[TenTec] Orion VFO Knobs

[Steve Berg]

I remember being called a lot of nasty names in Urdu, because Motorola 
made a cheap radio that a lot of taxicab drivers bought. To replace the 
final amplifier transistors, required taking the radio out of the case, 
then removing two soldered in shield cans to gain access to the 
transistors.  At $65 an hour, plus the cost of the final transistors, 
the final bill was almost as expensive as buying a new radio.  Hence the 
outraged Pakistanis!

Steve WA9JML



On 8/8/2018 4:49 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:
> Yep, that is what I was doing when performing contract service for 
> Kenwood, Icom and Yaesu and a few other public service products.    
> Fortunately most was warranty service and the customer was not 
> required to pay.
>
> For those ham radios costing less than $500, toss 'em in the 
> electronics recycling trash.   You will find it cheaper to buy the new 
> model.
>
> 73
>
> Bob, K4TAX
>
>
> On 8/8/2018 4:45 PM, Greg S via TenTec wrote:
>> Television model life cycles in the 1970’s thru the 1980’s were 
>> pegged at 3 years. It is currently 3 MONTHS and shrinking. No factory 
>> service department does component level troubleshooting or repair any 
>> more. Board replacement is the name of the game.
>> Watch your top knot.
>> Greg, KC8HXO
>>
>> Sent from my Linux device
>>
>>> On Aug 8, 2018, at 16:48, Steve Berg <wa9jml at frontier.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> 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)
>>>>
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