[TenTec] Comparing Radios

[K8JHR]

Like they say about grocery stores:   DARE TO COMPARE.

OK, There is often a delicate balance, difficult to maintain, when 
discussing competing cars, cameras, guitars, radios and other stuff men 
used to define themselves.

Accepting the car analogy,  it is considered rude and inappropriate to a 
guy to join a Camaro Club and trash-talking the Camaro and extoll the 
virtues of the Mustang.  This is tantamount to singing,  "My girl is red 
hot, your girl ain't diddly-squat" in a taunting manner.   ;-)

In contrast, it is NOT rude or inappropriate to discuss and compare 
Camaro and Mustang specifications, performance test reports, and feature 
sets.  It would be unmanly and chicken s... to adopt a rule one may 
praise the Camaro and disallow any comparison to competing products. 
Better?  How much better?  In what way better?  Compared to what?  And 
Camaro owners should not complain if someone mentions another vehicle 
has better performance specifications.

Similarly, it not rude or inappropriate to make a valid comparison 
between any TT radio and a competing product on this reflector, 
especially when the comparison is based on specifications and 
performance test results.  It is, however, inappropriate to promote or 
give a sales pitch for another rig, or merely trash talk any without 
reference to specifications, performance test results, or feature sets. 
   And, we should not complain if any TT model comes out on the short 
end of the comparison.

Sometimes we might think a member has crossed the line between 
comparison and sales pitch.  In any case, we should be open to 
comparison.  It would be meaningless to just stand around patting 
ourselves on the backs for owing TT radios, without comparing the 
competition, and proving the relative value we perceive.  It would be 
unmanly to ban comparison because we are worried the competition may 
came out ahead.

Recently, a member asked which he should buy, the 590 or the Eagle. 
That sparked a comparison of features sets and performance 
specifications, and it got fairly detailed and involved.  That fostered 
a discussion about the validity of certain performance factors.  That, 
in turn, morphed into a discussion about what data is truly available, 
whereupon it morphed, further, into a discussion about the validity of 
the testing protocol.   Now we are collecting and correlating data to 
demonstrate the actual capabilities, and relative performance, of our TT 
radios against the competition, and debating the validity of the test 
protocol as we go.  I cannot think of a more appropriate topic for the 
group.

And we should be manly, and not complain, if our favorite TT radio does 
best the competition on all points.  Discussion should not be limited to 
what makes us feel good.

We should do as the grocery store ads say... DATE TO COMPARE.

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