Scott Robbins, W4PA, the Ten Tec amateur product line manager, fielded my query.
So, I sent an inquiry to Ten Tec explaining my situation. The Jupiter web site ( said that the max voltage for the Jupiter was 14v.
Since the new rig would have to operate from my battery supply, it would have to provide reliable communications at a range of voltages that would go from 12v to 14.4v (the higher voltage is the voltage in full sun).
That means that Ten Tec can upgrade the radio at any time. The fact that the Jupiter (like the Pegasus) is entirely software-defined was also attractive. The target market for the Jupiter matched my needs well–a mid-range HF rig with an excellent receiver, 100 watt transmitter, and excellent filters for a variety of operating modes. It has many features, including full control from the PC a la Pegasus, but has the ability to stand alone. I had been interested in the Pegasus, but did not like the idea of being tied to the PC for all operations. The exception is that the Pegasus has been “wrapped” in a package that allows it to operate as a stand-alone radio. The Jupiter is the same radio as the Ten Tec Pegasus, which is a software-defined radio that operates strictly as an accessory to your PC (see the QST review of the Pegasus on page 63 in the February, 2000, issue). I’ve been surveying the market for a few years and had pretty much settled on the Kenwood TS-570 when my eye caught the ad in the December QST for the new Ten Tec Jupiter. There are no bells or whistles and, well, it was just time. Although it has a nice CW filter, I have to use the SSB filter for digital modes. So why upgrade? Well, the FT-747 is a pretty basic rig. For the past five years or so, the rig has operated entirely from a solar power setup consisting of photovoltaic panels on the roof that charge a pair of large, deep-cycle batteries next to the rig. I’ve added a number of accessories, including an electronic keyer, a direct-entry keypad, an SWR meter, and a DSP audio filter. This great little radio has been my faithful companion for SSB, CW, AMTOR, PacTOR, PSK-31, and even shortwave listening. My “old faithful” rig has been a Yaesu FT-747, originally designed as a very simple mobile HF rig. I’ve been operating the same HF radio for twelve years. I include here that review verbatim as it shows my thoughts after having the radio for a couple months: KEØOG Takes Leap to Software Defined Radio!
I wrote a review of it for the May, 2001, issue of BARC’s Bark, the newsletter of the Boulder Amateur Radio Club.
Click on image to go to Ten-Tec website.My Ten-Tec Jupiter Model 538 HF Transceiver celebrated its 10th anniversary in my ham radio shack. My Ten-Tec Jupiter HF Radio back when it was brand new.