[TenTec] Orion screen darkening, etc.

[Ed and Janet]

Hey Jim, your making way to much sense for just one person.  Keep up the 
good work and no, you aint getting it back and you will know what I mean hi 
hi.  Ed K7UC
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Reid" <jimr.reid at verizon.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 5:17 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Orion screen darkening, etc.


> Hi again,
>
> Ok,  I have sold my Orion to another user out here in Hawaii.
> I didn't sell it because I was dissatisfied with the rig;  just needed
> the cash out for other purposes.
>
> However,  let me comment about the design and components
> within the innards of the rig.  I was not a QA engineer,  but was in
> electrical design for a long time (long enough back to have begun
> designing vacuum tubes!!!  Learned all about cathodes and their
> mechanical/electronic design using an electrolytic tank,  outgassing-
> never use solder in the vacuum,  how to treat all copper parts in
> the hydrogen furnace to remove all traces of Oxygen,  etc.  etc.)
>
> As any manufacturer must do,  Ten Tec was careful to use just the
> "right cost" components.  But some of these selections,  I believe
> perhaps could have been upgraded a spot or two. However,  we
> would have seen a noticeably higher rig cost for those component
> changes.
>
> But,  assuming we would have been willing to pay more for an Orion,
> here are a couple of examples:
>
> 1.  That pot on the bottom which sets the display characteristics ought
> to have been a better grade;  it is causing many owners trouble.  I know
> nothing about that pot,  except it was bad in the rig I sold,  and 
> "caused"
> be some embarrassment with the fellow buying the radio from me.  He
> returned the Orion to TT,  where it had several things done,  including
> the replacement of the that original rig run pot.
>
> 2.  The TCXO used is adequate,  but very difficult to set accurately to
> the proper 10 MHz frequency and drifts around for nearly an hour
> before settling to where ever it eventually goes,  hi.  Admittedly over
> no greater range than usually 50 Hz or so,  but a bit of a bother
> if doing something where better stability might be needed sooner.
> And it will change frequency with temperature;  I would have chosen
> to use the oven stabilized TCXO as was an option in the Omni VI's.
> (Sort of wish I had not sold my Omni VI+ as well!).
>
> 3.  Wish the engineers had selected the TI processor over the Motorola
> Dragonball,  or whatever it is called.....
>
> but these component use decisions are driven by many factors,  not all
> of which deal with performance issues.  When I was in the industry,  we
> were told that a product HAD to sell for at least 5 or 6 times "prime"
> cost!  Prime cost = component costs plus assembly labor only.  All
> else about the business: engineering,  admin, marketing,  plant rent,
> all other employees except assemblers,  etc. etc.  and finally profit
> to pay for new product development and plant growth, etc.  must
> come from that selling price mark up from prime costs.  And,
> we ALWAYS had to make a profit,  or the shareholders would
> withdraw their capital and.........we would be out of business.  And,
> I was with a couple electronic firms which wound up in exactly that
> place...out of that business because of unwise pricing and cost allocation
> decisions.
>
> It you could only sell your product for 2 or 3 times prime cost,  you
> were on your way out of that business!!   And for MORE than
> 5 or 6 times prime if you were in a rapid growth mode (Microsoft
> in the late 80's early 90's,  for example).
>
> Well,  how much more would you be willing to pay Ten Tec for a
> new rig that had all of Orison's features and benefits plus absolute
> guaranteed operating performance,  needing no on-going firmware
> upgrades,  all was perfect at production release?  How about
> three, four, five times higher price a la the "other" new rigs coming
> into the amateur market.
>
> We will see how these do in our amateur world at the needed prices
> to keep those firms in this business and all their costs paid (and you can
> bet they must pay the dealers handling those rigs at least 20 to 35% of
> the selling price,  especially those dealers that inventory a bunch
> of the rigs.  But how many they inventory is going to depend upon
> initial enthusiasm (purchases in the first months) in our market.
>
> There are some electronic products in the market place today where
> the manufacturer must offer the stocking dealer 50%+  of the selling price
> to inventory:  these are products that will sit at the dealers for many
> weeks before a buyer will come along for them,  and there are products
> like that.  However,  we are buying directly from Ten Tec,  so there is
> no dealer mark up to be covered.  Another benefit from doing business
> with TT.  Nor is TT carrying an inventory or Orions,  they are being
> built essentially as ordered at this time.
>
> What I am saying is:   we have gotten a bargain for the performance
> now of the Orion at the price we are paying Ten Tec for it.  Yes,  it
> is taking time to get all the nits and bits just so,  but our going in 
> price
> was very fair for what we got,  what Ten Tec got and is allowing Ten
> Tec to remain in business and continue to engineer new products up
> and down the product line.  Had we waited longer before production
> release (and remember all the pressure we all were putting on TT to
> get that Orion on the market??) or had the engineers sold the company
> on some absolute need for "better" components or a different case
> design,  you can bet the price would have been significantly higher!
>
> We have gotten an excellent return from the Orion for what we have
> paid.  And it really is not a great burden to download and install
> the next firmware release,  regardless of the surprises perhaps
> found therein,  hi.
>
> Tough decisions are needed in business..........
>
> best and 73,  Jim KH7M
>
>
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