[TenTec] Reflector Buy-Back program

[Kartooo]

" mechanical switch television tuners " 
brings back memories, my Dad was a TV repair man. as a kid i followed him around on TV calls and remember well the big ol white rag and smell of tuner cleaner. 
the homes with multiple smokers had really dirty tuners. 
what about the advancement into the TV remote that worked off sound ? my Dad had a .38 snubbie detective special that when dry fired duplicated the sound of the remote and would change the channel any TV in his shop.... 
i been rebuilding transmissions now for 40yrs. give me a 2or 3 speed with no wires and i'm happy. 
these 8/10/11 speeds with 50 or 60 wires going into them are not for me. yup GM & ford both came out with a 10 spd this yr. ford just applied for a pattern on an 11 spd !! 
like our radios solenoids and electronics have replaced costly mechanical hydraulic control on trans too lowering the build cost. 
repairing them is like repairing a new rig. you replace solenoid packs at $600 +, there are no "repair parts" 
just like our rigs, they replace the boards not the pieces on them when in for a repair. 

Well said Gary, i agree 100% 

Larry 
n1yw 
----- Original Message -----

From: "Gary J FollettDukes HiFi" <dukeshifi at comcast.net> 
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2016 1:33:37 AM 
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Reflector Buy-Back program 

Dwelling on a mediocre product like the 7300 is probably not the objective of this forum. 

However, learning as much as possible about direct digital receivers is relevant because that is the way things are going to go, for KenSuCom and for Ten Tec (as well as Elecraft). 

I look back at the old mechanical switch television tuners, many of which I have repaired or replaced, and laugh because the television companies charged EXTRA for the Varactor diode tuned sets when they began to replace the mechanical tuners. In reality, the manufacturing costs for Varactor tuned tuners were a fraction of the costs for the switch type tuners. For a while, the television makers had the best of both worlds, lower manufacturing costs cost and higher prices. It doesn’t get any better than that from a business perspective. 

This will happen with digital direct conversion radios as well, once the improvements in real dynamic range are made and the selling prices fall into line with manufacturing costs. 

Imagine the driving force for manufacturers: 
1) No expensive crystal filters 
2) No bandswitches 
3) Virtual knobs that can do any function you desire (for those who, like myself, insist on a radio with real knobs) 
4) Ability to improve function with a simple downloadable firmware upgrade - something Ten Tec pioneered 
5) Every feature you can imagine, including a band scope that puts Orion (and most other radios) to shame 
6) A natural course for obsolescence, driving new sales. Obsolete one crucial part in the radio and panic drives people to liquidate the old and buy new 

The Flex business model of introducing a new model every time the seasons change drives prices of previous models low enough that we bargain hunters can buy pretty awesome performance for pennies on the dollar. 

As a result, the only thing that depreciates in value faster than an SDR is an open can of Coors Lite. That’s great for us bargain hunters… 


Gary 

W0DVN