Steve,
Do you think the Bandscope must be built in, or can it be a signal to the back
panel to feed a computer and display?
Unless you build a radio with an awfully large display, I don't see it well
enough to get much use out of it.
73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt, Germany)
-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Steve Ellington
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 4:35 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] An Update from Ten Tec
One thing for sure...If a new rig ain't got a bandscope....forget it.
People are rapidly getting hooked.
Steve N4LQ
On Wed, Nov 30, 2016 at 10:23 AM, Barry N1EU <barry.n1eu@gmail.com> wrote:
> IMHO, you guys should come out with a $3000 1KW small form factor
> solid state linear amp. You could sell boatloads. Evidently
> Elecraft's $2300 500W KPA500 sells extremely well and the SPE Expert
> 1KW and 1.5KW amps have long backorder wait times. Not much else out
> there in terms of solid state amps.
>
> 73, Barry N1EU
>
> On Tue, Nov 22, 2016 at 1:27 PM, Barry N1EU <barry.n1eu@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for the update Mike and I wish you every success!
> >
> > As far as the Eagle production, I believe it would be a tough sell
> > at $1699. Every indication is that transceiver architecture is
> > moving
> quickly
> > to direct digital sampling (e.g. IC-7300) and I'd suggest pointing
> > your design resources in that direction or risk missing the hf xcvr
> > boat entirely. It is very possible Ten-Tec could leverage their
> > previous development in dsp firmware (Orion, Omni7, Eagle) to
> > accelerate the
> design
> > cycle, which is apparently what Icom did with the IC-7300.
> >
> > 73, Barry N1EU
> >
> > On Mon, Nov 21, 2016 at 1:36 PM, Mike Dishop via TenTec <
> > tentec@contesting.com> wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Greetings Friends and Fellow Ten Tec Enthusiasts,
> >>
> >> Iwanted to update you on what is happening in Sevierville. The
> >> SmokeyMountains are literally fogged in with smoke in some places
> >> as Tennessee hasmany wild fires burning. I was there two weeks ago
> >> and have never experiencedanything like it. Driving down Jellico
> >> Mountain on I75
> it
> >> became literally IFRconditions with near zero visibility from the smoke.
> >> Assome of you know Ten Tec has been occupying office condominium
> >> space behind thesite of the former factory were now a Wal-Mart
> >> Express is sitting. Thissite is not appropriate for our needs.
> >> Starting last
> week,
> >> weare moving out of this location into a more industrial friendly
> >> space.Unfortunately this location is not zoned for commercial walk
> >> in traffic, so thedays of someone showing up at the factory door
> unfortunately
> >> have come toan end. After an entire year of searching for any
> >> possible opportunity tomove, this is all we have been able to come
> >> up with. Commercial realestate is completely out of control in
> >> Sevierville county because of thetourist industry, and unless we
> >> have
> about
> >> a half million dollars toinvest in the factory location you can
> >> just
> forget
> >> about it. Ten Tec is"too small" to receive any incentive, tax
> >> breaks or help from the localso called "Economic Development"
> >> office. My opinion
> is
> >> thatthe State and local government of Tennessee is about as
> >> economically unfriendlyto a small business or start up business as
> >> is possible. For example, inother counties in TN the standard is
> >> to create 10 new jobs to get anyincentive. Sevier County
> >> arbitrarily requires 25 jobs. By mycalculations, 25 jobs would be
> >> around a million dollar pay roll if the jobsaveraged 15 dollars an
> >> hour to the employee with a 25% more
> overhead to
> >> theemployer. Any business having that kind of payroll better have
> >> about 10million in gross receipts which would put it at DOUBLE the
> >> IRS
> definition
> >> of asmall business and QUADRUPLE the IRS definition of a
> >> microbusiness,
> so
> >> it isobvious that the economic development offices do not have any
> >> mandatewhatsoever to support or help ANY small business reason the
> scale of
> >> anindividual person's finances. The fact that Ten Tec must
> >> havecontributed millions of tax dollars to the local economy over
> >> the
> last
> >> 50 yearsmeans nothing. In many states, these economic development
> offices
> >> arepartially funded by the local Chamber of Commerce. It is my
> >> opinion theseoffices function as intelligence gathering units to
> >> forewarn their members ofany possible competitor entering their
> >> area. If small
> business is
> >> truly theeconomic growth engine of the United States it is apparent
> >> to
> me
> >> why we havegrowth problems if we depend on these organizations to
> >> help
> us
> >> as individuals.It seems ironic that the company named TEN TEC for
> Tennessee
> >> Technologies can'tget any assistance at all in Tennessee considering the
> >> state's advertising oftheir "Tennessee Technology Initiative". If you
> are
> >> wondering why I wrote all thisabove it is to head off the endless
> string of
> >> expert recommendation that Icontact TVA and the local economic
> >> development. I’ve done it and nobody is going to help Ten Tec in
> >> the
> State
> >> of Tennessee.
