[TenTec] Inspired by TenTec!

Fri Jul 20 01:55:33 EDT 2018

GM Ron,

The problem is, if you don't cater to the vast majority of "everyone" - i.e., the guys wanting SDR in this case, you won't be in business 5 years from now.

The company I work(ed) for has been in business for 18 years and is growing in the low double-digit percentage, each year.  However it is the commercial portion of our business that is responsible for the growth.  The ham business is slowly shrinking.   We make our money in the ham radio business by selling the lower cost items to the ham community, not the high-end Yagi antennas that were used exclusively by all of the 63 WRTC-2018 teams last weekend.  If we weren't focusing on the low end, there would be no money for manufacturing the high end.

BTW, here is my feedback on our unofficial participation in the WRTC and IARU contest last weekend:

http://www.dj0ip.de/wrtc-2018/my-wrtc-2018/ 

Take a look at QRP Labs QCX transceiver “kit”.

Hans (the owner of QRP Labs) has sold over 5000 of these in less than one year.

I know because I happened to receive serial number 5000, and got a congratulations email from Hans for being his 5000th purchaser.

*	This is a kit costing just $49.  It is cheap.  It is good.  
*	A good crystal filter costs $100.

See: http://www.dj0ip.de/wrtc-2018/my-wrtc-2018/ 

A radio with a single 9 MHz filter won’t perform as well as the QCX transceiver.

END OF STORY.  GAME OVER FOR XTAL FILTERS!

73,

Rick, DJ0IP

(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec <tentec-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of Ron Notarius W3WN
Sent: 20 July 2018 03:51
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Inspired by TenTec!

I can also agree with Rick... to a point.

I’m not yet convinced that “everyone” wants an SDR rig, today.  Yes, many do, and yes the IC-7300 is a game changer, but things are still in flux.

5 years from now may well be a completely different story.  If that long.

That said, look at the micro BITX (uBITX) kit out of India.  (I still have to put mine together, but that’s another story!). I understand the current version, including the “Rarduino” display board, sells fr $139.  Now, the kit is not perfect... but iit’s still interesting.  Could Ten Tec or someone else market a version of an SDR-type rig like this, for a solid 5 to 10 W out across the bands, with a case, for under $300 or close to it?

If Mike were to ask my opinion, which he has not, that would be the direction I’d suggest.

73, ron w3wn

-----Original Message-----

From: Byron Cordes via TenTec < <mailto:tentec at contesting.com> tentec at contesting.com>

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment < <mailto:tentec at contesting.com> tentec at contesting.com>

Cc: Byron Cordes < <mailto:byroncordes at icloud.com> byroncordes at icloud.com>

Sent: Thu, Jul 19, 2018 06:18 PM

Subject: Re: [TenTec] Inspired by TenTec!

Have to agree with Rick , SDR with big display Is what most ham want. However l would like to see a filter up radio with SDR. I do run a filter radio with high cost filters but it does work better on the weak stations the other 98% of the time the SDR radio works great ! Looks impressive too.

  Maybe Ten Tec could bring back the 238 tuner!

I have one and been looking for one more they just don’t come up for sale. But to bring in a new radio would be hard. Icom 7300 has changed the radio world and that’s the radio Ten Tec would be up against unless the go for a top  end  radio $5000 or  more . there is some interest one band wonders . Inexpensive !  Can’t make much money on them .

  If they would just sell anything it would give some hope but it is what it is.  

  I have sold both of my Orion’s and my Eagle. Keeping the Omni VI plus (I can work on it)  and a Drake r4c and use a cheap SDR for a monitor as I think the ship is going down Captain! 

 Byron AC9PA 

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 19, 2018, at 3:31 PM, <a href=" <mailto:Rick at dj0ip.de> mailto:Rick at dj0ip.de"> <mailto:Rick at dj0ip.de%3c/a> Rick at dj0ip.de</a> wrote:

> 

> Well don't expect too much from a single conversion 9 MHz radio these days.

> 14 or 15 people might buy one but the other 5000 hams want an SDR radio.

> 

> Good Xtal filters cost $100 each and you need at least 2 or 3 to have 

> a half way decent radio

> 

> My heart is in sync with you, but my brain says . . .  "sorry Charlie, 

> no way!"

> 

> 73,

> Rick, DJ0IP

> (Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: TenTec <tentec-<a 

> href=" <mailto:bounces at contesting.com> mailto:bounces at contesting.com"> <mailto:bounces at contesting.com%3c/a> bounces at contesting.com</a>> On 

> Behalf Of Don Rasmussen via TenTec

> Sent: 19 July 2018 22:14

> To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <<a 

> href=" <mailto:tentec at contesting.com> mailto:tentec at contesting.com"> <mailto:tentec at contesting.com%3c/a> tentec at contesting.com</a>>

> Cc: Don Rasmussen <<a 

> href=" <mailto:wb8yqj at yahoo.com> mailto:wb8yqj at yahoo.com"> <mailto:wb8yqj at yahoo.com%3c/a> wb8yqj at yahoo.com</a>>

> Subject: [TenTec] Inspired by TenTec!

> 

> Would be really nice to see something like this actually come along 

> from TenTec. ;-) de Wb8yqj Don <a 

> href="https://swling.com/blog/2018/05/the-mission-rgo-one-a-new-50-wat

> t-all-mode-h" 

> target="_blank"> <https://swling.com/blog/2018/05/the-mission-rgo-one-a-> https://swling.com/blog/2018/05/the-mission-rgo-one-a-

> new-50-watt-all-mode-h</a>

> f-transceiver/

> _______________________________________________

> TenTec mailing list

> <a href=" <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com> mailto:TenTec at contesting.com"> <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com%3c/a> TenTec at contesting.com</a>

> <a href=" <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec" 

> target="_blank"> <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec%3c/a> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec</a

> >

> 

> _______________________________________________

> TenTec mailing list

> <a href=" <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com> mailto:TenTec at contesting.com"> <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com%3c/a> TenTec at contesting.com</a>

> <a href=" <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec" 

> target="_blank"> <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec%3c/a> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec</a

> >

_______________________________________________

TenTec mailing list

<a href=" <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com> mailto:TenTec at contesting.com"> <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com%3c/a> TenTec at contesting.com</a>

<a href=" <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec" target="_blank"> <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec%3c/a> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec</a>

_______________________________________________

TenTec mailing list

 <mailto:TenTec at contesting.com> TenTec at contesting.com

 <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec