Ron, read this post, it just came in. Toby
----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Gerarden" <cgerarden@atomix.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2005 11:22 PM
Subject: [TenTec] The future of The Orion I
> I was very disturbed when Ten Tec decided to discontinue the Orion I.
> Normally I would expect this from any other manufacturer, but over the
> past 2 years Ten Tec has been telling us it is upgradable. False
> advertising? I think so. I have been waiting for the software fixes that
> resolve the various problems. I doubt they will ever come. I bought the
> Orion only because it was advertised as being upgradable.
>
> So now I am being asked to shell out another $1700.00 for O II with new
> filters that I could not even use from my old O I. Got to hand it to
> TT, they got this right from the American Corporate Greed Handbook.
> Everyone remember the Classic Coke debacle? TT is either acting out of
> sheer ignorance, desperation, or with complete disregard of their
> customer base. Have they forgotten the type of hams who buy TT? Talk
> about being a disenfranchised TT customer.
>
> While Scott of Ten Tec has indicated there is a 2.0 release coming. I
> would bet this new code is really aimed and supported for the new Orion
> II. No doubt there will be a token attempt to provide a 2.0 release for
> O I, but as a software engineer I know how easy it is to slap a new
> release number on code and "ship it" anybody really think the developers
> for the O II processor and platform really cared enough to make it
> backward compatible for the O I, a soon to be discontinued product.
> Don't be naive.
>
> I now have my TT Orion up for sale, a month ago it would have sold for a
> good price in a day. after 3 days, no inquires, and no sale.
> This boat anchor will probably go down in history as the rig that sunk
> TT. There will be TT sales for the O II but it won't be enough and not
> enough people will upgrade. Despite what .gov says, our economy is not
> that great and guys who whipped out $3300.00 for the greatest rig on
> earth most likely will not whip out another $1700.00. How long before
> the O III comes out? 2 years, because they forgot to make the O II
> upgradable!
>
> All you guys who talk about cars, consumer electronics, and computers
> being discontinued, it is not the same with the Orion. TT clearly laid
> out a path for as to follow, they just slaughtered us at the end of
> it. I have been a big TT fan for years, but now will buy amps from
> Alpha, Tuners from Palstar and look into SDR-1000 and other
> alternatives. The Orion I is a great radio, but perception is stronger
> than reality and it will be thought of as the radio TT could never fix.
> Watch the classifieds on Eham and QTH, We will be flooded with Orions
> nobody can sell.
>
> Chuck
>
> W0DLE
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