI-VII is that the latest version of the
radio is always available from our firmware
update website.
Complete computer control of the OMNI-VII
is possible via the SERIAL connector.
A programmers reference guide and the
latest version of the radio firmware are
located on Ten-Tec’s firmware update site at
www.rfsquared.com
Brief instructions on firmware updating your
transceiver are provided in UPDATING
OMNI-VII OVER THE INTERNET in Section
5.
(35) AMP KEY
OMNI-VII is equipped with an open-collector
transistor amplifier keying output, accessible
via the AMP KEY jack.
AMP KEY is typically used as a non-QSK
keying connection for a linear amplifier.
However, it is acceptable to connect QSK
linear amplifiers that do not employ a full
break-in keying loop to this jack as well.
RF appears at an antenna connector
approximately 15 mS after AMP KEY closes.
Amplifier keying is independent of antenna
selection, meaning that an amplifier
interfaced to AMP KEY can be routed via
either the ANT 1 or ANT 2 jack.
An adjustable delay (titled EXT T/R DELY
in the menu) gives the operator the ability to
keep the amplifier keyed longer, preventing
drop outs between words of SSB VOX or
CW operation. See EXT T/R DELY in
section 5.
Initial release – October 2006
12
Your external amplifier key line should not
apply more than +100V (output inactive) nor
should it draw more than 250 mA (output
active). Many older linear amplifiers like
those manufactured by Collins, Drake, and
Heathkit have high voltage on the keying
line. Such amplifiers require a relay or
transistor switch between the OMNI-VII’s
AMP KEY jack and the amplifier keying line.
If you are unsure if your amplifier is suitable,
please consult the operator’s manual for
your amplifier or contact the Ten-Tec service
department.
See CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL
LINEAR AMPLIFIER in Section 5 for a
complete description on interfacing a linear
to the OMNI-VII.
(36 & 37) TX EN / TX OUT
Many QSK linear amplifiers are equipped
with a full break-in keying loop to assure
proper sequencing of amplifier keying when
operating full break-in CW. TX EN and TX
OUT are used for a full break-in linear
amplifier keying loop. Do not connect more
than 15 Vdc and 100 mA to the TX EN or TX
OUT jacks.
TX EN and TX OUT should be connected to
the corresponding QSK loop IN and OUT
jacks on your amp. On a Ten-Tec QSK
amp, TX EN is connected to KEY OUT and
TX OUT is connected to KEY IN via shielded
cables (consult the operator’s manual of
your non-Ten-Tec QSK amp for the proper
loop information).
To use the full break-in keying loop, it must
be enabled from the menu. Note: If the loop
is turned on, and no connections are made it
will prevent the OMNI-VII from transmitting.
See CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL
LINEAR AMPLIFIER in Section 5 for a
complete description on interfacing a linear
to the OMNI-VII.
Tip: TX EN can also act as a transmit inhibit
input if it is desirable to prevent OMNI-VII
from transmitting until other station
accessories have been switched. When the
loop is on, no RF will be transmitted until a
closure to ground is present at the TX EN
jack, whether from a keying loop or from
some other external source.
No connection. For future use.
(40) DC IN
This is the dc input connector. OMNI-VII
requires 23 amps at +13.8 Vdc nominal for
100 watts output power. The supply voltage
can range from +12.8 to +15.0 Vdc but
+13.8 Vdc is the optimum value. We
recommend using the included dc power
cable (P/N 86095). We have also included
spare connector pins (P/N 41020) and a
spare two-pin power connector shell (P/N
35165) for building your own cable. The
power supply plug will attach in only one
direction to the polarized two-pin dc
connector on the rear panel. Use no less
than #14 gauge (#12 recommended)
stranded wires for three-foot long
connections to accommodate the high
current demand during transmit. Use
heavier gauge wire for longer power supply
leads.
(41) DC OUT
This jack provides +13.8 Vdc output for
connection of accessory equipment. A
maximum of 500 mA current draw is
possible. The jack has voltage present only
when transceiver power is turned on.
(42) FUSE 25 A
OMNI-VII is equipped with a 25-ampere
blade-type automotive fuse. A replacement
has also been provided in the transceiver
packing kit.
(43) (GROUND TERMINAL)
The wingnut-equipped post is for connection
of station ground or counterpoise. See A
WORD ABOUT GROUNDING in Section 1.
(44) ETHERNET
Rear panel jack for connecting OMNI-VII to
a router.
(38 & 39) SPARE
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Printed in USA
Initial release – October 2006
13
Section 4 – USING THE MENU
The OMNI-VII is equipped with a single
menu, accessible by pressing the MNU
button. It is our philosophy that most
frequently used controls on an HF
transceiver should be accessible via buttons
and knobs on the front panel while leaving
less often used items in a menu system.
Each line item in the menu will be described
in this section in the order they appear on
the menu screen, as of the initial release of
the transceiver firmware.
Press MNU to access the menu. Scroll
down through the menu items by using the
large main tuning knob. To change the
value on an individual line item, turn the
MULTI knob.
The SB TX FILTER control determines the
bandwidth of a transmitted SSB signal. It is
selectable in 200 Hz steps from 1000-4000
Hz. The upper and lower ends of the
transmitted bandwidth are determined by
this value and the TX ROLL OFF menu item.
Example: If SB TX FILTER is set to 2400
Hz and TX ROLL OFF is set at 200 Hz, the
SSB transmit response is 200-2600 Hz.
We recommend you read and understand
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SOUND
OF SSB TRANSMIT AUDIO AND THEIR
ADJUSTMENT as described in section 5
before experimenting with this control.
TX ROLL OFF
Available settings: 0-310 Hz in 10 Hz steps.
AUTO TUNER
Available settings: ON, OFF.
This menu item is used to turn on or disable
the optional internal automatic antenna tuner
(if installed). When set to ON, the tuner can
be activated by pressing the TUNE button.
When set to OFF, the tuner is disabled until
set to ON in the menu – it cannot be
reactivated from the front panel.
See OPERATING THE AUTOMATIC
ANTENNA TUNER (IF INSTALLED) in
Section 5 for complete autotuner
instructions.
