Tthe RX-320D black box receiver
I just confirmed with Ten-Tec that the RX-320D PC controlled receiver and the Ten-Tec Superhet receiver kit, the Model 1254, have both been discontinued. A Ten-Tec representative told me the reason both of these models have been discontinued and removed from Ten-Tec’s product line is because one of the parts used in production is now obsolete.
A long run…
The RX-320 and RX-320D have had a very long product life as the RX-320 was introduced in the late 1990’s (1998, if memory serves)–pretty amazing.
I owned an RX-320D for a long time and thought that it was still a great value. Here’s a review I wrote in 2009.
The Ten-Tec Model 1254 Superhet Receiver kit
As third generation SDRs have emerged, and become so affordable in the past few years, it’s hard to justify the purchase of a receiver whose control software was designed for Windows 95.
So long RX-320D, you’ve had a long run…
I have SWLing Post reader, Larry, to thank as his recent inquiry about the Model 1254 Superhet kit prompted me to call Ten-Tec for verification.
As with most electronic kits, can the 1254 still be produced with a suitable replacement for the obsolete part??
If the schematic is around, one could tell from that. But even if the active components are generic, coils might be a fuss, and IF filters will be expensive, and hard to get if on an oddball frequency. Things like packaging and tuning might require some new work.
Michael