The SSB Company?

[W3WN]

Ten-Tec has revamped their web site http://www.tentec.com/.

There's a lot to like, and dislike, about the revamp.

But two things caught my eye:

(1) Their new slogan. The SSB Company. Ten-Tec? Home of QSK and some of the (arguably) best made CW rigs on the planet of the last decade? Now the SSB Company?

I know, it's just a marketing slogan. And their rigs are (arguably) great phone rigs as well. But still...

(2) The new QRP rigs. One 40/30 meters, the other 20/40 meters. 5 watts, very compact, I heard some good things about them (although ironically enough I don't recall seeing them at Dayton -- yeah, I know they were there, but somehow I missed them)
http://www.tentec.com/?id=193
http://www.tentec.com/?id=194

Word is that if you pull up the manuals (the links to which were on the pages but seem to have dissipated... on edit, they're now listed as corrupted and the files need to be redone. Hmmm.), these are functionally the same as the 3 band HB-1A QRP rig designed by BD4RG... only done as two 2 band rigs instead of one. Interesting in and of itself. But, T-T staffers have stated that the new rigs are being built for them, not by them... and when you factor in the designer, the implication is that for (as far as I know) the first time, T-T is importing rigs from China.

I guess, all things considered, that's not THAT surprising. The company wants to survive, and one of the many factors in the demise of the Argonaut V was that it cost almost as much to build and sell it at 20 Watts as a 100 W output rig would go for [so why not make it a 100 W rig instead? I once asked Scott W4PA that, and from what I remember offhand of the answer, they didn't think they'd have enough of a market for it. My thoughts were that they should do that and position it as a mobile HF rig, but what do I know?] And the retail on these rigs is $249, with shipping to start next month.

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end of the Tennessee made radios.

Times, they are a-changing.

[N8YX]

What they need to do is to make a well-thought-out all-mode 100w (or higher) transmitter which will slave to (and matches the appearance of) the RX-340.

I would be among the first in line to buy.

[N9FE]

They do have the filtering thing down. I've never got to really dig into one, But the jupiter that a friend had, Cripe that thing was like FM on sideband. There were storms close by to boot. Fugly as sin though. Talk about the o'l black square box.. Jeebus

[N4VGB]

I hope this isn't the beginning of the end of the Tennessee made radios.

Times, they are a-changing.

I hope they survive also. I'll try to pry some info from them at the TenTec 'fest.

[N4VGB]

What they need to do is to make a well-thought-out all-mode 100w (or higher) transmitter which will slave to (and matches the appearance of) the RX-340.

I would be among the first in line to buy.

If the transmitter price equalled the RX-340, few would purchase.

Some claim the Orion II is close to RX-340 performance, I dunno 'bout that.

I lusted for an RX-340 for a long time, then the SDR revolution came along and I started to doubt it was worth the price. The SDR based Perseus and QS1R might be a better investment of capital?

The RX-340 is still appealing to me because it looks like a high end rcvr should look.

[KC9ECI]

Neat little QRP rigs anyway. I've been giving some thought to picking up one of the Flex QRP rigs though.

[ka4dpo]

Ten Tec is just pandoring to the no code crowd. They know that's where the market is but I'm sure the CW performance is still top notch.

[KG4CGC]

And they're fine radios too.

[WØTKX]

The deep dark secret? Even the old Ten Tec rigs are nice on SSB, it just never got much attention.

[ka4dpo]

The deep dark secret? Even the old Ten Tec rigs are nice on SSB, it just never got much attention.

That's true, all of the Ten Tec rigs I have ever owned or worked sounded great on phone.