TX ROLL OFF determines where the low
end frequency response of an SSB transmit
signal begins to attenuate. It is selectable in
10 Hz steps from 0-310 Hz. Example: If SB
TX FILTER is set to 2400 Hz and TX ROLL
OFF is set at 200 Hz, the SSB transmit
response is 200-2600 Hz.
We recommend you read and understand
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE SOUND OF
SSB TRANSMIT AUDIO AND THEIR
ADJUSTMENT as described in section 5
before experimenting with this control.
TX METER
KEYING LOOP
Available settings: PWR, SWR.
Available settings: ON, OFF.
OMNI-VII has a power and SWR bargraph
meter on the screen. This bargraph meter is
used to display received S-units in receive
mode. In transmit mode, the meter can be
configured to show either power output or
SWR by toggling this menu option.
TRANSMITTER
Available settings: ON, OFF
OMNI-VII’s transmitter can be disabled by
changing this line item to OFF.
SB TX FILTER
AUDIO SOURCE
Available settings: MIC, LINE, BOTH.
Available settings: 1000-4000 Hz in 200 Hz
steps.
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
The KEYING LOOP menu item is used to
enable the TX EN / TX OUT QSK keying
loop as described in Section 3 under (36 &
37) TX EN / TX OUT. The interface
instructions for using these jacks are
provided there and in Section 5 under
CONNECTING A LINEAR AMPLIFIER.
Note: If the loop is turned ON and no
connections are made it will prevent the
OMNI-VII from transmitting.
The AUDIO SOURCE menu item is used to
determine which audio input is used for
transmitting. Set to MIC, the OMNI-VII uses
Initial release – October 2006
14
into audio fed into the front panel
microphone jack for transmitting. Set to
LINE, audio input is only accepted via the
rear panel ACC 1 jack line level input. Set
to BOTH, the OMNI-VII will accept either line
level audio input via ACC 1 or via the mic
jack.
Note: If set to BOTH and a microphone is
connected, you will feed audio through the
microphone when PTT is activated, even if
the PTT is activated via the rear panel (in
digital modes, for example)!
frequency was turned on (using the SPL
button), and the FM CTCSS tone in use.
This function is primarily for saving 6 and 10
meter FM repeater splits and tones into the
memories.
Set to OFF, the memory system will recall
VFO A frequency, DSP BW, and mode only.
EXT T/R DELY
RECALL SUB does not need to be set to
ON to save the VFO B frequency, FM
CTCSS tone, and split into memory. The
memory system will do this automatically.
They will not be recalled until RECALL SUB
is set to ON.
Available settings: 0 to 100%
SIDETONE FRQ
EXT T/R DELY (delay) provides “hang time”
for a non-QSK linear amplifier that has been
connected to the AMP KEY jack on the rear
of the OMNI-VII. This will prevent the
amplifier from dropping out between words
of a CW or SSB transmission. See the
description of (35) AMP KEY in Section 3
and CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL
LINEAR AMPLIFIER in Section 5.
Available settings: 0-1270 Hz in 10 Hz
steps.
FM TX CTCSS
Available settings: OFF, or any of the 40
standard CTCSS access tones.
CTCSS (Continuous Tone Controlled
Squelch System) transmits a sub audible
tone in the range of 67 to 254 Hz encoded
with voice audio. FM repeaters on the 28
and 50 MHz bands frequently will employ
the use of a CTCSS tone for access. To
select a tone, turn the MULTI knob. The
tone frequencies, in HZ, will be displayed.
FM TX CTCSS is active in FM mode only. If
a value is selected and the radio is in any
other mode, this line item is ignored by the
transceiver and the tone will not be
transmitted.
RECALL SUB
Available settings: ON, OFF.
Pressing and holding the SPOT button will
produce a tone at the SIDETONE FRQ
value set by the operator. This tone can be
matched to the received tone of an on-air
CW signal to achieve zero beat. Press and
hold the SPOT button while tuning in a CW
signal. When the tones match, you are on
the proper frequency.
This menu line item is also adjustable from
the front panel without entering the menu by
pressing ALT then S-T. See (28) SPO/S-T
in Section 3.
SIDETONE VOL
Available settings: 0 to 100%.
SIDETONE VOL duplicates the S-T
adjustment that is selectable by pushing the
SPO/S-T button on the front panel. See (28)
SPO/S-T.
SPOT VOLUME
RECALL SUB is related to the memory
storage system in the transceiver that uses
the V>M and M>V buttons. See also (10)
V>M and (11) M>V in Section 2.
When set to ON, a memory recalled using
the M>V button will not only recall the VFO
A frequency, mode, and DSP BW filter, it will
also recall VFO B frequency, if the split
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
The SIDETONE FRQ menu line item is used
to set CW sidetone and the autotracking CW
offset frequency.
Available settings: 0 to 100%.
SPOT VOLUME duplicates the SPOTVOL
adjustment that is selectable by pushing the
SPO/S-T button on the front panel. See (28)
SPO/S-T.
Initial release – October 2006
15
CW QSK DELAY
CW RISE/FALL
Available settings: 0 to 100%
Available settings: 3 to 10 ms.
CW QSK DELAY allows slowing down or
partially defeating the full break-in CW
capability of the OMNI-VII.
A higher value represents more
transmit/receive delay between individual
transmitted CW characters. A setting of 0%
is full break-in CW. A delay of 100% is
approximately a 1 second recovery time
before receive audio is restored.
Please note that this control is not used for
“hanging” the transmitter for keying an
external linear amplifier. That function is
done with EXT T/R DELY, described
elsewhere in this section.
CW WEIGHTING
AUTO SWEEP
Available settings: ON, OFF.
The momentary sweep scope on OMNI-VII
can automatically re-sweep without pushing
the SWP button.
Available settings: 0 to 24%
CW WEIGHTING refers to the length of a
space between two transmitted dits in CW
versus the dit itself. At a setting of 0%, the
transmitted dit the space after it before the
next dit or dah is transmitted are of equal
length. Adjusting this value upward
subtracts length from the available space
and adds it to the dit, to make the dit length
longer and the space between characters
shorter. The upper value of 24% refers to
24% of the space time being added to the
transmitted dit. Higher values past 24% (if
they had been made available) would
continue to shorten the space until all that
was transmitted is a continuous carrier at
100%.
