[TenTec] Why I like Ten Tec (long)

[Joseph Trombino Jr]

Howdy Fellow Ten Tec'ers:

I usually just lurk on this list and absorb all the good info passed out but 
I thought I would relate a story that happened to me and why I go with Ten 
Tec when I can in terms of types of equipment to purchase.

About 12 years ago I was shopping for a new HF rig.  The OMNI VI was not yet 
available.

I decided to go with the new Yaesu FT990.  This was a fine rig on SSB but I 
kept making keying mistakes on CW....kept me wondering if my CW skills had 
diminished.

To make a long story medium, and after many, many phone calls to Yaesu 
talking to people who didn't know very much I finally got thru to a senior 
Yaesu person who is know to all in the U.S.  He admitted that the CW keying 
problem was known to Yaesu, Inc, that it was a timing problem and that Yaesu 
was not going to fix it!!!  He was sympathic to my problem but it was 
essentially tough luck on my part.

I saw this chap at a Hamfest later in the year and caught him in the midst 
of about 15 other hams.  When I was able to break in to make some comments I 
related my story to him while the other hams were listening...my final line 
was "So have I wasted almost $2000 on a rig that won't transmit CW properly 
because of a known problem that Yaesu has said they won't fix"???

He finally relented and told me to tell my dealer that Yaesu would make a 
full refund.  This was a full year after I had started the process with 
Yaesu.  I did get the refund and bought an OMNI VI,  best choice I have made 
in many years:-)

Fast-forward to 2003.  After having owned the Ten Tec OMNI VI/3 for 9 years 
I decided to purchase an Orion.  I believe I got a 2nd or 3rd production run 
radio.

I had many problems with this radio, problems that never seemed to happen 
twice...just a lot of random problems.  After one trip to the Ten Tec tech 
shop most of the quirks were gone but several new ones popped up...not just 
nit-pickers but problems that prevented me from using the radio as one 
normally would.

I asked Paul Clinton if I was gonna get stuck with a bum radio since I 
needed to send it back again......his reply......"Just send the radio back 
and we will send you an new one"........Could I believe my ears???....Well, 
coming from Ten Tec I was confident I could.  I sent the radio back and got 
a brand new one in the first quarter of 2004 and the radio has worked 
perfectly for me every time I have turned it on.

Absolutely reliable 100% of the time.....now I don't go pressing and pushing 
buttons just for fun to see if I can make if fail...I just use the radio as 
I had used my OMNI VI.....the Orion is a great radio....the best receiver I 
have ever used.  They fixed most of the earlier problems and will probably 
fix all of the problems after a period of time.

So Why do I like Ten Tec!!!!

I buy Yaesu two meter rigs and I have an IC-910 for satellite operation. 
But if Ten Tec ever makes a neat 2m/440 rig and a satellite radio all my 
other stuff is going to get sold and I will buy Ten Tec for sure.

Okay....so that's my story and I'm sticking by it:-)......I hope all the 
bugs get worked out of the Orion but in the mean time I am enjoying the best 
radio I have ever had the opportunity to use on a daily basis and without 
problem number one.

Merry Xmas to all and I wish a prosperous and healthy New Year to all on the 
list.  Enjoy the hobby and enjoy the Orion.

                                    73, Joe W2KJ
                                    North CArolina