[TenTec] Wrong Product - Eagle

Mon Feb 20 17:41:12 EST 2017

In the cold, harsh light of day, I think that Louis really addresses 
many of the issues facing TT.

As a professional photographer, I know that the photos on the website 
are really bad and should have never been seen on the net. And, like 
Louis also said, the  products should not be shown if not available. 
Brings back memories of 'Vaporware', on many new software companies 
websites.

Like everyone here, I really hope that TT can really put together a 
great recovery. I am looking forward to new rigs, that _really_ work 
well, like in the past.

73 es DX
Art
w1aer

On 2/20/2017 5:10 PM, Louis Ciotti wrote:
> Here is the problem with Tec Tec right now.
>
> Most people go to websites to look for information.  I am looking for
> information on TenTec, I go to the site.  I am met with a home page
> that shows photos of 6 possible transceivers, and 2 receivers. Some of
> the photos are OK, but they all are grainy, one is down right bad. It
> looks amateur-"ish".
>
> OK so lets get past that, let try and buy a radio... ooopps.. it goes
> to a under construction page. No mention of the production "pause",
> future production plans, nothing... hmmm
>
> OK.... lets get more information... how about the About page... Well
> at least this has some information, but it appears dated, and with
> this recent news coming via a third party to an e-mail reflector, that
> the first production radios will be "eagles" with basically no
> updates.  The site states differently, it talks about an Omni 7+, then
> a "Super Eagle" then an Orion III... Wait... this all is familiar, oh
> yea that same text was published 1 year ago, so that is dated, and
> obviously wrong.
>
> OK lets go further... I have a tentec, and they are repairing radios,
> lets get that out for repair... Go to service, click the contact us
> link... ooopps now I am at mirror of an old site and have a 404
> error...
>
> Grrrr.. maybe there is something in the news section... Nope, just a
> check back regularly notice...
>
> OK lets go to the contact page.. Hey some useful links finally... but
> what is this??  All over the site there are comments about not
> contacting Distronix about anything tentec related, but it looks like
> if you are a commercial company or government customer you get to call
> Distronix..  Well I guess we know who they care about....
>
> All of this adds up to people thinking TenTec is gone... or at least
> no longer viable long term option
>
> My thoughts:
>
> 1) if the radio is not in production, DON'T put it on the products page
>
> 2) If I can't order a radio, DON'T even have a products page, because
> lets face it, if I can't order a radio, you are not producing radios,
> are you a radio manufacture?
>
> 3) If you do have service available, have the service page actually
> work, and oh have a phone number that people can call, even if it just
> goes to voice mail, and oh BTW check the voice mail, and respond. If
> you can't have someone to answer the phone, again that leaves an
> unsettled feeling with people. After all you are trusting people to
> send in their radio for repair, it would be nice to talk to someone
> about it.  I am not saying you have to have a tech man the line, it
> can just be a person who documents the problem, and files the RMAs, a
> pretty low skill position that can't cost that much money.
>
> 4) A lot of the website talks about how much better new management is
> doing, seems sort of thing someone would say in house, not to
> customers.  Really we do not need to hear how much better you are than
> the last guy, prove it with actions not words.
>
> 5) Post company news via proper channels, not via a e-mail reflector
> through another person.  Company information should come from the
> company and nobody else. TenTec needs a face and a voice for the
> amateur crowd, and right now all they have is an "OK" website, and
> second hand forwarded e-mails..
>
> 6) If TenTec is going to make a radio, then fine, figure out the
> production time line, price point etc. internally, and then ounce that
> is locked down and you have committed to doing it the post it
> publicly, and promote it, and oh BTW don't count on a limit run of
> radios to keep you afloat, that will never work, it is just kicking
> the can down the road. The eagle was released when 2010/2011??  your
