[TenTec] Ten-Tec rebranding

Tue May 25 19:04:28 PDT 2010

A quick internet search a few days ago on the HB-1A revealed K1HAH's web
site (see http://k1hah.net/HB-1A-MK-II.html).  He mentions on that page that
sometime at the end of April, he lost contact with the Canadian distributor,
who's "the manufacturer's brother" (BD4RG?) 

So I'm speculating here, that sometime earlier this year or last year,
someone at Ten-Tec became acquainted with the rig and decided to pursue the
manufacturing deal that we now see in place.  It's very possible, and again
I'm speculating, that part of the deal was that Ten-Tec would become the
exclusive distributor... or that they're doing a run of rigs for Ten-Tec
first before resuming other equipment... or the HB-1A will be replaced by
something else by BD4RG after the production run for T-T is done, for now.
You pays your money, you takes your chances.

This may be the start of a trend.  This may be a one-shot deal. Let's wait
and see what happens once the production rigs start hitting our ham shacks,
and then we can deal in fact, not speculation.  Just saying.

73, ron w3wn

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Michael Goins
Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:51 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec rebranding

No one seems to know the fate of the original HB-1A, but my guess is
that all sales after some set date would be through TenTec. I would
think that's what they would want if they are marketing for him.

There are several versions of the HB-1 rigs out there too. The
original HB-1 is not the same as the HB-1A, which is a solid revision.
There are also some limited number of kits that were built so there
could be quality issues with some of them - that's always an unknown.

Perhaps that is part of the reason for the switch to duobanders. I
know the official reason is meeting regs, but a bunch of the owners of
the HB-1A have had their rigs checked and they all fall within
guidelines as triband rigs. Who knows.

Michael Goins, k5wmg
Professor, Writing
University of Texas at San Antonio
Northwest Vista College

On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 3:42 PM, Dave Edwards <kd2e at comcast.net> wrote:
> So is the original HB-1A no longer available?
>
>
> ...Dave
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Michael Goins" <wmgoins at gmail.com>
> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 4:28 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec rebranding
>
>
>> Wow. Way too much mean here.
>>
>> Just because the ham who designed it is from China doesn't make it a
>> problem rig. He has a lot of them here - check out the HB-1A yahoo
>> group. No issues with the rig. Works fine and I've been around radio
>> 35 years and I really, really like mine. Everything TenTec sells is
>> not made in the US, but that doesn't make this deal a problem. I've
>> had lots of rigs, Drakes and Hallicrafters and lots of Kenwoods and
>> TenTecs back and forth for a lot of years, and most have been good,
>> and maybe not quite so good, rigs at different times and with
>> different models by different manufacturers.
>>
>> To denigrate the guy who designed this rig in such ways just because
>> he is Chinese is totally unfair to not only him, but to every ham
>> everywhere who is working at his (or her) workbench on a piece of gear
>> he is designing for all of us to use. Not everything designed by those
>> in the ham community from this country has been wonderful, and not all
>> from some other country would be either. But his rigs have been out
>> there a pretty good while and have a good reputation. There are a lot
>> out there an very, very few on the used market. They work, and work
>> well.
>>
>> And the fact that they are solid rigs is why obviously TenTec is his
>> distribution point. What the heck is wrong with that? He has had
>> serious issues getting the radio to the market and needed a good
>> distributor and TenTec apparently checked him out well and decided it
>> would work for both of them. Surely a company that has been such a
>> stalwart of the ham community and so well respected would check him
>> the rig and all possibilities (including quality of design and
>> production) out well, would they not?
>>
>> Ease up. This is a ham in another country like our own Steve Weber or
>> Dan Tayloe or the Elecraft guys or a multitude of others who design
>> and have designed a rig. He is a ham. That he is Chinese and not
>> American should make no difference to a community that is as
>> international as the ham community is and always has been.
>>
>> One opinion. Mine.
>>
>> Michael Goins
>> Professor, Writing
>> University of Texas at San ANtonio
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, May 25, 2010 at 2:57 PM, Walt Amos <waltk8cv4612amos at att.net>
>> wrote:
>>> I think guys who sell on the " E " place go to great trouble to solve
>>> problems so as to NOT have a bad rating! We should not be saying he is a
>>> CROOK unless you know for sure! Not that I want or have a HB-1A or
>>> TT-2030
>>> or like imports, but I sure do have a lot of them. Some Yaesu rigs are
>>> made
>>> in China. I got some cut up Broccoli at COSTCO and low and behold, it
was
>>> a
>>> product of CHINA ! Now there's something to worry about if you want to
>>> worry
>>> ! :-)))
>>>
>>> Walt K8CV Royal Oak, MI.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Richards" <jruing at ameritech.net>
>>> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2010 3:29 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten-Tec rebranding
>>>
>>>
>>>> Oh.... gee... I don't know... what is the price difference ? Maybe
>>>> the price differential would induce one to take the gamble.
>>>>
>>>> Of course, even if TT does not burn them in, having a local vendor
>>>> willing to stand up in case of defect or damage in shipping is worth A
>>>> LOT.
>>>>
>>>> A lot of SWLs buy those inexpensive Kaito or Degen 1102 SW rigs from a
>>>> guy in China... while I purchased mine for a little more from a
business
>>>> in Texas... just to have the assurance I was dealing with a domestic
>>>> vendor in case of any warranty, damage in shipping, or other problems.
>>>>
>>>> ====================== JHR ================================
>>>>
>>>> On 5/25/2010 2:33 PM, Rick - NJ0IP / DJ0IP wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Our choices are:
>>>>> 1. buy an unknown radio from an unknown supplier in china, cheap
>>>>> 2. buy that same radio for more money but from a US distributor who
>>>>> burns
>>>>> in
>>>>> their radios and has renowned service.
>>>>
>>>>> I think it would be foolish to choose #1.
>>>>
>>>> ============================================================
>>>>>
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