Re: [TenTec] Re Please tell me about the TT Omni VI+

["Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales" <sales@tentec.com>]

At 07:51 PM 9/29/04 -0400, you wrote:
> Rob:
> I think your comments about the Omni VI are helpful, objective and fair. 
> That is why they don't go over well with Scott. Factory reps will seldom 
> admit the shortcomings of their products. They will almost always blame 
> the user, not the product and they will never admit that a competitor has 
> a better product.

Steve - where in any of my comments did blame the user for problems or 
issues that
they are having with the Omni-VI and RF?  We were discussing RF in the 
audio for the
Omni-VI.  The original poster said that this could be a problem depending 
on the
installation and could be corrected by the user at their installation.   I 
didn't point that out;
it was pointed out by K5UJ in a 2003 message and I stated that I 
agreed.   This
also is not commonly something we see with the Omni-VI.  Do a Google search 
with
"Omni VI" and various combinations of words like "RF feedback" "grounding" 
"RF in
audio" etc. and see how much data was posted to the Internet over the past 
several
years.  I can save you the trouble by telling you the answer is very 
little.  I also pointed
out that this is NOT commonly an issue we see with the Omni-VI.

Ten-Tec is an engineering-driven company.  We like facts, and 
numbers.  When our numbers are significantly better
for receiver performance than other transceivers are - then we have 
accomplished our primary goal.  Anyone is
free to disagree with us on design philosophy, screen color, the company 
itself, etc.  The discussion about the
Omni-VI started with KC9CDT asking about SSB DXing and the Omni-VI.  For 
DXing, receiver performance
is paramount.  Our receiver performance in the Omni-VI is better than most 
every rig created to date.   That's
a fact, backed up by plenty of independent test data.  If someone else 
thinks the usability of the radio isn't as
good because they don't like the features on the radio - that's 
fine.  That's why there are a host of other
companies out there building amateur radio equipment besides us.


> Scott has now stooped to the point of tuning the bands, listening for key 
> clicks from Icom rigs and sending email from the company's mail server to 
> the "offending" station, being sure to mention the brand and model of the 
> Icom rig. I know this because I got one of his emails. I will not bother 
> denying that the rig has clicks

Steve - I don't tune the bands listening for anything.  I don't have enough 
free time to even get on the air and work people, much less tune around 
looking for trashy signals.  And when I heard you on 80 CW on Sunday night, 
your signal sounded
bad.  I knew your email address so I sent you a private email telling you 
that you have a pronounced thump on the leading edge of your signal and key 
clicks extending above that.  If I recall correctly, your QSO with W1AAX on 
Sunday consisted of discussing CW keying problems you were having with your 
current transceiver and a new amplifier you had purchased.  What I didn't 
do was get onto a public forum and point that out - you did.   And you've 
said above that you're aware the rig has key clicks.  If you're aware of 
it, and I sent you a private email pointing it out - what exactly is the 
issue?    Shouldn't the response have been a return email saying "I'm aware 
of it and I'm figuring out how to solve it"?

> but will point out that if you make too many negative comments about "his 
> products" you can expect a response. Do they have a right to respond? Of 
> course but most corporations tend to avoid public conflict and I think 
> Scott sometimes goes over the line of good policy.

We are in a much different, much smaller industry where personal 
relationships form the backbone of what we do.  You'll note that I do not 
get on here and debate the merits and demerits of our equipment on a 
regular basis.  I don't get on here and rebut the long discussions about 
the Orion firmware - I leave it all aside.   There is a long stream of 
critical comments about our equipment along with the good stuff on the 
Ten-Tec reflector - how often do I argue with people about the critical 
commentary?  The answer is - not very often at all.

When the conversation turns to facts - I am going to pop up every time and 
defend us when factual information is called into doubt.  When a statement 
is made that the "Omni-VI is prone to RF in the audio" and I know that to 
not be the case, it is my duty to say so.  You are free to disagree with 
me.  I work here, I've been here for 9 years and I tend to be very aware of 
what are, and what are not, issues with our transceivers and whether or not 
they have been discussed in public forums on the 'net.  Search the Internet 
for relevant discussion on the topic - that's always helpful.   Discussion 
over not liking features on the radio, the display, anything that tends to 
be opinion I am going to let go.  When someone comes along and says "the 
receiver in X is better than this Ten-Tec, I don't believe the numbers, 
it's not real-world radio use" - that is going to get a response each time.


> As for the INRAD kit I mentioned. My intent was to simply use the fact 
> that INRAD makes a kit to correct the problem to substantiate that there 
> is indeed a problem.

If that was your intention, it would have better to simply state that.  The 
Inrad kit for the Omni-VI makes the overall SSB audio response of the radio 
a little bit more uniform.  We feel that the receiver audio in the Omni-VI 
was adequate and we never changed it.  Inrad felt they could do something 
low cost to slightly improve the radio.   There is a difference between 
doing a modification to slightly improve something and a service issue for 
poor audio quality inherent to the radio.


> And as for RFI shielding. I've had almost every rig TenTec ever made and 
> they often fall short in this area. It's almost like the engineers invited 
> RFI problems by putting plastic washers under the top and bottom cover 
> screws and as you mentioned, little if any bypassing. I remember some mods 
> for the Omni V that involved redressing wires to prevent audio transients 
> when keying and power supplies that couldn't be placed on one side of the 
> rig due to magnetic coupling. These things we just put up with or modify 
> them ourselves since we like other things about the rig so much that we 
> just overlook the faults.
> So Rob, we may get some flames because of our apparent  lack of company 
> loyalty but truth must prevail.
>
>
> Steve N4LQ

As I said - everyone is entitled to their opinion.   And I completely 
disagree with you.

Scott Robbins
W4PA



-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ten-Tec, Inc., 1185 Dolly Parton Pkwy, Sevierville, TN 37862 USA
  Contact Mon-Fri Eastern: Office/Tech (865) 453-7172 9 am-5 pm.
  Repair (865) 428-0364 8-4.  Sales (800) 833-7373 9 am-5:30 pm.
  Fax (865) 428-4483 24 hrs.  Visit us at <http://www.tentec.com>
  Email:  New product sales/product info         sales@tentec.com
             Service department                         service@tentec.com
  While we make every effort to answer email in an expedient manner,
  the telephone is a much more efficient tool for getting a quicker and
  more complete answer to your inquiries.  Thanks!
  


_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec