[TenTec] K3 vs Orion One

[Steve Berg]

I must have called a different Ten Tec than you did over the years.  I 
have always had superb support for both the radios and the kits.  The 
people who answer the phone have always been knowledgeable and 
courteous.  Their service department has always been very good and 
helpful.  My e-mails get answered quickly.  When I have bought parts and 
accessories, they arrived quickly, and were packed properly.  I own a 
Corsair II, and Argonaut II and an Omni V.  I have had some issues with 
these radios, but the Ten Tec service department has always done a good 
job of rectifying the problems.  I have also built 2 Elecraft VHF 
transverters.  They have also supported their products well when 
problems arose.  We are most fortunate to have both of these companies 
making excellent products for a rather small niche market.  Neither 
company makes perfect products.  In any engineering process there are 
inevitable compromises.  My idea of adequate performance is probably 
different from that of any other operator.  In short, there is no way to 
satisfy everyone with any sort of product.  I am very happy with the 
performance I get from my Ten Tec radios.  After reading all of the 
gripes posted on this list, I would probably not buy any software 
defined radio, regardless of manufacturer.

Steve WA9JML

Charles Harpole wrote:
> I, too, have encountered vy poor response from TT customer "service."  What a shame that their good
>  
> products should be so poorly represented by their public face.  I certainly hope that TT has another
>  
> source of income other than ham radio because they (1) do not know how to sell their radios to hams,
>  
> and (2) have a customer service with terrible people skills.  
>  
> To TT:  (1) publish some b&w text ads to teach hams how to adjust and use your ORIONs.... these rigs
>  
> are poor just of the box and if a user never explores A LOT, he will bad-mouth the radio, etc.  The ORIONs are
>  
> not your father's receiver and are best operated vy different from earlier generations of ham radios.... users
>  
> and potential customers MUST have this info from the factory... some "Tech Talks".... to get their radios
>  
> to perform to full abilities (good stuf on this topic in the manual is not enuf).
>  
> (2) hire an otherwise retired loquacious ham to be the first answer to ur customer service phones and Internet.
>  
> Tell the guy that his job is to FIRST make the customer feel valued and SECOND to promise to get answers to
>  
> the problem AND THEN GET BACK TO HIM FAST.  Hams are unique customers who WANT TO TALK and a smart
>  
> ham radio company provides that chance.... warm fuzzy is the best start, followed up with real hard answers.
>  
> PLEASE TT, we want u to succeed and put out these great products.... you should have already--with the ORION One--
>  
> have been the rig of choice for the majority of hams based on their performance.  You have to ask why that is not true.Charles Harpolek4vud at hotmail.com > From: k9yc at audiosystemsgroup.com> To: tentec at contesting.com> Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 11:29:19 -0700> Subject: Re: [TenTec] K3 vs Orion One> > On Tue, 13 May 2008 13:11:04 -0400, Dick Green WC1M wrote:> > >Elecraft is performing at a very high level thus far. > >Unfortunately, by not addressing many outstanding firmware > issues,> >I feel TT has basically abandoned a large group of loyal users.> > There is a HUGE difference between the two companies in user > support and online presence. The Elecraft list has hundreds of > posts each day, upper level Elecraft management (like the two > owners, one of whom is the chief engineer!) is always monitoring > it, and responds directly when needed. That list is separate from > the K3 beta list, which they also actively monitor and contribute > to. > > By contrast, TenTec's presence 
on 
>  this list is limited to posting > a list of used/demo gear once or twice a month and VERY occasional > responses by a salesman to the most outrageous misunderstandings > or negative comments about products. > > In other words, Elecraft respects their customers by actively > participating in the email lists, listening to the traffic, and > learning of their customers' needs and desires, while Ten Tec > seems to consider this list so trivial as to be unworthy of their > time. > > I find that quite sad. The late Al Kahn, K4FW, co-founder of Ten > Tec, and before that co-founder of Electro-Voice and strong > supporter of Heathkit and ARRL, has long been one of my heroes. > > 73,> > Jim Brown K9YC> > > _______________________________________________> TenTec mailing list> TenTec at contesting.com> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
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