> >> Toget back on track, I stated above we are moving the remainder of
> >> this month.You all know what that means. Service will be slow this month.
> >> Robertdecided not to have you send in radios this month so we
> >> wouldn't
> have
> >> to movethem. There is no cause for alarm or speculation. Service
> >> willcontinue just as soon as we are moved. I hear and read all
> >> kinds of gossip andcomplaints and this and that about our service,
> >> and none of it even close toaccurate. We have serviced hundreds of
> >> radios this year and have a bunch ofhappy customers. You will see
> >> in the reflector some guy complaining orsaying he is worried and
> >> then five people saying
> everything
> >> was fine. I'mso sick of it. Really it is so frustrating,
> >> especially
> when
> >> some of youcall or write me up in Ohio about your twenty year old
> radio. I
> >> can'thelp you. I'm not in Tennessee. The people there run things
> >> and do their jobessentially under Boyd's supervision. I don't want
> >> to sound condescending oraloof or unreasonable or unfriendly but
> >> please see this from my perspective.There are thousands of you and
> >> one of me. I am responsible to run thiscompany and pay the people
> >> who work here whose families depend on me. Iam an electrical
> >> engineer and my time needs to
> be
> >> spent getting the newproducts developed and out the door, not with
> >> a
> dial
> >> string for your old thingthat I neither sold you or received any
> benefit of
> >> selling to you. Canyou directly call the president of Icom? Does
> >> Eric answer the telephonewhen you call Elecraft? It is just not
> >> possible
> for me
> >> to answer everyemail and every telephone call about service issues.
> >> If
> you
> >> call me atDishtronix and leave a message asking me to call you
> >> about
> your
> >> Ten Tec I'm notreturning your call. If I answer I'm going to tell
> >> you
> we
> >> have put up theprocedure that you email service@tentec.com. Yes, I
> have
> >> a telephone atTen Tec and no, you can’t have it. We are short
> >> staffed because we do nothave sales volume at this time to support
> >> a large overhead. This way,Robert can go through all of the email
> >> and respond
> at
> >> one time in the morning,then spend the rest of the day shipping
> >> radios
> and
> >> parts orders without beinginterrupted. He is there three days a
> >> week, so you don't get answers onMonday or Friday. Sure, I know
> >> some of you don't like it. There is no needto tell me about it. I
> >> don't like it either,
> but
> >> until we start having alot more cash flow that is the way it has
> >> going
> to
> >> have to be. For those thatcomplain about how long it is taking,
> >> please understand this is a milliondollar endeavor and money like
> >> that just doesn’t grow on trees, at least forme. Of course any of
> >> you wealthy gentlemen looking for a good cause to donatesome money
> >> too - I would
> love
> >> to have the cash on hand to turn thingsaround tomorrow. Until then
> >> I’ll
> be
> >> working 16 hours a day seven days a weekwith no days off and scrimp
> >> and save and spend carefully and build up slowlyjust like every
> >> other hard working guy has to do.
> >> WhatI am going to try to do next is set up sort of an email hotline
> >> for critical caseswith Bob if he will do it. I just thought of this
> >> and
> have to
> >> talk to him aboutthis.
> >> OK,enough about that. Let’s get on to some better stuff. Many of
> youknow
> >> that under RFC and RKR Ten Tec quit doing their PCB assembly inhouse.
> >> Those of you who have known me over the decades at Dishtronix
> >> knowmy
> shop
> >> suffered heating issues that made it tough for the machinery to run
> inthe
> >> end of January to February artic blasts. Well, I have a new and
> verynice
> >> double insulated, heated and cooled free span metal building where
> >> I'vemoved my PCB assembly operation and this is something I'm very
> >> excitedabout. The building has a metal skin totally covering the
> >> inside withgood overhead fluorescent lighting and conduit encased
> >> electrical outletsevery 12 feet around the perimeter. I have
> >> retired the older ContactSystems placement machines in favor of
> >> newer MYDATA (Micronics Sweden)placement machines. I installed the
> >> first MY9 machine this last
> June
> >> and havebeen using it to build boards for the RX340 commercial
> >> orders we have beenfulfilling. Ten Tec did have a MY9 when they
> >> were building
> boards
> >> inhouse. The MYDATA machines are the choice for high mix medium
> >> volumeproduction, especially when equipped with the Agilis quick
> >> change feedersystem. Feeders usually cost more than the machines in
> >> this
> business,
> >> and I'vebeen growing my collection all year. I am about a third of
> >> the
> way
> >> tohaving the collection of feeders I would like to have. Earlier
> >> this
> month
> >> I gotlucky and was able to purchase the bar code software which
> >> will
> allow
> >> me toload and unload components from the machine by just scanning
> >> with
> the
> >> barcodereader, and it is done offline. It will help with inventory
> control
> >> andcomponent management which is a real nightmare considering Ten
> >> Tec
> has
> >> over7000 different line items.
