[TenTec] Orion VFO Knobs

[Steve Berg]

Hear Hear!

We have been spoiled by the service we got from the original Ten Tec 
company.  Paul Clinton and his techs were always very helpful, and that 
costs money.  David is trying very hard to keep the company functional, 
but had to make some changes.

When I was a tech at the Motorola Midwest Service Depot in Schaumburg, 
Illinois in the late 1970s, they were charging $65 an hour for my 
services.  From that sum, I was paid $6.50 an hour. Inflation since then 
has taken its toll, and I find that the new Ten Tec service rates are 
not excessive at all.  If they can find the parts, they can still fix 
most of our old radios.  I just ordered some ceramic filters from a 
place in Australia, so I can keep my Argonaut V alive for some time.  I 
have also bought final amplifier transistors for most of my old Ten Tec 
rigs.

I once owned a Kenwood TS-790A VHF/UHF multimode radio.  Once it had 
passed the time they supported it, I could not get it fixed at all by 
Kenwood.  I had to get it fixed at a shop in Southeast Iowa.  This is 
going to be the case for whatever brand of radio that you purchase from 
now on.  Product life cycles are getting ever shorter, too.

73,

Steve WA9JML



On 8/8/2018 3:31 PM, Rick at dj0ip.de wrote:
> David, you didn't start a firestorm.  To the contrary, you triggered a very
> important twist on the thread of getting old radios repaired.
> Fundamentally:  forget it.
>
> And the lesson to be learned is, it will only get worse.
> Consider that when making purchase decisions.
>
> I will conclude my contribution to this thread by saying anyone blaming the
> current Ten-Tec owner for anything in the past, or failure to be able to
> repair radios that he never sold, is . . . not only unfair, but damaging our
> hobby by discouraging others from continuing to invest in the manufacturing
> side of it.
>
> 73,
> Rick, DJ0IP
> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
>