[TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!

[NJ0IP]

Bernhard,

I think you are off track when you say "Ten-Tec made an error in not paying
more attention to customer..."

Remember, it was about 4 years ago.  Ten-Tec asked a lot of hams at several
ham fests and determined that nobody was really dieing for color if it were
going to cost more.

In addition, about a year and a half ago, we did a "Contest Transceiver
Survey" in our club, the Bavarian Contest Club, and had people rank stuff
they wanted or needed and then also asked how much they would pay for it.
Almost 100% of the roughly 60 active contesters who answered the survey said
they were not willing to pay any money for color.  That also included me.
Well, I'd pay about $50 but not a cent more.  I recall hearing once that
Ten-Tec had determined that the total additional cost of the color screen
including all the software work (every menu item must be programmed for
color attributes) would have been about $400.  

I don't even think you could get $400 today if you gave users the choice of
the exact same radio with or without color.

On this topic of paying more, Steve thinks you could get $4999 for the radio
with his suggested improvements.  Of course some people would buy it, but I
would not and many other Orion owners would not buy it.

Many people buying the Orion are contesters.  I don't know how many actually
turn on the scope during a contest, but I sure do not.  I hardly even watch
the radio.  What I watch most, the computer screen, is a 15 inch TFT in
color.  

My preference would be to remove the scope, remove the 2nd RX and drop the
price by $500.  Get it down to $2999.  Then the current processors would be
more than adequate. I think they'd sell twice as many radios and the owners
would be so happy with the bangs for the bucks that they wouldn't even think
twice about a color screen.  It's a radio, not a television.

When I'm just playing, I'm running N4PY control software all the time.  Lots
of color there.  

Horses for courses (or different strokes for different folks).  I happen to
like the horse I bought.

73
Rick

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Bernard(wtrone)
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 3:22 PM
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!

    Tommy:

        Just my personal opinion, but I think that TenTec made an error in
not paying more attention to customer wants/ desires/ likes in terms of a
color display and a better looking cabinet.