Folks,
I have been following this thread a bit, although haven't read every
posting. To set the stage, while I have been a Ten Tec user over the last
20+ years, I now own and use a K3 as my primary HF/VHF transceiver. There
are a number of reasons I went that way -- probably not worth going over --
but it wasn't because of lack of good solid support from Ten Tec over the
years.
I suspect it is very difficult for a manufacturer to continue to provide
upgrades to released and sold equipment at no cost, yet that seems to be the
current model that we expect. Chevrolet never offered to upgrade my old Nova
to the performance level a new model either.
Elecraft is exceptionally good at this, and I really appreciate it. Some if
it is providing features that they announced at the beginning, such as
synchronous AM that was released this week. Some is just ideas that users
have on how it could be even better. I love this idea, but do not believe it
is sustainable forever as a business model, if they want to continue to be a
major provider. Some day there will be a K4 or whatever (not sure if they
will get to a K9 <g>) and it will become difficult to spread their resources
to cover new development and feature creep on earlier models with a limited
staff.
So, to me, the good news is that there are other options. Throughout the Ten
Tec model roll out process, there have been outside folk, not many, but all
it takes is a talented few, who provided third party software/firmware
products that addressed issues or desires of owners of TT equipment that the
factory didn't provide. Unfortunately, they can't get into this if the
manufacturer continues to provide free upgrades at every turn.
So, with any luck, if Ten-Tec has really stopped O II development work, and
it wouldn't surprise me if they have met their specs, etc. perhaps someone
else will jump in and respond to users' perceived needs.
Regards, Joel
Joel R. Hallas, W1ZR
-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Doug Turnbull
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 5:16 PM
To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: [TenTec] OII no more development
Gentlemen,
I was one of the early contributors to this thread. I like my Orion II
dearly and wondered at some of the vitriol being poured by other owners
during earlier times. Truth is that I still like my Orion II but I am
afraid that the K3 is the future despite some superior features of the
Orion. The updates and improvements are taking the K3 further ahead and if
you read Sherwood the Orion is the better of the two for reception though
both are good receivers. The K3 is no slouch on SSB or CW transmission and
again is constantly being updated. Perhaps you feel that a transceiver
once developed is set and at its best, well I do not.
Mention has been made of the loss of a programmer at TenTec. This is
not good as the new man/woman will take time to get the thread of what when
before - continuity has been lost. TenTec has many other interests while
Elecrafter is strictly interested in the amateur market. Okay our
military, yes I am an American despite my call and much loved home, need new
equipment but this has led to a decrease in American competiveness in
civilian markets. Now we have three US companies producing amongst the
very best radios in the world. But Elecrafter is strictly involved in the
amateur market at least for the time being. Thus they concentrate and
provide all their energies to serve this market. Now we have countrymen
dying for all of us of foreign soil so perhaps TenTec has the moral high
ground but we need to have American product competing or our nation is
doomed to imports from China and then how will we pay for our luxuries. I
will stop this point now.
As to the superior technical expertise of some who have contributed to
this thread how do they know anything of what others have accomplished?
They too have a factory built rig and I do not know what they have built in
the past. Please do not lecture me and others in this way as I doubt you
have built your own Orion II. I have done plenty of home brewing and I am
an engineer so I resent this type of talk.
The Orion II is a good rig, indeed a very good rig as all of us have
agreed but it could be a better rig and all I stated was a disappointment at
the fact that TenTec has seemingly dropped the Orion II from further
development. Okay, I made a comparison with Elecrafter and perhaps this
should not have been done. They do no encourage knocking of other product
on their reflector. But guys the K3 is a job which is getting better by
the day. It has problems but they get resolved. The owners have been
involved in the forum from day one. Now I can appreciate that the good
people at TT might have become weary from some that was on this site earlier
- none of which came from me but they are losing the market.
I will not sell my OII and still hope for further improvements but I
have reasonable doubts. A few difficult customers of TT are not their
fault and I hope not but fear that now I fall into this category.
Well we now have a vibrant US ham radio industry once again. These
radios are sold world wide. Please forgive me for stating that at this
time K3 is the dominant radio in the market perhaps OII will regain this
position. And yes ON4UN uses K3 radios these days though he may well change
again. Do I believe you will work a station on 80M SSB or even 20 SSB with
a K3 that will not be possible with the O2 - absolutely not. Will a K3
have some advantage in a contest; well I believe so. Is this a reason to
switch well probably not? Enjoy the Orion II it is a great radio and I
love my own. I ask forbearance but have some doubts it will come.
73 Doug EI2CN /KA1QYT/W1CGG/K4WQZ MSEE, MSIE, MIEEE
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