When turned to ON, once the red cursor
present on the sweep display is moved to
either edge of the shown swept range, the
sweep function will re-enable without
pushing the SWP button again.
SWEEP RANGE
Available settings: 3, 30, 300 kHz.
The SWEEP RANGE setting determines
what range of frequencies are swept when
the SWP button is pushed.
See (15) SWP in section 3 of the manual for
complete information on how the momentary
spectrum sweep operates on OMNI-VII.
VOX TRIP
ANTI-VOX
CW KEYER
Available settings: OFF, MODE A, MODE B
The OMNI-VII’s internal keyer can be
configured for either Curtis mode A or mode
B keying. Turn the MULTI knob to select or
to turn the keyer off.
The CW keyer can also be turned off from
the front panel using the SP button but
mode A or mode B can only be selected via
the menu. See (29) SP/VOX in Section 3.
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CW RISE/FALL allows the operator to adjust
the rise and fall time of the transmitted CW
envelope. The adjustable values are 3 ms
to 10 ms, depending on whether the internal
keyer or external keying is used, and the
speed at which the internal keyer is set. The
default value is 5 ms. Lower values like 3
ms will result in a “harder” keying sound with
a quicker slope from keying initiation to full
envelope and back. Higher values result in
more gentler slopes for the CW transmit
envelope on the “make” and “break” and
result in a softer transmitted CW note.
VOX HANG
FSK TX DATA
Available settings: MARK HIGH, MARK
LOW.
FSK TX DATA is used to to determine
whether the MARK tone in FSK operation is
on the high tone (2295 Hz) or low tone
(2125 Hz). The standard is for FSK to use
the low tone for MARK. FSK direct to the
radio from a computer sound card (no TNC)
Initial release – October 2006
16
should have this set to ‘high’ so tones will
not be inverted. See the description for FSK
OPERATION in Section 5.
REMOTE F1, REMOTE F2,
REMOTE F3
Available settings: STEP, MODE, REV,
A/B, SWEEP
REMOTE F1, REMOTE F2, and REMOTE
F3 refer to the control of radio functions
available via the F1, F2, and F3 buttons on
the accessory model 302R remote
encoder/keypad available for OMNI-VII. If
you do not have the 302R connected, they
will have no function.
To scroll through the available choices for
each of REMOTE F1, REMOTE F2, and
REMOTE F3, turn the MULTI knob.
VFO-A or VFO-B by selecting the
appropriate VFO on this menu line item.
The 302R main tuning knob can also be
used for RIT/XIT or PBT/BW operation by
selecting RIT/XIT or PBT/BW on this menu
line item.
PBT/BW operation will depend on which of
PBT or BW is selected by pressing the
PBT/BW encoder on the front panel of the
transceiver.
POD ENC RATE
Available settings: FAST, SLOW.
Unlike tuning STEP as set via the STEP
button, the POD ENC RATE control is used
to determine how many steps per revolution
the optional 302R remote encoder/keypad
tuning knob makes.
STEP duplicates the function of the STEP
button on the front panel. See (13) STEP in
Section 2. Unlike the front panel STEP
button, the step sizes available are selected
via repeat pushing of the F1, F2, or F3
button depending on which is being used.
The radio will cycle through the seven
available step sizes.
The FAST rate is slightly less than 2x the
SLOW rate.
MODE duplicates the function of the MODE
button on the front panel. Unlike the front
panel MODE button, the modes available
are selected via repeat pushing of the F1,
F2, or F3 button depending on which is
being used. The radio will cycle through the
seven available modes. See also (12)
MODE in Section 2.
VFO ENC RATE
REV duplicates the function of the front
panel REV button. See (18) A=B, A>B,
SPL, REV in Section 2.
The FAST rate is slightly less than 2x the
SLOW rate.
A/B duplicates the function of the front panel
A/B button. See (18) A=B, A>B, SPL, REV
in Section 2.
SWEEP duplicates the function of the front
panel SWP button. See (15) SWP in
Section 2.
Set to FAST and 10 Hz steps, one knob
revolution tunes approximately 2 kHz.
Available settings: FAST, SLOW.
Unlike tuning STEP as set via the STEP
button, the VFO ENC RATE control is used
to determine how many steps per revolution
the main tuning knob makes.
Set to SLOW and 10 Hz steps (the most
commonly selected step size), one knob
revolution tunes approximately 1.2 kHz.
Set to FAST and 10 Hz steps, one knob
revolution tunes approximately 2 kHz.
RIT ENC RATE
RIT and XIT tuning steps are fixed at 10 Hz.
REMOTE ENC
Available settings: VFO-A, VFO-B, RIT/XIT,
PBT/BW
REMOTE ENC is used for the accessory
302R remote encoder/keypad. The 302R’s
main tuning knob can be used to tune either
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
Set to SLOW and 10 Hz steps (the most
commonly selected step size), one knob
revolution tunes approximately 1.2 kHz.
The RIT ENC RATE control is used to
determine how many steps per revolution
the RIT/XIT tuning knob makes.
The FAST rate is 4x the SLOW rate.
Set to SLOW, one knob revolution tunes
RIT/XIT approximately 90 Hz.
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Set to FAST, one knob revolution tunes
RIT/XIT approximately 360 Hz.
VFO SPDSHIFT
Available settings: ON, OFF.
The main tuning knob on the OMNI-VII is
equipped with a feature called VFO SPEED
SHIFT. When set to ON, turning the VFO
knob very fast will result in larger movement
up or down the band than would have been
possible with the step size and VFO ENC
RATE set at given values.
Example: With step size set at 10 Hz and
VFO ENC RATE to SLOW, one complete
knob revolution at a normal tuning speed for
listening to the band will cover
approximately 1.2 kHz. If VFO SPEED
SHIFT is ON, turning the knob very fast will
tune approximately 4 kHz per revolution.
This is to allow the operator to quickly move
from one part of a band to another without
changing step size or VFO rate.
