[TenTec] HF pack portable operation with Ten Tec

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Sun, Mar 13, 2005 at 12:18:35PM -0800, Caitlyn M. Martin wrote:
> The fact remains that every such attempt in the U.S.
> market has failed miserably.  Four companies (Ace
> Communications, AEA, jCom, and Ramsey Electronics)
> tried importing Mizuho HTs into the U.S.  Ace even
> offered them as kits.  Sales were pitiful.  Most
> American hams didn't want no frills, monoband HTs at
> $300 a piece built or $200+ in kit form. The more
> sophisticated triband Tokyo Hy-Power HT-750 with it's
> digital display and significantly stronger feature set
> had dismal sales in 1992-93 when it was in the U.S.
> market at $549.

Also don't forget the Azden FM HTs. They had 10m and 6m while most people
were just trying 2m. While 6m is VHF, I've been able to hear repeaters in 
the US during the sunspot peak with just the whip. I did not know the
CTCSS freq so I was unable to work them.

Just after I left the U.S. (1996) one of the "Export CB" dealers was
selling a 10m SSB handheld. It was supposed to be CB only but a three
button at once push made it cover 26-29.7 mHz. How many hams bought one?


> BTW, there is a fundamental problem with creating
> demand for such a product, either here in the U.S. or
> in Japan.  Japan's ham population has dropped from 2.1
> million to 1.2 million in recent years.  In the U.S.
> our 10 year license means we have a long lag before we
> know actual population trends.

In 1995 the ARRL did a study of CW usage. The results were that almost 1/3
of hams surveyed used CW (the question was did you EVER use CW), which
meant that 2/3 NEVER used CW. So any CW only rig, or the CW function
of a rig is automaticly a niche market. It's good that TenTec has been
able survive in such a niche, maybe it's because their rigs are better than 
the Japanese on SSB too.

Geoff.


-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
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