If you actually talk to QRP operators (hard to do since they make you whisper and then stand as far away as possible to see if they can hear you!), you will discover that they tend to fall into two very definite categories:

These guys are the equivalent of medieval monks and they are never sure they are having fun unless everything hurts. They are the ones who build whole transceivers into Altoids^TM tins or tuna cans and, if you give then a chance, they will McGuyver transistors out of beach sand and fabricate capacitors from gum wrappers. Likely as not, they will be found on high mountain ledges (the colder the better), with Yak dung thermo-electric generators stuffed under their arm-pits, working the world while loading the shortest pieces of wire they can lay their hands on. These folks accomplish great things with admirable simplicity, but it's a hard life!

These are my guys. As far as we are concerned, QRP is about low power and nothing else! As long as you stay at or below 5 watts (how far below is your own decision), anything else goes. Central heat, comfortable chairs, full-function transceivers, and good antennas are all just fine, as long as you stay at or below the QRP power threshold. The "Minimalists" consider us to be spoiled dilettantes who don't understand real QRP. That may well be so, but we also tend to run pretty good gear that lets us work all those minimalists hiding out in the wilderness. Now, when we are talking about "pretty good gear" in the QRP tradition, that brings up the subject of Ten Tec and their Argonauts.

In the late 60's, a small start-up company in the mountains of eastern Tennessee came out with a series of "Power Mite" QRP rigs. I had one and was not impressed. That changed however in 1971 when they introduced the first of the Argonaut QRP transceivers. From that time until very recently, these rigs were the gold-standard, against which all other QRP products were measured.

This is the rig, the Model 505, that started the Argonaut dynasty in 1971. It was a full-featured SSB/CW transceiver that would work all bands (the WARC bands did not exist at that time). I bought one and marveled that I could work the world at home or on the road! My SB102 transceiver and SB220 amplifier eventually were sold and I became pretty much a dedicated QRP operator. About 1973 they came out with an improved Model 509 which I also used and enjoyed.

In 1979 or so the company came out with the Model 515 - a really nice rig that I used on both HF and on 70 cm with a transverter. I worked a lot of CW, SSB, and SSTV with this rig and am sorry I ever sold it.
 

When the 515 went out of production there was a considerable gap until the Model 535, also known as the Argonaut II, was announced in about 1991. By all reports this was a superlative radio - a state-of-the-art transceiver, less the high-powered finals. However, it was very expensive (at least $1200 as I remember) and this is the only Argonaut I never owned! It did cover the WARC bands and is much sought-after as both a collectable and an operating rig.

The Argonaut II did not seem to be a rousing market success, in large part due (I'm sure) to the price. The Argonaut did not reappear until after the introduction of the Scout (Model 555), a simple, ultra-compact transceiver capable of up to 50 watts out. One of the things that kept the radio small, moderate in price, and simple to operate was the bandswitching method - plug in band modules for each band (a total of 9, including the WARC bands). The Argo 556 was the little brother to the Scout and came out in early 1994. It was virtually identical to the Scout, except that it did not have the final power module. I got this rig primarily to operate SSTV. I was never completely happy with it on CW and I got rid of it prior to the introduction of PSK-31. I felt the rig had a tendency to drift a bit on CW and I am not sure I would have like it on PSK.

My interim solution was the use of an ICOM IC707 for all bands and modes except 30 meter CW, where my  ARK-30 was notably superior in every respect. Finally, in late 2002 Ten Tec came out with a new Argonaut - the Argonaut V or Model 516. It was a DSP-based radio that could be instantly upgraded via Flash memory. By early in 2003 I had to have one - a decision that would relegate the IC707 to our summer place!

A number of negative comments about the Argo V appeared in web-based QRP discussion groups, most centering on the fact that the rig draws over 900 mA in receive and is too big and bulky to haul into the woods. The fact is, Argonauts never have been field radios and the V is no exception. Their "niche" is to serve the need of the majority of QRPers who operate from their home shack and want the ammenities of a full featured transceiver. Although this radio will not run very long on a Gel Cell, it will serve admirably for disaster communications when operated from a standard lead-acid storage battery. What's more, it will operate at up to 20 watts output if needed, a significant advantage if things aren't going well.  If you want a radio to backpack into the Sierras or the wilds of Nepal, there are plenty of options to choose from. The Argo isn't one of them and was never intended to serve that role.

At some point the ARRL will do a complete technical review of the Argo V, which will appear in QST and, shortly after that, be available on the  ARRL Web Site. What follows here are my perceptions and impressions using the rig on my three favorite modes - CW, PSK, and SSTV. I don't operate SSB but, since SSTV involves both talking and images, I'll end up dealing with a bit of that as well. First, a few general impressions.