DISPLAY
Available settings: 0 to 100%
DISPLAY controls the intensity of the
backlighting on the display screen. Lower
values are darker lighting, higher values are
brighter lighting. At 0%, the screen lettering
is almost unreadable on a dark background.
At 100%, the screen is “washed out” in light.
The default value is 50%.
SPEECH PROC
Available settings: 0 to 100%
SPEECH PROC duplicates the front panelaccessible SP function in the menus. See
(29) SP/VOX in Section 2.
I-F FILTER
Available settings: 20 kHz, 6 kHz, 2.5 kHz,
500 Hz, 300 Hz, AUTO.
The OMNI-VII can be equipped with a series
of filters (2.5 kHz, 500 Hz, 300 Hz) that are
present at the 455 kHz I-F. Filters at the 70
MHz I-F are stock at 20 and 6 kHz BW.
The 20 and 6 kHz first I-F filters, and the 2.5
kHz second I-F filter are standard
equipment. 500 Hz (model 2031) and 300
Hz (model 2032) are sold as options. See IF FILTER AND DSP BANDWIDTH FILTER
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Part #74409
Printed in USA
THEORY AND USE in Section 5 for a
complete explanation of the use of these
filters in conjunction with the DSP bandwidth
filtering.
Each I-F FILTER can be selected
independently or AUTO can be employed to
automatically select a filter when that filters
bandwidth threshold is crossed.
Example: Set I-F FILTER to AUTO and exit
the menu. Turn the BW knob to adjust BW
to 2000 Hz. The filter selected will be shown
as IF 2.5 kHz on the screen. Turn BW
knob clockwise to increase value. As you
pass 2500 Hz to the 2700 Hz DSP BW filter,
the OMNI-VII automatically selects the next
highest I-F filter value (in this case, 6 kHz).
Turn the BW knob counterclockwise to
decrease the DSP BW value and the filters
available will automatically decrease as the
threshold of each is passed.
Any available I-F filter can also be selected
manually. Using the same example as
above, select 2.5 kHz on the I-F FILTER
MENU item. Exit the menu and turn the BW
knob. As 2500 Hz is passed going upward,
the 2.5 kHz filter remains in use.
Note: The filtering architecture of the OMNIVII is set up to provide maximum value from
the available filtering choices (“distributed
roofing filters”). When one of the 455 kHz IF filters at bandwidths of 2.5 kHz, 500 Hz, or
300 Hz is engaged, the 6 kHz roofing filter at
the first I-F also remains in use and is
cascaded with the selected second I-F filter.
Note: Optional 500 Hz and 300 Hz filters
must be enabled in the menu before use.
Tip: When set to AUTO, the IF filter
bandwidth value shown on the screen is in
green lettering. When an individual I-F filter
is selected, the bandwidth value is shown in
white.
ENABLE 300Hz, ENABLE 500 Hz
Available settings: YES, NO
Collins mechanical 455 kHz I-F filters at 500
Hz (model 2031) and 300 Hz (model 2032)
are available as options. These filters must
be enabled in the menu to be used after
installing.
After installation, turn the MULTI knob to
select YES for any filter installed.
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Selecting YES for a filter that is not installed
will result in the receiver muting when that
filter is either manually selected or engaged
with the AUTO function under I-F FILTER.
Section 5 – OPERATION AND
ACCESSORY CONNECTION
EXAMPLES
An installed optional 500 Hz or 300 Hz filter
can be disengaged by selecting NO. For
example, if the optional 500 Hz filter is
installed, ENABLE 500 Hz is set to NO, and
I-F FILTER is set to AUTO, when turning the
BW control lower than 500 Hz the 500 Hz
I-F filter will not engage and will remain at
2.5 kHz.
OPERATING THE AUTOMATIC
ANTENNA TUNER (IF INSTALLED)
How to install optional I-F filters is covered
under INSTALLATION OF OPTIONAL
COLLINS™ MECHANICAL FILTERS in
Section 5.
First, enter the menu system by pressing
MNU and assure that line item AUTO
TUNER is set to ON.
The matching range of the tuner is
approximately 6 to 800 ohms or a 10:1
maximum SWR up to 30 MHz. On 50 MHz,
the maximum tuning range of the tuner is
approximately a 3:1 maximum SWR.
While the tuner will tune many HF antenna
installations, some multi-band wire antennas
are capable of exhibiting a feedpoint
impedance of several thousand ohms and
are unsuitable to be tuned with the
autotuner. An example would be an 80
meter ¼ wave dipole fed on 40 meters. The
ARRL Antenna Book and antenna design
websites like W4RNL’s www.cebik.com can
also provide a wealth of useful information
about effective antennas for use with OMNIVII.
To use the internal tuner, press TUNE. A
carrier at approximately 20 watts output
power will be transmitted and the tuner will
actuate. It takes 1 to 3 seconds to tune
depending on frequency and load
impedance.
Once tuned, the legend TUNED will appear
at the upper left corner of the screen. To
bypass the tuner, press TUNE again and the
legend will change to BYPASS.
The tuner will usually stop at a value of 1.5:1
SWR or lower. Occasionally it may present
a slightly higher SWR after tuning. This is
normal, and the transceiver will still transmit
at full output power with no foldback.
The tuner has 100 tune memories. The user
must hit TUNE each time he returns to a
previously used frequency to recall the tuner
settings. Instead of taking 1 to 3 seconds to
tune, a previous frequency in the tuner
memory will tune in a shorter amount of
time. If user changes bands and does not
hit tune before transmitting, the tuner is in
bypass mode and SWR is that of the
antenna connected.
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The automatic antenna tuner will operate on
either ANT 1 or ANT 2 depending on which
has been selected with the front panel ANT
button. The tuner will NOT memorize
settings per antenna, only per frequency for
the last antenna used.
CONNECTING AN EXTERNAL
LINEAR AMPLIFIER
There are three possible types of
connections for a linear amplifier depending
on whether your amplifier is a QSK linear
amplifier and whether, if so, it employs the
use of a full break-in keying loop.
Non-QSK linear amplifiers or QSK linears
that do not employ the use of a keying loop
are keyed from the AMP KEY jack. Connect
the PTT keying line of your linear amplifier to
the AMP KEY jack using a shielded cable
with RCA-style male phono connectors at
each end. The AMP KEY keying output is a
open collector transistor output. See the
warning later in this section about attaching
older linear amplifiers that may have high
voltage present on the PTT line before using
your amplifier.
Some QSK linear amplifiers incorporate the
use of a full break-in keying loop. Ten-Tec
transceivers and linear amplifiers use a full
break-in keying loop to assure proper
sequencing of the keying between the radio
and the amplifier.
To use the OMNI-VII with a full break-in
linear amplifier incorporating a keying loop,
use the TX EN and TX OUT jacks. TX EN
on the transceiver is connected to KEY OUT
on the amplifier, TX OUT on the transceiver
is connected to KEY IN on the amplifier.
Place the amp in QSK mode. The amplifier
will be used in all modes in the QSK
position. The keying loop voltage and
current limits are 15 Vdc and 100 mA.
The keying loop in the OMNI-VII must be
enabled through the menu. For menu line
item KEYING LOOP, select ON. Please
note that if KEYING LOOP is turned ON and
no ability to complete the loop is present (i.e.
no connection, or a connection that is not
closing properly) the radio will not transmit.
connection and the TX EN / TX OUT keying
loop. This gives the operator the ability to
have the amplifier keyed longer by the radio,
preventing drop outs between words of SSB
or CW operation.
Linear amplifiers can be used on either of
the ANT 1 or ANT 2 antenna jacks on the
rear panel.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The AMP KEY line
should not have applied to them more than
+100V (output inactive) nor should it draw
more than 250 mA (output active). Many
older linear amplifiers like those
manufactured by Collins, Drake, and
Heathkit have a higher voltage on the
keyline. Such amplifiers require a relay or
transistor switch between the OMNI-VII AMP
KEY jack and the amplifier PTT input. A
sample plug-and-play device that can be
used between OMNI-VII and your amplifier
is the Ameritron ARB-704 interface box. If
you are unsure if your amplifier is suitable
for use as-is with the OMNI-VII, please
consult the operator’s manual for your
amplifier or contact the Ten-Tec service
department at (865) 428-0364 or
service@tentec.com
TUNING UP AN EXTERNAL
LINEAR AMPLIFIER
The TUNE button on the front panel can be
used for initial linear amplifier tune-up. If an
automatic antenna tuner is installed in your
OMNI-VII, go into the menu and disable it
with the AUTO TUNER line item. Pressing
the TUNE button will provide approximately
20 watts of keydown CW carrier output to be
used for an initial tune-up of your linear.
It may be desirable to increase the keydown
power output when tuning your amplifier. To
do so, press the PWR button after pushing
the TUNE button. Power output will move
from the low power setting to whatever level
the PWR control has been set at with the
MULTI knob. Repeat operation will require
pushing TUNE then PWR again for the
higher output value.
OMNI-VII is equipped with a T/R delay
feature (EXT T/R DELY) accessible via the
menu that operates on both the AMP KEY
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Initial release – October 2006
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INSTALLATION OF OPTIONAL
COLLINS™ MECHANICAL
FILTERS
Collins mechanical I-F filters for the 455 kHz
I-F at 500 and 300 Hz bandwidth are
available as optional equipment.
To install optional filters: Turn transceiver
power off and remove DC power cable.
Remove the four side case screws.
Remove the 5 Torx screws from the rear
perimeter of the top cover. A Torx wrench to
remove them is supplied in the transceiver
packing kit.
Place the radio on the table with the front
facing you.
Slide the top cover of the radio just back
enough to get the metal lip out from under
the plastic face of the transceiver. Remove
the top cover by lifting SLOWLY to your right
– the cable running to the transceiver
internal speaker is attached to the underside
of the top cover. Pulling hard on the cover
or pulling to the left can break the speaker
wire. Set the top cover against the right side
of the open radio.
The filter slots are on the RF board – this
board is the center and left front of the rig.
The filter slots are 6 inches back from the
front of the radio near the left side and the
open slots on the board are marked ‘500 Hz’
and ‘300 Hz’. The filters have three pins
oriented in a slight V pattern. Insert the filter
pins into the sockets on the board. Replace
top cover and top cover screws.
Optional 500 and 300 Hz filters must be
turned on in the menu before they will
activate. See ENABLE 500 Hz, ENABLE
300Hz in Section 4.
I-F FILTER AND DSP BANDWIDTH
FILTER THEORY AND USE
OMNI-VII is equipped with a series of
“distributed roofing filters” at the 70 MHz first
I-F and 455 kHz second I-F.
There are stock filters at 20 kHz and 6 kHz
bandwidth at the first I-F and 2.5 kHz
bandwidth at the second I-F. Optional filters
at 500 Hz and 300 Hz bandwidths can be
also installed in the second I-F.
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Some basic discussion on what is and what
is not important for optimum receiver
performance.
Certainly an HF receiver must have
adequate sensitivity to hear signals. The
receiver also must have reasonable dynamic
range to hear weak signals in the presence
of loud signals (the definition of dynamic
range being the ratio between the strongest
signal that can be handled without front-end
distortion and the weakest detectable
signal).
It’s no difficult feat to achieve these
requirements – most any HF receiver used
for ham radio purposes today, on face value
has adequate (or even too much) sensitivity
and enough dynamic range that a single
loud signal that appears on an HF frequency
doesn’t immediately overload the receiver.
The problems start, potentially, when there
are multiple loud signals within a small
distance of a desired frequency. You may
be listening to 14.200 MHz, but that S9+40
signal on 14.210 that you’re not hearing? It
still has the potential to compromise overall
receiver performance, even when it’s not on
the frequency you’re listening to. You might
not even realize it – a loud signal 10 kHz up
the band limits dynamic range, making a
weak signal you want to hear at
14.200…just not be there. You’d never
know – the receiver may sound “fine”, but no
signal will be on the frequency you’re
listening to. Worse perhaps would be not
only is no desired signal present, but that
loud signal and other ones near it might
even be throwing spurious distortion
products onto the frequency of interest.
What to do? Loud signals are a fact of life in
ham radio.
