This whole discussion is interesting to me.
There seems to be a number (however small or large) of users who suggest:
1) Ten-Tec is close to abandoning its customers of some models ("If they
do
not plan any additional revisions or upgrades, they should clearly state
so."). My experience is anything but that, including my experience with
support
for their older models. I'd love to have a "customer account software
developer" to instantly incorporate every comment into revised software,
but my
sense is we are somewhere far from abandonment and (reasonably) far from
instant gratification. I think the reason Ten-Tec hasn't "clearly
stated...they do
not plan any additional revisions or upgrades" is because they DO intend
to
revise the code--when doing so is practical in their overall priorities,
and
that's what they have said.
2) Ten-Tec no longer "loves or supports" their products. ("Ten-Tec is a
tin-bending shop with a circuit designer talent pool that loved and
supported
their products until they became a
software company and started to struggle [underlining mine].") I just
don't
buy that. I have been helped with answers to lots of questions regarding
old Ten-Tec stuff and new. I will add, I have been using my Orion II for
close
to a year, and have had no reason to look for support. I think I am a
fairly heavy (weekend) multi-mode user, and have had no reason to ask for
a code
revision. I am still running the software that came with the box (2.037j)
and have never encountered a bug in CW, SSB, PSK, AFSK-RTTY, FSK-RTTY, FM,
AM,
or Slow Scan. My XYL, six harmonics (and grandkids) will attest that I am
finicky (she calls me OC, and I love the TV program "Monk"), so I am not
shy
about reporting bugs; I just haven't had one! I guess the hottest topic
lately
has been audio quality. Well, with the right AGC settings, I am
delighted
with the audio in CW, AM, FM, and SSB, so I am at a loss to understand
the
issues. I'll admit I may be missing something, but I don't know what it
would
be.
3) They have lost product focus ("They lost product focus and may have a
shot at survival with the OMNI VII if..."). I don't see it with Ten-Tec,
but I
think I do with Kenwood, Yaesu, and Icom. Their products seem to have
very
short life cycles, and support is problematic once the products are
replaced.
Ten-Tec's product roadmap has been pretty clean in my eye. In the past
decade or so: Omni VI+, Pegasus Jupiter, Orion, Orion II, Omni VII. I
think
that's been pretty focused. (I would guess they might have put off
releasing
the Orion until it could have been what the Orion II is today, but we can
debate the "Wait for the better before you release" discussion every
company has.)
I am not a sunshine pumper by habit, and I think I know when I see poor
support for hardware, software, or services. I have not seen it with
Ten-Tec.
Bernie Skoch
K5XS
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