> going to save the company with 7 year old tech?
>
> I give Mike credit for taking on this beast, and I had hoped he would
> have been able to turn things around by now, but I am left feeling
> like he is in well over his head.
>
> Just my $0.02 take it for what it is...
>
> On Sun, Feb 19, 2017 at 3:58 PM, terry foskey via TenTec
> <tentec at contesting.com> wrote:
>> You will never sell eagles at the proposed price point.  I was not proposing an OMNI VII only the form factor ie user interface of a box similar in size or between the Orion and the Omni VII.  What i propose uses the Eagle receiver and perhaps transmit sections but in a different package.
>>
>>
>>        From: Ron Notarius W3WN <wn3vaw at verizon.net>
>>   To: 'terry foskey' <n5tf at yahoo.com>; 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment' <tentec at contesting.com>
>>   Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2017 2:48 PM
>>   Subject: RE: [TenTec] Wrong Product - Eagle
>>
>> Terry,
>>
>> I would respectfully disagree with you in part.
>>
>> Considering that the Omni VII is the older of the two designs, it makes
>> sense to bring back the Eagle first.  Less chance of parts suddenly becoming
>> unobtanium, one of the hottest receivers on the market at the time (remember
>> the upgrade to the Orion/Orion II second receiver was the Eagle receiver
>> design, as I recall), and a relatively compact design.
>>
>> If were Mike to ask for my input, which he has not, my only quibble would be
>> to make the "bare bones" Eagles all with the antenna tuner.  You can achieve
>> a bit of an economy of scale that way, and it would be a good selling point
>> when compared to the imported rigs for less money that come an AT installed.
>>
>> Now, with that said...
>>
>> I would agree that, if I were asked, which I have not, that the first "new"
>> rig would logically be an updated Omni VII.  Take the Eagle design, bring it
>> up to date with technology from the last few years, possibly add either a
>> second receiver or the capability to add one later (a simple add-in board,
>> perhaps).  Use the larger rig form factor of an Omni VII or an Orion for the
>> purpose of ergonomics (I've used a K3, and I really dislike the small knobs
>> and the relatively crowded front panel... But I don't wan an all menu driven
>> rig, either).
>>
>> Once that's done, if I were asked, which I have not, I'd then suggest
>> updating the Eagle.  So the two primary HF rigs would be the 'updated' Eagle
>> and the 'updated' Omni VII, whatever names/numbers end up being hung on
>> them.
>>
>> Oh, and I would also (if asked) suggest bringing the Rebel & Patriot back
>> sooner than later, and yes, I know that the old CPU is out of production and
>> this would require a small redesign.  They were selling quite well for a
>> while, and it looked as though they were a big hit with those interested in
>> Open Source and similar 'mod' projects.  Both were essentially single board
>> rigs, as I recall, with a simple case.  Should be easy to put back in
>> production (oh, sure) compared to the other rigs.
>>
>> ...and if at all possible, I'd hope Mike can have rigs with him at
>> Hamvention (I guess we can't call it Dayton anymore, can we?  Xenia
>> Hamvention just doesn't have the ring to it though).  I think it would be a
>> huge postitive PR step to not just SAY that the gear is back in production,
>> but to SHOW them, and display them ready for sale NOW.  If Mike were to ask
>> my opinion, that is, which he has not.
>>
>> Back to the contest!
>>
>> 73. ron w3wn
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of terry
>> foskey via TenTec
>> Sent: Sunday, February 19, 2017 11:58 AM
>> To: TenTec at contesting.com
>> Cc: terry foskey
>> Subject: [TenTec] Wrong Product - Eagle
>>
>> I personally believe the Eagle is the wrong product to hang a radio restart
>> on.  Piggy back on the OMNI VII and Orion 2. Take a form factor somewhere
>> near the Omni VII box, slap two eagle receivers in it, nice pad adapter
>> screen  with an output for a larger screen, IF Out and you could compete
>> with elecraft and others.  The user interface alone on the Tentec will run
>> circles around the Elecraft.  Perhaps Im wrong but I don't believe the Eagle
>> has the demand.
>> N5TFTerry
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-- 
Art Roberts W1AER
Tariffville, CT  FN31ov
JT9 and JT65