The answer is: find a way to protect the
overall receive chain, within the limits of the
design of the radio, to maintain adequate
sensitivity, dynamic range and third order
intercept point.
What does third order intercept point sound
like? It doesn’t sound like anything – you
can’t hear it, because it’s calculated from a
formula that uses both the minimum
discernable signal and dynamic range to
predict a “point” at which the radio will go
non-linear and break into distortion.
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Lately in Amateur Radio some “gaming” of
the system has taken place with other
manufacturers’ transceivers offering an
“intercept optimize” or similar control on the
radio. That must be great, right? Optimize
intercept point and the radio will behave
nicely in the presence of loud signals. The
answer is: it sure will. And the reason it will
is that controls like this LIMIT THE
SENSITIVITY (or minimum discernable
signal) IN ORDER TO PUSH THE
INTERCEPT POINT HIGHER! Yes, the
receiver won’t crunch in the presence of
loud signals – and you sure won’t hear any
weak ones on the band either!
A read of recent ARRL Product Reviews
would be instructive. Look at the minimum
discernable signal number and third order
intercept with optimization features on and
off – sensitivity drops off and third order
intercept increases. Interesting, isn’t it?
The most optimal receiver protection
scheme is one that does not affect receiver
sensitivity, and maintains dynamic range
even in the presence of nearby undesired
loud signals.
A 6 kHz roofing filter can help limit undesired
signals from having an impact on overall
receiver performance. OMNI-VII uses a 6
kHz wide monolithic filter at the first I-F of 70
MHz. A 20 kHz wide filter has also been
included, but this filter is of little practical
value for maintaining receiver performance –
it is for allowing AM and FM operation only.
Filters at the 455 kHz I-F are 2.5 kHz
(standard), 500 Hz and 300 Hz (both
optional). These filters are cascaded
together with the 6 kHz wide 70 MHz first I-F
filter when one of then is in use.
The net effect of using 455 kHz second I-F
filters plus the 6 kHz monolithic at the first
I-F is to increase blocking dynamic range
over what the receiver would be capable of
without the second I-F filters installed. Third
order intercept point essentially remains
constant. The front-end AGC in the
transceiver is after the 455 kHz I-F filters;
having them installed prevents the radio
from attempting AGC action on a signal that
is outside the bandwidth of the 455 kHz I-F
filter.
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Part #74409
Printed in USA
These filters are not to be confused with
bandwidth filtering, which is done in DSP
and is adjusted from the front panel BW
control. 6 kHz first I-F filer + 455 kHz I-F
filter + DSP BW filter at the third I-F should
be adequate under most circumstances to
keep the receiver linear and maintain the
ability to hear weak signals in the presence
of multiple loud ones.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE
SOUND OF SSB TRANSMIT
AUDIO AND THEIR ADJUSTMENT
One of the features of the OMNI-VII is
flexibility afforded the operator for the
desired sound of SSB transmit audio.
Many possible settings are available so that
operators with different styles (or
philosophies) can adjust the radio the way
they want it to sound. Obviously, the
operator who favors rich, full-sounding
transmit audio is not going to have the same
needs as the DXer who wants maximum
“oomph” to try and break a SSB pileup.
There are several controls that interact on
OMNI-VII for SSB transmit audio. Every
operator is different; we use different
microphones, the timbre of voices are
different, distance from the microphone will
vary. What we intend below is to describe
what is used to tailor transmit SSB audio,
and then encourage the operator to
experiment with the settings to find the
sound they want.
A monitor function as been provided for the
operator to listen to the sound of actual
transmitted SSB audio. We recommend
using headphones while using the monitor
circuit to prevent microphone/speaker
feedback. See the description of (25)
MIC/MON.
There are four radio controls used for SSB
transmit audio. 1) Transmit bandwidth,
which is adjusted using the SB TX FILTER
control in the menu. 2) Low frequency
rolloff, adjusted with the TX ROLL OFF
control in the menu. 3) Mic gain, adjusted
via the front panel MIC/MON button. 4)
Speech processing, adjusted via the front
panel SP/VOX button.
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Transmit bandwidth is both the frequency
response of the transmitted signal and the
amount of spectrum occupied by that signal.
Typical communications-grade audio for
SSB is in the 2.4 to 2.7 kHz range. Some
“hi-fi” SSB enthusiasts have been
experimenting with larger transmit
bandwidths in an effort to improve the
quality of audio transmitted. OMNI-VII has
been provided with the ability to transmit on
SSB with a maximum bandwidth of 4.4 kHz.
Please see the note toward the end of this
section about wide SSB transmit bandwidths
and their potential ramifications.
Set SB TX FILTER in the menu to an
appropriate value based on your operating
preferences. For communications-grade
audio, we recommend starting the transmit
bandwidth at 2400 Hz. For more wellrounded transmit audio, start the transmit
bandwidth at 3.0 kHz (3000 Hz).
The next control to adjust is TX ROLL OFF,
also found in the menu. TX ROLL OFF
refers to “low frequency rolloff”. This control
interacts with SB TX FILTER determine your
frequency response.
For example, if SB TX FILTER set to 3000
Hz, and TX ROLL OFF is set to 150 Hz, the
response envelope for your transmitted SSB
signal is approximately a low of 150 Hz and
a high of 3150 Hz for a total bandwidth of
3000 Hz. Using the same 3000 Hz SB TX
FILTER setting, if the TX ROLL OFF s
changed to 50 Hz, the response envelope is
now a low of 50 Hz to a high of 3050 Hz, for
a total bandwidth of 3000 Hz. You can think
of the TX ROLL OFF control as where the
“bass response” from your voice and the
transmit bandwidth is attenuated.
The two most-used SSB transmit controls
will be mic gain (accessible from the
MIC/MON button on the front panel) and the
speech processor (accessible from the
SP/VOX button on the front panel).
Mic gain is set by pressing the MIC button
and talking into the microphone. When you
have reached proper ALC, the red ALC LED
located next to the S-meter on the front of
the radio will flash on voice peaks. Adjust
the mic gain upward until the ALC light is
flashing on and off while you are
transmitting. Different microphones will
require more or less gain.
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Part #74409
Printed in USA
Speech processing (SP) is provided to give
the operator more “punch” to the transmitted
signal. Speech processing increases the
average amplitude relative to the peaks for
an increase in average power transmitted.
Press the SP button (if desired) and use the
MULTI knob to adjust the speech processing
level. Speech processing is generally not
used for higher-fidelity SSB audio; its use is
primarily for added intelligibility for
communications-grade SSB audio. It is also
possible with high levels of speech
processing and combinations of microphone
and other settings available to send the
transmitter into distorted SSB output. Use
the monitor function to listen to what you are
transmitting and avoid this.
The speech processor used in the OMNI-VII
is a true RF compressor, DSP generated.
Human voices have peak-to-average ratios
as high as 15 dB. At 100 watts PEP output,
the average output power might be as little
as 3 watts! RF compression raises the
average output power and tends to improve
intelligibility by bringing out subtle parts of
speech. With a digitally generated RF
speech processor, we have the advantage
of calculating the RF envelope before the
modulation is performed. Microphone audio
is sampled and converted to an analytic
signal, and an equation is used to compute
the envelope.
Note on wide SSB transmit bandwidths:
Audio fidelity generally improves with the
use of wider SSB transmit filtering. Using a
3.0 kHz or higher bandwidth will have a
more “well-rounded” audio response than a
narrower bandwidth. As transmit bandwidth
widens, so does the potential for
interference with stations using adjacent
frequencies.
Part 97 of the FCC regulations governing
amateur radio operation does not specify a
maximum transmit bandwidth usable by
amateurs for SSB communication.
However, FCC regulation 97.307(a) requires
amateur stations not to occupy more
bandwidth than is necessary for the
emission type being transmitted in
accordance with good amateur practice.
Regulation 97.307(b) requires that
emissions outside the necessary bandwidth
must not cause splatter interference to
operations on adjacent frequencies.
Initial release – October 2006
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While these are broad regulations subject to
interpretation, the responsibility for
complying with the regulations rests with the
operator. Using an SSB transmit bandwidth
wider than necessary for communications
and causing interference to adjacent
stations while doing so is specifically what
these regulations are addressing. In
summary, what may be an acceptable
bandwidth on a given band at a given time
may not be on another band at another time.
FSK OPERATION
Selection of the FSK mode will allow the
OMNI-VII to operate true FSK RTTY. The
FSK circuitry is controlled through the ACC
1 jack on the rear panel of the transceiver.
Pin 5 on the ACC 1 rear panel jack is the
MARK/SPACE or FSK input. This input is
typically connected to the FSK output on a
modem or terminal unit. The OMNI-VII
receives FSK using lower sideband. The
center of the filter passband is preset so any
bandwidth filter used will be centered on the
standard FSK MARK/SPACE 2125/2295 Hz
tones.
The OMNI-VII display indicates the transmit
MARK frequency. There is also user control
called FSK TX DATA in the menu for
selecting whether the MARK is the low tone
or high tone (the standard is low tone). This
allows the transceiver to be used with either
TTL or open-collector keying schemes.
The monitor function is available in FSK
mode and may be used to monitor the
transmitted tones. See (25) MIC/MON is
Section 2.
OPERATING SPLIT FREQUENCY
Operating split frequency is commonly used
in DX operation on the HF amateur radio
bands. Stations will often transmit on a
clear frequency while listening for callers on
another nearby frequency.
Let’s say a DX station is calling on 14.195
MHz and is telling callers “listening up 5 to
10”. You in turn should call on 14.200 to
14.205 MHz and listen for a reply on 14.195.
With the transceiver VFO A on 14.195.000,
press A=B. Now both VFO’s are on
14.195.000. Press and hold the REV button
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Part #74409
Printed in USA
while turning the main tuning knob. When
the display reads 14.200.000, release the
REV button. Now press SPL to engage split
frequency operation. The icon that reads
“Tx” next to the VFO A display will drop
down next to the displayed VFO B frequency
and the VFO B frequency will change to red
digits. You are now ready to transmit on
14.200 MHz and listen on 14.195 MHz.
When a DX station in this example is
“listening up 5 to 10”, it may be useful to
listen to your TRANSMIT frequency in
between DX station transmissions to
ascertain where the DX station is listening.
By pressing the REV button, you can listen
to your transmit frequency. As above, you
can also move the main tuning knob to tune
around while holding the REV button.
Release REV, and you are ready to
transmit.
EXTERNAL CW OUTPUT PLUS
CW KEYER OPERATION FROM
PADDLES
Some contest logging programs use
computer generated CW for transmission of
contest data (CQ’s, reports, etc.) but do not
employ the ability to send CW through any
device other than input from the computer
keyboard.
It is useful in this situation to be able to have
both an external keyer (in this case, the
computer) and the internal keyer in the
OMNI-VII both simultaneously available.
The “external keyer” is used for contest
CQ’s and information, while a paddle
connected to the internal keyer can be used
by the operator for quickly repeating
necessary information.
Pin 3 on the ACC 1 connector on the OMNIVIII rear panel is a PTT connection. In CW
modes, this can allow the radio to be keyed
by an external device in CW mode.
DRAG ADJUSTMENT FOR THE
MAIN TUNING KNOB
The main tuning knob is equipped with a
drag control. To adjust the drag on the main
tuning knob, hold the silver skirt still while
rotating the knob about a quarter turn.
There will be a gentle “click” feel as the knob
is loosened or tightened. Counter-clockwise
twisting will loosen them and clockwise
Initial release – October 2006
24
twisting will increase the drag. Loosen them
up or increase the drag to your preference.
MASTER RESET
On rare occasions, it may be possible to
confuse the microprocessor in the
transceiver to the point where a master reset
may be necessary to restore operating state.
A master reset often needs to be done after
an upgrade for the transceiver is sent via the
serial port interface (see UPDATING OMNIVII OVER THE INTERNET elsewhere in this
section).
To perform a master reset, turn transceiver
power off. Press and hold the MNU button
down. Turn transceiver power on, and
continue to hold the MNU button until the
message “MASTER RESET” appears
towards the upper left of the radio screen.
