[TenTec] Status

Thu Dec 3 13:48:53 EST 2015

With some time to reflect on this announcement, It is clear that Ten-Tec
has hopefully reached bottom.  While the only tentec equipment I currently
own is my grandfathers old Trition IV set-up, I had in the pas also owned
an Argonaut, and an Omni VI+ opt 3.  I have always loved the receive on
ten-tec rigs, and my main rig being FT-950 now, I do miss it.  It is my
hope that Ten-Tec can be resurrected and produce quality equipment.

A couple of items that are somewhat concerning in this announcement:

1)  I had no idea production was stopped on any of the products.  With the
statements that OMNI's and eagles will be back in production in 2016.  Did
RKR liquidate all the component inventory that is going to cause this time
get production rolling again?  Or did the new owner just buy the name and
IP?
2)  Asking for monetary support from end users.  I do not see this
working.  Talking about raising 200K-400K from end users if s BIG red flag
for me.
3)  RKR still has TenTec on their list of products.  What of the people who
are not on this reflector who attempt to order product from today on?  Are
they being turned away?  This can't be a good thing to happen.
4)  What is to happen with repairs.  There is no mention of this at all.
RKR seemed to destroy TenTec reputation for providing repairs at a
reasonable cost, for just about any of TenTecs products, even well out of
production products.
5)  This coming out before the formal announcement is only going to create
lots of speculation, and rumors of what "will" happen in the future.

As for my $0.02 opinion on future Ten-Tec offerings.  call it my top 10
list:

1)  Bring back a "vintage" styled radio.  Something for the new ham, or old
timer who does not want to dig through 3 layers of menus to adjust the RF
output power.  While all the new and fancy feature are nice (DSP, band
displays, built in digital mode encoders, etc.) they are not must have for
every ham out there.  Think a modern 544 with the same marketing plan, base
rig, matching power supply, external VFO, matching antenna tuner, etc...
Something that can grow with the user.
2)  Bring back the line of Ten-Tet manual tuners
3)  #2, but a CW qrp rig
4)  Kits kits and more kits!!
5)  Cases.  I know this was dropped a few years ago, but a small line a
cases that experimenters and home-brewers can use would be great
6)  Include FULL documentation and open source all firmware source code
with all new radios so end users can trouble shoot, and potentially fix
their investment, and create modifications.
7)  Something geared toward mobile use.  Again keep it simple with mostly
front panel controls that can be easily operated while mobile.
8)  6M Transverter
9)  Bring back the 6N2
10) More open source radios

While flagship and cutting edge radios are nice, there is defiantly a
marked for radios that adhere to the KISS principal.

On Thu, Dec 3, 2015 at 12:42 PM, Mike Bryce <prosolar at sssnet.com> wrote:

> Well that’s a fine how-do-you-do this morning.
>
> I’ve been with the same company I’m various forms for 43 years.
>
> We were sold, went bankrupt, sold to a capital investment group, went
> bankrupt, sold again, did ESOP, sold, bankrupt… This went on and on.
>
> whenever  someone want’s to “invest in your company” you’d better run. RKR
> wasn’t a good mix for Ten Tec. My opinion.
>
> Mergers are never a good idea. When I hired in, the company had just under
> a thousand employees. Today, we have 53. Where we once had 90% of the
> market, we struggle with 15%. Sure, we have newer/slimmer/import
> competitors, but somehow though the mergers, we lost track of what we
> where, where we’ve been, and where we’re going.
>
> Right now, Ten Tec is like the company I work for. We’re barreling down
> hill and nobody is driving the bus.
>
> It seems right now that Ten Tec is poking their heads down into the abyss.
> And to me, the last owners used the company like a beer can—they drained
> out the last drop and then crushed the empty shell.
>
> The light at the end of my tunnel is getting brighter, and I can see
> myself retired by the time dayton 2016 arrives.  I won’t have the $$$ to
> throw into the pot to help Ten Tec design a new radio. Shades of ATLAS
> Radio come to mind when the owner said the same thing. Help me fund this
> new radio, and you’ll be first to own one. All the investors lost all their
> money.
>
> One thing that I couldn’t understand was why Ten Tec dropped making some
> of the accessories that would match with their gear?They did in the past,
> like the antenna tuners for the corsair, the Triton’s. Ameritron can sell a
> four tube 811 amp for a price that makes is very easy to afford. Why can’t
> Ten Tec build such an amplifier? And not price it at $2999?
>
> MFJ has ten full page ads in QST selling accessories. There had to be
> profit in those. But, that all being said, I never sat in one of the board
> meets at Ten Tec. Perhaps they were a money looser.
>
> I certainly don’t want to sound like a monday morning quarterback and say
> what I’d do, because that’s so easy to do. I don’t know have a clue about
> the internal workings of any company, not even the one I work for.
>
> I will throw this into the hat.
>
> If Ten Tec does in fact show up at dayton 2016, I’ll be happy to volunteer
> a few hours every day at their booth. Elecraft has volunteers, why not Ten
> Tec?
>
> I wish the new owner the best of luck, and will continue to booster the
> company and purchase its products.
>
> I’m mike, wb8vge
>
> Mike Bryce
> prosolar at sssnet.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>