Packing

I ordered my Argo via telephone and asked for second-day delivery. It arrived on time via Fed Ex and it was packed in several layers of bubble sheeting. This is probably adequate for domestic Fed Ex, but I have my doubts about international shipments. I would ask for double boxing - insert the present carton, with all its internal backing, into a second carton cushioned with foam popcorn or bubble sheeting.

Manual

The manual is reasonably well-written. Much of the manual is taken up with schematics and detailed technical descriptions (highly welcome) but the front section does an adequate job of explaining the functions of all the controls - several of which are multi-function in conjunction with front panel function buttons. There is also a one-page summary of the same material. What is missing is a set of sections that describe operation in a mode-specific way. For example, What do you do to set the rig up on CW on a specific band and then what additional functions/options are available. The present manual is adequate for an experienced operator, but a "newbe" would have some problems. Mode-specific instruction sections would help a lot.
 

CW/Morse

Keyer. I don't use a keyer, preferring either a straight key (a gorgeous Hi-Mound Swedish Pump from  Morse Express) or my own  PC Keyboard Program.  However, since the Argo has a built-in keyer, I opted to order the Vibroplex/Ten Tec commemorative paddle. It will be several (many?) weeks in coming, so I will defer any discussion of the keyer until the paddle arrives. Be sure to turn off the keyer prior to attempting to use a straight key!
 

Key/Keyboard. The straight key interfaced to the KEY jack on the rear apron. My PC keyboard interface is a simple NPN transistor driven from the serial port. I normally use a Y-connector so that both the key and keyboard can key the rig. However, I opted to use the interface output to connect to the Accessory PTT line to key the rig on SSTV and PSK (as well as other digital modes). The nice surprise was that, in the CW mode, the rig can be keyed as easily from the PTT line as it can from the KEY jack. This means I don't have to switch or swap cables when going back and forth between SSTV-Digital and CW. I like that!

QSK. You would expect Ten Tec to properly implement QSK and they did. It is logic-driven (no annoying relays) and can be set from zero to any practical delay. There are absolutely no audio switching artifacts. The QSK function is smooth and transparent - just the way it should be.

Set-up and External Filters. For many years I have used a  W9GR DSP III  outboard DSP filter and rate it as my most valuable station accessory. The unit has several bandpass options centered on 750 Hz, so I set my offset and sidetone to 740 Hz. 750 Hz would have been nice, but the Argo has 20 Hz steps for the offset and sidetone functions so you will have to use 740 or 760 Hz - no practical problem! Usually I operate with the Argo DSP filtering set to 500 Hz and the external DSP filter switched out. This gives me a reasonable chance to hear stations that call without precise zero-beat (typical of some simple QRP gear and a must for working fixed-frequency rigs such as Tuna Tins, Rock-Mites, and Glowbugs). I can narrow-down the DSP filtering as required once I hear a station and, once in QSO, I will typically switch in the audio DSP filter. No matter how good the RF filtering (and it is more than adequate on the Argo V), audio DSP filters will always have steeper skirts, eliminating or minimizing background noise or QRM if the desired signal is centered in the filter passband.

Operation. Simply a delightful rig for pounding brass! I may discover some issues with time, but my initial impressions are very positive. First evening out I worked F5LI on 40 meters. I have never worked Europe on 40 from the Midwest on QRP so I really don't listen for DX on that band, let alone chase it. Given the fact that my primary antenna is a ground-mounted R7000 vertical, 30 meters is about as far down as I go looking for DX. Well, this time I couldn't avoid it as Jean answered my CQ! Pure chance? Sure, it's possible, but I have been operating QRP since the early 70's and the band was particularly noisy that evening. In short, I'm not complaining!

The only moment of panic came when an Extra with a vanity call-sign called in to tell me that the note was distorted and the signal was filled with spurs! I thanked him, signed, and switched the rig to the dummy load and listed to the signal with the IC707. The note was just fine and tuning up and down revealed no clicks or other spurs. I switched back to the R7000 antenna and a quick check confirmed that there did not seem to be a problem. I tuned around looking for some real old-timers and specifically asked each of them (there were three) for a very critical report. All the reports were outstanding! I don't know what the original station was hearing, but it wasn't coming from the 516!

Installing the Fan

SSTV and PSK (not to mention other digital modes) are 100% duty-cycle, which gives your finals a work-out and raises the whole question of the optional fan. The fan does generate a significant amount of extra noise, so the first thing to discuss is when you might need it. I ran numerous tests on SSTV and PSK using my trusty dummy load and came to the following conclusions:

• 5 watts. At this power level the fan is not required.

• 10 watts. Here things get a bit complicated. IF there is adequate air flow around the heat sink and transmissions are kept to a reasonable length, you probably can get by without installing the fan. If airflow is somewhat restricted or you don't care to keep track of your key-down time, install the fan.

• 15-20 watts. Fan is required.

• Install a small in-line switch in the positive (red) harness lead, or

• Simply unplug the harness from the accessory power jack.

Ten Tec promotes the Argo V as PSK/Digital-ready without the use of an interface. This is true - sort of. If you already have a RigBlasterTM or equivalent, you can get a cable for the Ten Tec 4-pin microphone plug and you will be in business. It will cost you a few bucks, but the result will be a full-isolated and trouble free interface. You will also get access to a huge collection of software.

You can also pick up the Ten Tec accessory cable (plus the additional cables to connect between the sound card and the Ten Tec cables) and operate without an interface. The levels (soundcard input for receive and output for transmit) will have to be adjusted via the soundcard mixer and the T/R switching will require that you enable the VOX. Follow the Ten Tec suggestions for VOX and Anti-VOX level settings if you go this route. There are three possible problems you might experience if you go this route:

• T/R Switching. The VOX approach may be a bit flakey unless you get the levels just right. I opten to use an NPN transistor, driven from a serial port, to hard-switch the PTT line. As noted earlier, this has the advantage of letting you computer-key the rig on CW.

• Ground-loop Isolation. Some folks have reported hum problems because of a lack of isolation between the rig and the computer. I did not have this problem, but a pair of islation transformers from Radio Shack (see the schematic below) can solve the problem.

• Transmit Audio Levels. I found trying to adjust the transmit levels from the soundcard mixer to be very frustrating. The rig appears to be very sensitive to the audio drive level and the results were all over the map. In the end, I opted to keep the souncard output at a relatively high level and set the drive level with a pot in the output circuit (see below).

J1-J5 are RCA phono jacks. Note that J1 and J2 are isolated from ground. T1 and T2 are 600:600 ohm audio isolation transformers. You can get them from Radio Shack^TM and there are several suitable options listed in the  DigiKeycatalog. The serial PTT circuit would not be required if you set the system up to key using VOX.

The advantage to this simple interface, compared to the commercial alternative, is that you can build it at low cost and retain the ability to key CW from the computer serial port. On the transmit side, proceed as follows:

• The soundcard input level is used to set the receive signal level. Set the soundcard output to about mid-range.

• To avoid distortion, open the POWER control on the Argo to the fully Clockwise (maximum) position.

• Preset the TX Level pot to minimum and go to transmit with your software.

• Slowly advance the TX Level control to schieve the desired power output level. If you intend to operate in the 15-20 watt range, do NOT advance the control past the first indications on the ALC LED.

I began operating SSTV back in 1967 and have been operating the mode on QRP since the early 70's. I used my first Argo 505 back then and the rig was a fraction of the size of the SSTV monitor! I have the first and maybe only WAC certificate for SSTV QRP and have worked a reasonable amount of SSTV DX, especially on 15 and 10 meters. The Argo V works just great on slow-scan using both WinPix and ChromaPix. No DX in the first few days, but several nice QSOs on 15 and 10 meters. One with Steven, KG6JEV at Travis AFB in California (10 meters) is shown here. The band was starting to fold when he sent this confirmation image, but I will never argue with a V4 report on QRP SSTV.

Had the opportunity to check in with the noon-time 7173 KHz SSTV group for several days running. This is an example of one of my pictures ad received by K9FB in Kokomo, IN. Average power output was about 4.5 watts!

DIGITAL SSTV

DSSTV is a relatively new digital image transmission mode that permits the transmission  of error-free picture files of low to moderate resolution. Here is an example of a particularly large color image file transmitted by KB4YZ on 7173 KHz. In general, you either get a perfect image with DSSTV or you get nothing at all if there are too many decoding errors!

Here is an example of one of my pictures (2 watts average output on 7173 KHz) as received by KB4YZ and several other stations on frequency. HDTV requires extreme frequency stability on both transmit and receiver, flat audio response, and minimal phase shift. The Argonaut V performs flawlessly on this mode!
 

PSK-31

The same set-up used for SSTV is obviously what is required for PSK or any of the other digital modes. I run Zakanaka and Logger (both by Bob Furzer) but the solid performance of the rig on PSK should not be software dependent. The Argo works very well on PSK and most IMD reports range from -23 to -25 dB - a very clean signal. In the first few days I ran PSK with the Argo on 40, 20, and 15 meters. I wasn't looking to working any DX, but did manage to snag ON7EE (Marc) on 20 meters and AL7B (Dick) on 15. The latter was appreciated as Alaska was the last state I needed for my QRP PSK-31 WAS!

Some Argo V users have reported  TX/RX Offset when running PSK. A lot of erroneous information has been circulated on this subject which I try to dispell  on the page you can reach using the TX/RX link.