> >> TheMY9 machine has a capability to hold up to 96 different
> >> components
> and
> >> has asingle mounting head. As I write this, an air ride big rig is
> getting
> >> closerand closer to Ohio hauling a MY19 machine in from San
> >> Francisco
> which
> >> can hold anadditional 160 different components (total 256 8 mm
> >> tapes)
> and
> >> has 8 mountingheads! Hopefully this machine will be brought online
> >> successfully and notbe damaged or in bad shape as I've bought it
> >> sight unseen. I've alsomoved the 8 zone, lead free capable, pin
> >> chain
> conveyor
> >> equipped ElectrovertBravo 8105 oven to the new building last weekend.
> This
> >> gives us thecapability to process double sided surface mount and
> >> the ability to reliablyprocess BGA chips. I've also purchased this
> >> summer
> but
> >> not yet installedan X ray machine to do 100% inspection of the BGA
> reflow
> >> solderingprocess. With the existing equipment (stencil printers,
> >> board
> >> washers,etc.) this will give us what I believe is the most well
> >> equipped and modern PCBmanufacturing of any amateur radio
> >> manufacturer in North America. Ibelieve the other guys outsource
> >> their board assembly. It
> may
> >> be thesmart thing to do, but I personally prefer to buy and house
> >> my own componentsin house and to have total control over my assembly
> >> process.
> I
> >> find itrequires more time to outsource and get constant bids for
> >> things like this thanto just own the equipment and do it myself. I
> >> think you
> get a
> >> better product atless cost. Of course the best reason in my opinion
> >> for doing it all in house isI can do as small of a production run
> >> as I
> want, IF
> >> I am willing to spend thetime to set up and do it. Hence the
> >> decision
> for
> >> the quick change capability ofthe MYDATA system. So, all in all
> >> what
> this
> >> means is the Phoenix isrising. I am rebuilding Ten Tec and
> >> preparing to
> do
> >> some serious manufacturing,which brings me to my next point.
> >> Mostof you know we have been bogged down and overwhelmed with the
> >> commercial sideof our business this last year since I officially
> >> assumed the helm in January.With trying to replenish the hard to
> >> get / long
> lead
> >> time / lasttime buy / obsolete parts, rebuild the PCB assembly
> >> operations, moving,and so on we just haven't had the horsepower to
> >> build any amateurtransceivers. Well, the good news is we have
> >> caught up on
> our
> >> commercialcontracts. Be glad we did this. You know all the stuff I
> wrote
> >> aboutabove? The commercial contracts paid for that. Without this
> >> TEN
> TEC
> >> wouldnot exist right now. We are at a very important cross roads
> >> right now. What do we do next?
> >>
> >> Someof you know we are developing new products. Those are still
> >> off on thehorizon. What I need to know is how many of you would
> >> purchase
> Eagles
> >> ifthey were available? I'd like to do a run of 100 of them next.
> >> It is agreat radio. I like mine every bit as well as my Orion II.
> >> The DSPfunction is superb.
> >> Wehave to talk a little bit about price. When the Eagle was
> >> launched it wasa $2100 radio with no accessories. You all know the
> >> story of the
> blow
> >> outsales and the liquidation as the previous owners sold everything
> >> that wasn'tnailed down on their way out. Some of you got fully
> >> loaded radios
> >> for$1299 or whatever. You know they didn't even cover their
> >> assembly
> cost
> >> onthat, right? Some of you got real bargains. Of course only the
> >> last 35radios or something were sold at that price but you get the point.
> >> Youwill never see a price like that again. If I have to sell and
> >> Eagle atthat I will close and lock the doors and be done with it.
> >> A strip modelneeds to sell at 1699 at least. The more you are
> >> willing to pay
> for
> >> aradio the faster the new radios can come out. We want to build
> >> radios andsell them so we can keep the production team in place so
> >> we can meet
> the
> >> demandwhen the new radios come out. Everything we do tomorrow
> >> depends on how much yousupport us today.
> >> I'mcertain some of you have heard that I and two partners acquired
> >> Alpha and thatI've been officially at the Helm since August. It is
> >> a separate companyfrom Dishtronix / TEN TEC. Of course I will be
> >> building the circuitboards for those products as well. I'm after
> >> something business peoplecall economy of scale, essentially having
> >> enough product flow
> through
> >> the doorsto totally occupy the machines and infrastructure. I'll
> >> be
> making
> >> apost on that reflector as well to update those customers also.
> >> Bythe way, we do have RX340s available to build on short notice now.
> >> Letme close by wishing you all a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving
> >> holiday,
> one
> >> of myfavorites and of course the reason I see my dentist in
> >> November
> for my
> >> prefeast tune up. The Sevierville team and I appreciate your
> >> support
> for
> >> TenTec, where we believe we are once again Making America Great -
> >> One Radioat a Time.
> >> VY73 DE MIKE N8WFF
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TenTec mailing list
> >> TenTec@contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >>
> >
> >
> _______________________________________________
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>
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