[TenTec] OT: TS-990S review in absentia

[Richards]

Yes... indeed.

I recently acquired an Orion II to accompany my Omni VII.  Unfortunately 
I had to sell a nice TT Jupiter, my TT RX-320D and some other stuff I 
liked to swing it.  It seemed a more cost-effective move than buying an 
$8000 TS-990s.  (I also have the TS-590s, so now I own several rigs in 
the top tier of the Sherwood list.)

Consequently, I feel I have a pretty strong line up, and can wait until 
TT reveals its next big deal.  Don't tell anyone Oddly I prefer the Omni 
VII, because it produces such great results with the least effort and 
complexity.

My bottom line:   Would I really have $5300 more fun with a TS-990s? 
Would I REALLY make substantially more DX contacts with it?  If not, 
then I have struck a good bargain - cost-benefit wise.

As for the timing of a TS-990s review ... I can understand the editorial 
decision to wait - it will be a major piece, and having waited over a 
year to see my own one page piece appear in QST this month, and after 
seeing how much editorial effort goes into producing even simple piece - 
I am not surprised we continue to wait for a review of the TS-990. 
Perhaps they are favoring reviews of less expensive models in the short 
term - while many hams are "interested" in the 990, I doubt they will 
actually sell many of them.  Who knows... but I was really impressed 
with how much care and attention they paid to even a short piece.  I 
think Joel Hallas and Larry Wolfgang work pretty hard at it.

Just MY take.
_______________________  K8JHR___________________


On 10/17/2013 11:48 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> On 10/17/2013 8:35 AM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
>> All in all it is an excellent transceiver but out of my price range by
>> about a factor of 4!
>
> We can thank the three major US manufacturers, Ten Tec, Elecraft, and
> Flex Radio for top quality radios at affordable prices, many of them
> "best in class."
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
> ________________________________________