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[TenTec] Reviews vs reality

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: [TenTec] Reviews vs reality
From: K5BDZ@aol.com (K5BDZ@aol.com)
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 18:36:28 EDT
Well, I can't stay quiet.
Having been both a manufacturer (6 years) and consumer 45 years) of ham 
equipment, I have at least some qualifications to speak.

Just look at all these reflector comments of the ARRL reviews... and 
justification (or lack...mostly lack) thereof given by most commenting.

The ARRL (like them or not) knows their audience.  They know that from 2000 
hams, they'll get 14,872 different opinions, depending on the time of day and 
which day asked.  Most, sadly will be negative!  Regardless of subject.

Just who is qualified to judge these ham's opinions?  No one because they are 
just that...opinions, which seldom have little basis in fact.  How may hams 
today have actually "melted solder" let alone built a kit?  How may have 
built "from scratch" a design from one of the many books?  How many have 
actually designed from scratch a receiver or transceiver?  

How many have bought a basic and simple dipole antenna rather than making 
their own?

Where did we get the info to find and buy these items?  Mostly magazines.

BUT, we're all hams, this is a hobby, and I for one appreciate a review that 
at least tells me what features are to be found in a piece of equipment and 
at least some technical theory of operations.  

By passing the FCC exam to get a license, I'm supposed to have enough 
knowledge to figure out if a manufacturer's claimed "300 watt tuner" will 
actually handle 300 watts key down in what modes.  If I try to use it on 290 
watts AM and burn up my transmitter...shame on me.

"Being nice to the manufacturers who advertise" is common sense reality for 
magazines.  If it wasn't for these ads, we'd have no magazine to complain 
about.

Now anyone want to compare ham equipment technology advances over the past 10 
- 20 - 30 - 40 years?  It's a nice positive subject... especially when we see 
the great strides in design Ten Tec has given us.  Love our good ol' U.S. 
Technology!

Bill K5BDZ

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