[TenTec] Merger

[Cecil]

I agree...I'd buy that.  That said I would also like to see Ten-Tec do a blow out flagship to showcase the best they are capable of.  

It would be a low volume unit but would be competitive with the Icom 7800, the Kenwood TS-990 and the Yaesu FT-9000...  Things learned in that process could trickle down to the volume sales leaders...

Just thinking out loud...

Cecil
K5DL

Sent from my iPad

> On May 20, 2014, at 7:56 PM, GARY HUBER <glhuber at msn.com> wrote:
> 
> And I believe the kill spot for a contest / dx transceiver is $3k.... but it needs to be good and not just a dressed up $1k starter unit.
> 
> 73 & DX,
> Gary - AB9M
> -----Original Message----- From: Bob McGraw - K4TAX
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 7:41 PM
> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Merger
> 
> I for one believe that a $500 to $1000 dollar radio packed with reasonable
> features and functions and with a accessories would kill the market.  Money
> is to be made on quantity/volume production.  Plus it would need to be
> prefaced with about $200K of effective hype!
> 
> In other words, 10,000 units @ $550 ea at 10% margin is $550K.  That
> produces more money than 1000 units @ $750 at 30% margin which is $225K.
> This does not include any advantage of parts qty purchases with the larger
> manufacturing qty.  Although the larger qty does require more initial
> investment.  Of course one could argue that production of 10 lots of 1000
> would produce more money. But, how many buyers would be lost with the price
> differential between $550 and $750.  I'd say 30% or more.
> 
> Although FOX news had a nice piece on ham radio, it is a small or very
> narrow market.
> 
> http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/05/19/ham-radio-old-technology-gets-new-respect/?intcmp=obnetwork
> 
> This is for you marketing gurus to discuss. I'm only a lowly engineer that
> only knows ohms, volts, amps and watts.
> 
> 73
> Bob K4TAX
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "geoffrey mendelson" <geoffreymendelson at gmail.com>
> To: "R. Eric Sluder-W9WLW" <resluder at yahoo.com>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec
> Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 6:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Merger
> 
> 
>>> On 5/21/2014 2:11 AM, R. Eric Sluder-W9WLW via TenTec wrote:
>>> 
>>> Highest margin per unit = Hacker/Maker/Kit  e.g., Rebel, Patriot, etc. (caveat, to do this they'll have to upgrade their way of socializing the community development effort) <Why the Sales Manager mentioned Facebook, and other social media>
>> 
>> Eric,
>> 
>> The problem I see with that is the cost of the units. While they seem cheap enough, since they are open design, and sold to a community with no brand loyalty, someone in China will duplicate them, and sell them as a kit on eBay.
>> 
>> A great example of that was the 3 band CW only rigs sold from China. They appeared in the US as a complete kit of parts (no case), sold from Canada. The important point is that they were not sold from the US, bypassing FCC regulations.
>> 
>> Ten-Tec bought a licenses to sell them and had to make modifications and a significant investment.
>> 
>> Ironically, MFJ did the same thing, and they and Ten-Tec were (are?) in direct competition selling different versions of the same radio.
>> 
>> Since they were developed in China, they did not have sufficient output filtering, which is why neither radio sold in the US has 3 band transmit.
>> 
>> What worries me is that with the low cost ($20? $50? $100?) of a kit consisting of a circuit board and a bag of parts, will people buy the Ten-Tec? My fear is that the brand loyalty is part of the generation that won't be buying the radios in the first place.
>> 
>> Geoff.
>> 
>> -- 
>> Geoffrey S. Mendelson 4X1GM/N3OWJ
>> Jerusalem Israel.
>> 
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> 
> 
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