[TenTec] 40m BCI and Ten-Tec vs. Elecraft

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

Jim,

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear with my message about the K2 Preselector.  
I only put up instructions for how to modify the K2 so that it can accept a
preselector.
I didn't show the preselector.

I also stated that I usually used a Braun preselector with it.  It was the
model SWF 5-40.
That was in the past. I don't own it anymore.  But I still have a similar
one which also has 160m.
I also sometimes use my home-brew 40m tunable preselector which I built
while working in the HF labs of Rhode und Schwarz in the 70s.

I agree with everything you said about Elecraft, their general
responsiveness, etc.
I just pointed out that, for whatever reason, they did not respond to the
problem of 40m BCI and I stand by that claim.

It is incorrect to assume that Ten-Tec engineers don't read the reflector.
Indeed they do.  Even Jack Burchfield, the president reads it.  I know this;
he told me he does and he sometimes comments to me on stuff that goes on
here.
Smart companies don't allow their employees to actively participate in
reflectors.
They have one or two guys designated to do that.  These are guys with both
an engineering and marketing hat.
John Henry is one who does actively participate.

Example: recently we were brainstorming a starter transceiver for a new ham
friend of mine in OKC.  Carl, K4SEV donated one, but we agreed to run it up
to ten-tec for a checkup before sending it to Tennessee.  Before I contacted
service, Paul Clinton emailed me and said it would be taken care of.   As
you see, they follow this closely.  

When I wrote to Elecraft, I expected them to answer back and ask for more
information or for proof.
Instead they just said it was me.
Well the proof is (or at least was for many years) posted on the
Bavarian-Contest-Club's website for anyone to see and listen to.
The BCC even designed its own Preselector, called "The BCC Preselector" and
these were often used with the K2 or other rigs.
Info about that is also on our web site.

Maybe Elecraft suffer from the NIH syndrome and doesn't listen to Europeans.
I dunno.  I can only report my personal experience.

I don't know Wayne personally, but I do know Eric from several ham fests,
including the recent big one here in Friedrichshafen last month. I worked on
the Appello-Funk booth.  Appello sells Ten-Tec, FlexRadio, and Elecraft.
All the US rigs.  Eric came by our booth a few times.

I know Elecraft is generally responsive. I'm a member of their reflector
too. But they were not directly responsive to the problem I clearly pointed
out to them.  They blew it off, just as the JA companies usually do.

I owned a K3 and know very well that it includes provision for a
preselector.
I doubt that had anything to do with my message to them.
Besides, the K3 is very good and like the Orion, probably doesn't even need
a preselector.

I like both companies but I like Ten-Tec better.  Sure I enjoyed getting a
pre-production OM7 and Eagle to play with, but that's not the reason I like
them.  I liked them for 30 years before all that happened, because their
engineers were always accessible. 

What I really like about Elecraft is, like the company I work for, they
sponsor DX-peditions.
Ten-Tec does not, for whatever reason.
I think they missed a good marketing opportunity.

BTW, I don't work for Appello;  they are also a reseller of our company's
products and I always work the booth with them.

73
Rick, DJ0IP


-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Jim Brown
Sent: Saturday, July 21, 2012 6:52 PM
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] 40m BCI and Ten-Tec vs. Elecraft

On 7/21/2012 8:28 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
> Since Elecraft refused to create a mod for the K2, I did it myself and 
> it can be downloaded from my web site, 
> here:http://www.dj0ip.de/downloads/

I didn't see a pre-selector on that page, Rick, only a patch point to insert
one.

>   This is just one of about 300 reasons why I like Ten-Tec, and also 
> why I like Ten-Tec even better than Elecraft.

Your observation that Elecraft was unresponsive to your request is factually
wrong.  You apparently have not noticed that the K3 includes a patch point
between the T/R relay and the receiver input that can be used to insert a
preamp or preselector -- EXACTLY what you asked for. 
The Omni VII and K3 were introduced within a year of each other -- the Omni
VII was reviewed by ARRL in July 2007, the K3 only nine  months later, in
April 2008.  I'd say the only difference is that Elecraft didn't send you
one to test.

Thousands of Elecraft owners consider the company quite responsive. For
example, the K2 was originally designed as a QRP rig that worked CW on
80-10M. SSB, the 100W power amp, 160M capability, and so on were all done in
response to suggestions from users! A major design criteria was low current
drain  so that it lasted longer on batteries.

Further, the much higher performance K3 was designed for the more demanding
ways in which guys were trying to use the K2. Beginning with the conceptual
design and throughout the development process there was extensive
communication with demanding users, which has had a lot to do with the
success of the product. AND they have been quite responsive to suggestions
and feature requests from users in the form of firmware upgrades and a few
hardware mods.

You don't have to spend much time on the Elecraft reflector to notice that
both OWNERS of the company read it regularly and respond directly to users.

Example One: A few days ago, someone posted that they were trying to use the
new KX3 (a super-compact QRP rig designed for backpacking) on JT65 on 6M,
and that the frequency wasn't sufficiently stable to allow decoding.  The
post was at about 4:15 PM California time. Within about
45 minutes Wayne Burdick (the OWNER and designer of the KX3) had responded;
by about 8:45 PM he, the original poster, and several other sophisticated
users had had a very positive exchange, and Wayne had committed to fixing it
and offering several optional ways to do it -- a high stability oscillator
that would fit inside the radio where a 2M transverter was designed to fit,
or external to the radio as a small add-on module.

Example Two:  Several years ago some guys were on a DX trip and emailed to
friends that they were having problems with a K3. That mail got forwarded to
Wayne, and he communicated directly with them to fix the problem.

Example Three:  Elecraft PAYS several very sharp guys to monitor that email
reflector and help answer typical user questions.

Because I own (and love) several Ten Tec power amps and previously owned an
Omni V and Omni A, I've read this reflector for quite a few years.  I can't
recall  seeing much evidence that anyone other than a salesman reads this
reflector, let alone responds to it.  In fact, I'm sure I could count such
responses without taking my shoes off.

73, Jim K9YC
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec