[TenTec] DXing and Contesting.

[Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales]

Art B. wrote:
 >Naturally their gear would be used. Either Ten Tec has chosen not to 
sponsor any DX Peditions or >they are generally not asked to donate gear 
for such use. I don't think the operational features have >much to do with 
the decisions.

Ten-Tec stopped loaning equipment for DXpeditions many years ago, before my
arrival here in 1995.  My understanding from some of the OT's in the 
building was
that a number of expeditions had transceivers that were either not returned 
at all
(several instances) or in unsalvageable condition when returned (at least 
one that
I am aware of.....) - no finger pointing specifically, but it hasn't left a 
very good
impression many years later.   We do receive the occasional request, but they
are fairly seldom as most of the seasoned expeditioners know that we don't
loan gear any longer.

Also written:
 >Ok, So no contest wins with TT equip? I find that hard to believe. Maybe I
 >should be looking at sites devoted to contesting only for my answer. W4ZV's
 >Numbers are impressive, considering who / what he was up against.

Er - I really don't know how to put this without it sounding like I'm 
inflating my
own ego, but I have won a bunch of contests over the past 5 years using our
transceivers, including the IARU HF Radiosport, ARRL DX CW, NAQP CW,
the QRP category in Sweepstakes 4 years in a row and setting the CW-only
score record in the 1999 ARRL 10 meter contest when I won operating
from W4AN (this score record has been broken and is now held by W4ZV).

Numerous other top 10 finishes in there as well . . .

Most of these were using a pair of Omni-VI Plus transceivers, unless I was
out of state operating, where I used my Omni-VI Plus taken on the
plane and whatever else was available where I went.   For an example of
my contest madness, read the 2001 ARRL DX CW write-up I did after
operating at K5ZD with my VI+ and Randy's FT1000D as the #2 radio.
www.qsl.net/ei8ic/contest/w4pa.html

A chief advantage Ten-Tec has, in my view, is that we know what every
other manufacturer's radios are capable of (or not) under contest conditions.

The number of transceivers from various manufacturers in use for contesting
has a lot more to do with market share of transceiver sales than strictly radio
performance.  If radio performance were the primary factor in determining
what is and is not used at contest stations, it would be a lot different.  The
numbers for the Omni-VI Plus - and soon, the Orion - versus other transceiver
manufacturers from ARRL Product Reviews are a matter of record.

I've often wondered what some of the top operators would be capable of
if using one of our rigs versus our competitors.  Still do.

73
Scott Robbins
W4PA

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