[TenTec] New TT QRP Rig

[Mike O'Brien]

Well, when it comes to teasing and priming the ham market with a
not-yet-ready-to-release rig, one of the all-time best was National with
its NC-300 "dream receiver" back in the late 1950s. As I remember,
full-page ads appeared in QST (and probably other magazines as well) for
months in advance of the actual availability the rig. Many of the ads
featured a picture of a mysterious boxy shape with a drape covering it.

	And as for the reference to the Hallicrafters FPM-200, it really was
ahead of its time with mostly-solid-state circuitry that made it
impractical for mass production in the late '50s. Hallicrafters showed
photos of one prototype, then ran a pilot run of about 50 rigs with
obvious substantial changes, before pulling the plug on the project and,
a few years later, introducing the less innovative FPM-300.

	Today, I'm glad Ten-Tec is giving us a good-faith heads-up about their
plans, and taking the necessary time to develop a solid rig before
selling it to us.

        73,
        Mike, KØMYW