I've been doing a little checking, and I have yet to hear or read anything
significantly bad about the BD4RG HB-1A rig.
So let's do a small reality check. Ten-Tec wants to introduce a new QRP
radio, they come across this design, they find out that they can have a
version of it built for them at an affordable price. So what's not to like?
Would I have preferred that it be built in Tennessee? Certainly. But for
the company to survive, it may have been inevitable that some of their
manufacturing would be out-sourced, just to stay competitively priced.
We don't know all the details, we may never know them, and for that matter,
it's probably not all for the public ears anyway. It could be that they are
currently so busy with equipment (amateur, commercial, and military) that
they couldn't squeeze something else into the production line schedule, for
example. So this is not necessarily a bad thing.
And let's be realistic. Let's say Ten-Tec decides, for example, to
introduce a small mobile HF rig... imagine an updated Argonaut V with 100 W
output, for example. [I used to talk about such a possibility with Scott,
way back when, and the answer I got was that it wasn't cost effective for
Ten-Tec to do so -- the interest was there, but they couldn't price it in
such a way as to be affordable (and competitive with others) and
profitable.] If this new radio works out, and the opportunity presents
itself, let's say that the new rig CAN be built at BD4RG's facility... and
the retail cost to you is $599 or less. Would you buy that radio, even if
it were made overseas? [I know I'd strongly consider it if I had the
shekels to spend at the time... and probably would] And the alternative
is... no radio at any price?
My biggest concern however... well, a few of you on the list remember the
Drake TR-22. Which was built for them with their design by a company called
Trio. What happened next? Well, do you remember the Trio-Kenwood TR-2200?
The rest I leave as an intellectual exercise for the curious.
The bottom line is that this is going to be very interesting. I hope for
Ten-Tec's sake (and for ours, for that matter) that it works out well. We
shall see.
And with any luck, come this fall, I will be able to get my hands on one
myself.
73, ron w3wn
-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Bwana Bob
Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 2:32 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] New TT website
It looks like it was designed to compete with the Elecraft KX-1 and the
Hendricks TFR. Personally, I would prefer a kit radio.
73,
Bob WB2VUF
Michael Goins wrote:
> Yep. It's the Chinese rig by BD4RG with TenTec's name now on it. If
> you pull up the manuals for the rig the schematic is still the same
> and it has HB-1A on it.
>
> This is a really a fun little rig and the price is pretty good built
> and ready to go. The audio is a little raspy on the original ones and
> a little low. Wonder if it was corrected for this version and hte
> schematic just hasn't been changed on the instruction sheets. Again, I
> wonder why they split it into 20/30 and 30/40 when the original is
> 20/30/40. Find that a little odd.
>
> Mike
> Pipe Creek, Texas
> Fast cars, slow boats, big dogs, little radios, and summers off to write
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 2010/5/21 Fotis SV8ING <sv8ing@yahoo.gr>:
>> It's www.tentec.com
>> and I see there a new TT site!
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Fotis SV8ING Papadellis
>>
>> GREECE
>>
>> --- Στις Παρ., 21/05/10, ο/η Kris Merschrod <Kris@merschrod.net> έγραψε:
>>
>> Από: Kris Merschrod <Kris@merschrod.net>
>> Θέμα: Re: [TenTec] New TT website
>> Προς: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> Ημερομηνία: Παρασκευή, 21 Μάιος 2010, 14:37
>>
>> Good afternoon Fotis,
>>
>> Please tell us where the new T T website is. That is, please send the
www.
>> address or URL.
>>
>> 73,
>> Kris KM2KM
>> Merschrod
>> 123 Warren Road
>> Ithaca, NY 14850
>> www.merschrod.net
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Fotis SV8ING" <sv8ing@yahoo.gr>
>> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
>> Sent: Friday, May 21, 2010 10:25 AM
>> Subject: [TenTec] New TT website
>>
>>
>>> A new TT website is out there!
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>> Fotis SV8ING Papadellis
>>>
>>> GREECE
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> TenTec mailing list
>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> TenTec mailing list
>> TenTec@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>> TenTec@contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>
> _______________________________________________
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> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
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