[TenTec] Hamfests in general

[Richards]

Or course, you can lose customers at a Hamfest, as well as make them.

A couple of years ago, I drove the 350 miles (one way) to Dayton, just 
to buy a particular auto tuner.  The engineer (no longer with the 
manufacturer) outdid himself in arrogance, and flatly refused to answer 
questions about how it would interface with my rig and amp - despite the 
fact it can take the amp off line if SWR exceeds a set figure.

In contrast, the John Henry and one of the techies over in the TenTec 
exhibit fell all themselves trying to answer the same questions - even 
though the sale would, ultimately, belong to the tuner vendor.

So... I ordered some accessories from TT,   and drove home without a new 
tuner - saving $1200 that was burning a hole in my pocket.

So ... a vendor can lose customers as well as make them at a hamfest. 
If you stay home, I suppose you might break even.      ;-)

	Bottom line - you cannot really learn much
	about how a radio works, feels, or sounds
	at a hamfest.

Standing there with a hundred other guys, the best you can do is see how 
it looks, tweak a couple of knobs, and maybe hear the speaker. 
Sometimes you can see inside, if they have the top off, or if they have 
a plexiglass cover in its place, as if I know what it all is, and marvel 
at all the little parts inside.   One can get a brochure - but you 
cannot really learn anything useful about the rig.  Besides they never 
display the model I want to play with.

That is why TT's 30 day home trial is so important.  They gotta be 
pretty confident you will keep it, or they would not do that.    That 
said a lot to me when I was shopping.

Just MY take.
________________ K8JHR _________________