This should take about 5 seconds after
turning radio power on.
DIAGNOSTIC AND IP DATA
ENTRY SCREEN
Note that we recommend you use and
familiarize yourself with transceiver
operation before getting involved with
parameter changes in this section.
In the initial screen on powering on the
transceiver, you will see a rainbow test
pattern screen and a WELCOME message.
There is a diagnostic screen that can be
accessed for checking encoder functions,
setting gateway and radio IP addresses for
remote operation, UDP port, a password to
prevent unauthorized users from gaining
access to your radio remotely, and a MAC
address.
To access the diagnostic screen – turn
transceiver power off. Press and hold the
RIT button. Turn power on, continuing to
hold the RIT button down until KEY IS
PRESSED appears on the screen with the
rainbow test pattern. Release the RIT
button and KEY WAS PRESSED will
appear, along with hexadecimal information
on the right side of the screen.
Encoder function can be tested by turning
the encoders. Each encoder (5 of them
including the main tuning knob) are labeled
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
A through E. Turn the main tuning knob
(“E”). ENCODER E R or E L will appear
depending on whether you have turned the
encoder to the right or left. Hexidecimal
information for each encoder will be shown
to indicate the encoder is pulsing properly.
Press MNU while in the diagnostic screen.
A WELCOME message will appear with a
cursor, and five other lines for remote
operation functions will appear: GATEWAY
IP, RADIO IP, UDP PORT, PASS CODE,
MAC ADDR.
The WELCOME message is a 10 position
alphanumeric tag that can be used to
display your callsign or other information.
The blue cursor is moved by turning the
main tuning knob. To adjust each character
position, turn the MULTI knob.
GATEWAY IP, RADIO IP, UDP PORT,
PASS CODE, and MAC ADR are explained
in detail.
To save any changes made, press the MNU
button. To abandon any changes made,
press any other button. Note “abandon”
refers only to a highlighted item being
adjusted and does not return all settings to
the state they may have been in prior to
entering the diagnostic screen.
After saving changes with MNU, to exit the
diagnostic screen turn transceiver power off
and then back on again.
After changes have been saved by pressing
MNU, if you decide you want to make more
changes before powering off the rig, press
MNU again.
# SIGN ON THE SCREEN
To the left of the A B C D bandstacking
register indicators you will see a pound (#)
sign occasionally turn on and off. This
indicates that your current settings have
been stored in flash memory. This is to
ensure when the transceiver is powered off
that settings have been saved and will be
retained when the transceiver is next turned
on.
Initial release – October 2006
25
TROUBLESHOOTING
While we cannot cover every possible
problem, here are some hints for dealing
with some potential difficulties. Check the
obvious. Is your dc power source okay?
Check power supply, cable and
connector(s). Is the 25 ampere fuse loose or
missing? Antenna problems? Try a dummy
load. Is a proper antenna connected?
Is any external antenna switch connected
and properly set? Have you checked OMNIVII’s control settings? Have you doublechecked OMNI-VII’s many control settings,
including those in the menu, for your
intended mode of operation?
Problem: No audio from receiver
Is the AUDIO (AF) turned up?
Is RF GAIN turned down (receiver will mute,
and S-meter will read a higher value than
band noise).
Is squelch activated? SQL will appear in
block letters on the screen. Press the
MULTI encoder to cycle through available
choices and check SQUELCH level.
contrasted with a safety ground connection.
We recommend bonding all equipment
chassis together with short heavy metal
braid or strap. Make these connections from
chassis ground lug to chassis ground lug
and connect the last piece in the chain
feeding the antenna to a good earth ground.
This lead needs to be as short as possible.
Lengths near ¼ wavelength on any band
used can be particularly troublesome when
the far end is connected to earth.
Another potential cause of distorted SSB
arises when the station is in the near field of
the antenna. This is a problem many
apartment dwellers face.
Distorted SSB transmit can result from
chassis ground and signal ground from the
microphone being tied together to a
common connection. This is a common
problem with third-party microphones.
Assure the chassis ground and signal
ground from the microphone are separated.
Problem: No transmit, receive
OK.
Check in the menu to assure
TRANSMITTER is set to ON.
Is the speaker wire internal to the rig broken
or disconnected? (have you pulled the
covers off recently?) Try headphones to see
if audio returns.
If KEYING LOOP is set to ON in the menu
and the keying loop is either not in use or is
making a faulty connection through
accessory equipment, the radio will not
transmit.
Is NR off? Under some circumstances,
noise reduction can cover band noise
completely, leading the user to think no
audio is coming from the speaker.
Is the gain setting correct for the microphone
input or ACC 1 jack as appropriate?
Problem: Distorted SSB transmit
Be certain the mic gain is set properly. The
ALC LED should flash on voice peaks, but
not remain continuously lit in SSB modes.
Check the setting of the speech processor.
An excessively high setting can reduce
audio quality.
A frequent cause of a distorted SSB signal is
inadequate RF grounding resulting in RF
feedback. Common RF grounding problems
are no ground connection, or too long a lead
to a good ground. Many problems relate to
the lack of an RF station ground, as
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
Is the POWER control turned all the way
down? Press PWR and check.
If no transmit in digital modes, are you sure
a PTT signal is being sent from your TNC or
computer to the appropriate jack on the
OMNI-VII?
Problem: No operation in VOX
Is “VOX” highlighted at the bottom of the
screen? If not, VOX is turned off.
Check the OMNI-VII menu to see if the
items for VOX are active and set properly. If
any of the three settings is at zero, VOX will
not operate.
Initial release – October 2006
26
The mic element in other (non-Ten-Tec)
microphones must be active (open) when
used in VOX mode with OMNI-VII. This
generally means locking the PTT on the
microphone after putting the radio into VOX
mode – but every mic is different. Consult
the operation manual of your microphone.
If the above do not solve your problem,
please consult with our service department
(865) 428-0364 or service@tentec.com
NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RADIO OR TV
INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THIS EQUIPMENT.
SUCH MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID THE USER'S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE
EQUIPMENT.
588 manual
Part #74409
Printed in USA
Initial release – October 2006
27

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