I own six (6) Ten Tec xcvrs. I AM NOT A COLLECTOR. I like Ten Tec products
and am a loyal customer who doesn't appreciate criticism of Ten Tec
products or criticism of the Ten Tec Company. Ten Tec was building radios
years before many of the reflector experts had amateur licenses and while
many self appointed critics were screaming 10-4 good buddy and getting
their credentials to be self certified "engineers" and keeping their greasy
sides down and their shiny sides up with wall to wall distorsion and TVI.
I own three (3) model 544 xcvrs, the first I bought new in 1977. It went
about 20 years with original final transistors and would still have the
original ones if I hadn't really goofed. I own one (1) Omni C, and one (1)
Omni VI with option 3 upgrade. The xcvr I use most is a SCOUT, which I
bought new nearly 4 years ago. It has been operated MOBILE the entire time
in a van where temperatures reach up to 130-140 degrees while parked on a
hot summer day in Louisiana. I have used it mobile on SSB and CW. I have
worked all over Europe in the late afternoon on 75 meters SSB in the DX
window. I recently received a Qsl card from New Zealand for a 75 meter SSB
QSO. I drive an old Metron solid state linear that runs about 500 watts pep
with the Scout. Due to the outstanding receiver, great noise blanker, and
outstanding transmit audio, I can compete with fixed stations in a DX
pileup while traveling the speed limit. If you doubt it, I challenge you to
take a listen.
To get to the point, many of you are criticising the Scout and hurting the
only viable company IN AMERICA building Amateur gear. I don't care what
your intentions are, just listen to your remarks about the Scout and try to
listen and look at your irresponsible remarks through another's ears and
eyes. You may have a few who think your remarks are cute or even well
founded but there are those, like me, who couldn't care less what you think
about the Scout. In other words "here is a quarter, call someone who
cares". I have found much of the criticism to be from those who haven't
really read the manual or just don't understand it.
I fully realize that you probably don't care what I think and your response
to me is also "here is a quarter, call someone who cares". I do know a good
piece of equiptment "for the price" when I use one. The Scout is not
perfect but neither is the best rice box you can buy. But, you know
something, despite the fact that I hold a commercial engineer's license and
have been licensed as K5PGW for more than FORTY (40) YEARS and have owned
Collins Rockwell 380s (2 of them),
Heath, Swan, and Drake gear TO NAME A FEW, I don't feel that I am in a
position to condem a particular piece of gear because I realize that each
piece was designed by engineers to perform to a certain set of standards at
a given cost to the consumer. Each model is designed to serve a purpose at
a price that someone can afford. NO A SCOUT ISN'T AN OMNI VI PLUS IN A
SCOUT'S SKIN, because it wasn't designed and built to be. If you want Omni
VI performance buy one, but don't buy a $549.00 Scout and bitch because it
doesen't perform like a $2,900.00 Omni VI, or $4,000.00 rice box. I know
that many hams want something for nothing, but wanting a $3,000.00 radio
for $549.00 reflects larceny in one's heart, and open Scout bashing in
public reflects the exercise of poor judgment and lack of consideration for
a great company and those on the reflector who love Ten Tec Inc.
I am sure that many will have severe critcism of me for my remarks and I
ask you to email me direct and not burden others with your attack on me.
73 and Thanks for reading
John W. King, K5PGW
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