On Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:24:26 -0800 (PST), Kimberly Elmore wrote:
>I'm no TT apologist, but don't these companies have different
>business models? Aren't the Flex5000 and K3 more of an open-source
>sort of environment?
I don't know enough to address the Flex radios, but the K3 is quite
comparable to the Orion products in concept, superior in
performance, but comparable to the Omni VII in price.
I have LONG felt that Ten Tec has failed miserably in the customer
contact department, while Elecraft has benefitted strongly from the
excellent customer contact they maintain on the reflector that they
themselves established. There is a LOT of traffic on that reflector,
the OWNERS of Elecraft read it, one of them is its moderator, they
pay a lot of attention to input from customers, and they respond
directly to relevant questions. One of the owner/founders is the
chief engineer and major designer, the other is the major
sales/marketing guy (and technical enough to know what he's talking
about).
I bought my first Ten Tec radio, an Omni A, new in 1980, and I still
own a bunch of Ten Tec gear that I've bought used -- an Omni V.9,
three Titan 425s, a Herc I, a Herc II, and six 229/238s. I own two
K3s, and they are the only NEW ham radio products I've purchased new
since buying that Omni A 28 years ago! In the meantime, I've owned
TS850's, IC746s, and FT1000MPs. The TS850 is a MUCH better radio
than the Omni V.9, was introduced about the same time, and was
comparably priced.
I am VERY unlikely to buy any NEW Ten Tec gear, simply because
Elecraft gives me much greater value/performance for the money, and
they build the products with the features/performance I need. And
the major reason that they do that is that they have been reading
their reflector and paying attention to what their customers tell
them.
73,
Jim Brown K9YC
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