In late August 2024, I came across what I considered a great deal on a fantastic radio, which I’m excited to share with you in the following field report.
Please note that this POTA (Parks On The Air) activation took place on September 5, 2024 (almost exactly two months ago)—three weeks before Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina. This is one of a few field reports and activation videos I’ll be sharing that took place before Helene’s arrival.
I haven’t been back to the Vance State Historic Site since the storm, as it’s been closed. Located in the Reems Creek valley, the site likely experienced extensive flooding. I hope this park can recover and reopen soon.
I hope you enjoy this field report and activation video. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reliving it while preparing this for you.
Thank you!
Thomas (K4SWL)
Reunited with the Model 539
In late August, I was browsing the QTH.com classifieds when I spotted a radio I hadn’t seen for sale in some time: the Ten-Tec Argonaut VI QRP transceiver. This radio had been on my mental watchlist for years.
The seller was asking $440, which I considered a great deal for a radio that, to my knowledge, hasn’t been in production since Ten-Tec closed its Sevierville, TN factory in 2016.
This radio and I have some history together. I was one of the original volunteer Beta testers for the Argonaut VI and, in 2012, wrote a full review of the production model.
Ten-Tec offered me a chance to purchase my Beta unit (updated to full production specs) with a modest discount. But at the time, I simply couldn’t afford it; we’d just built our house, and I couldn’t justify the purchase, especially since I’d also reviewed and bought my Elecraft KX3 that same year.
I always planned to get an Argonaut VI eventually—better late than never, right?
As I mention in my activation video, I plan to make a “Getting to Know You” video for the Argonaut VI soon, so I won’t dive deep into why I love this radio here.
The takeaway? I feel the Argonaut VI has some of the best overall receiver performance of any radio I’ve used. It’s quirky and certainly not perfect, but its excellent receiver, filtering, audio, and QSK make it a benchmark QRP transceiver.
Getting Reacquainted
While the Argo VI was en route to my QTH, I wanted to refresh my memory on its operation.
Since it had been twelve years since I last used the Argonaut VI, I had to revisit my own review to remember some of its nuances!
When it arrived, I quickly put it on the air and operated it from my shack until I had a chance to take it to the field on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
Vance Historic Birthplace (US-6856)
As I always do with smaller POTA sites like Vance, I called ahead to make sure the picnic shelter wouldn’t be reserved at my arrival time. The park ranger replied, “It’s all yours, Thomas!”
The weather was nearly perfect that Thursday, with a hint of fall in the air.
En route to the site, I thought about my antenna options. Since the Argo VI doesn’t have a built-in ATU, I opted to use a resonant antenna for simplicity. In the end, I chose my Chelegance MC-750 vertical, which I set up next to the picnic shelter.
The MC-750 is a quarter-wave antenna, so I extended the telescoping whip for a match on the 20-meter band.
I don’t yet have a field kit specifically built around the Argonaut VI, so I simply brought along various accessories in my Husky weathertight storage box.
I set up the radio, tuned to 20 meters, checked my settings, and was ready to take the Argo VI on its first POTA activation!
Gear
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- TEN-TEC Argonaut VI
- Chelegance MC-750 Vertical Antenna
- High Visibility Jacket ABR240-UF with PL-259s and 5 Ferrites (Use Coupon Code ABR10QRPER for 10% Discount!)
- SO-239 to BNC Adapter
- Key cable: Cable Matters 2-Pack Gold-Plated Retractable Aux Cable – 2.5 Feet
- BaMaKeY TP-III Ultra-Compact Twin Paddle
- BaMaKey TP-III CW Paddle Magnetic Protective Cover
- Jeweler’s Bench Block (Weighted Key Base)
- GraphGear 0.9mm 1000 Automatic Drafting Pencil
- Rite In The Rain Top Spiral Notebook
- Camera: DJI OSMO 4 action camera with Joby Telepod Sport Tripod
- DJI Wireless Microphones
On The Air
I hopped on the air and, within eleven minutes, worked my first ten stations. Continue reading Uncompromised Performance: Taking my new-to-me Ten-Tec Argonaut VI to the field!