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Author Topic: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?  (Read 1008 times)

ZS5WC

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #30 on: December 03, 2022, 08:42:04 AM »

 :)The older BIG 3 radios at least had PROPER pcb overlays, Functional descriptions, and good Schematics.
Thats' why so many are still on the air-case in point the old Hybrids.
I recently repaired an Yeasu FT-2000, and already there the functional description was omitted, obviously as Operators become more consumer oriented.
I still say, even today hams should be able to work on and repair their own equipment, it was always the mainstay of the hobby. ( Maybe not the latest gen SMT SDRs --too darn small..)
Something like the K2 I think was wonderful-made you build your own rig, understand what you did and you could fix it if needed.
In places like Africa, we don't have a choice, there are no repairmen around every corner, they have all left from greener pastures.
So suck it and see is the motto.
I find it an shocking testimony of the hobby when someone asks how to connect an 8 pin microphone plug-that is basics and should be an easy 10 min. job. :o
Even when you wire  Yeasu mic. for KW, or Icom Mic. for Yeasu etc.
73 de William
ZS4L / ZS5WC
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W3PX

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #31 on: December 03, 2022, 08:43:23 AM »

Like Drake, Swan and Collins, etc, you only have the artifacts of the past to work with.
Distronix essentially bought the contents of a building, nothing more, Tentec probably  had equipment that he could use in his business.
Even the "big three" don't support radios older than 10 years!

Not so sure about that. He is still operating the Ten-Tec web site and the commercial receiver product is still Ten-Tec branded. There was a post on the Ten-Tec web site on November 18 regarding a counterfeit press release that has shown up on social media regarding Ten-Tec.

https://www.tentec.com/counterfeit-press-release-on-social-media/

He is giving all the appearances of still operating Ten-Tec except of course the product support and lack of new offerings.

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KA4DPO

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #32 on: December 03, 2022, 10:00:32 AM »

Like Drake, Swan and Collins, etc, you only have the artifacts of the past to work with.
Distronix essentially bought the contents of a building, nothing more, Tentec probably  had equipment that he could use in his business.
Even the "big three" don't support radios older than 10 years!

Not so sure about that. He is still operating the Ten-Tec web site and the commercial receiver product is still Ten-Tec branded. There was a post on the Ten-Tec web site on November 18 regarding a counterfeit press release that has shown up on social media regarding Ten-Tec.

https://www.tentec.com/counterfeit-press-release-on-social-media/

He is giving all the appearances of still operating Ten-Tec except of course the product support and lack of new offerings.

They do seem to be a going concern except for the things you mentioned, like making amateur radio products and product support.  Other than that thy seem to be going great guns.

I am amazed that anyone would toss the product documentation for the Orion I and II.  The Orion II went out of production in 2013, RF Concepts bought Ten Tec in 2014, maybe the people at Ten Tec had already dumped the old product documentation.  I can't imagine why, but people do dumb things all the time.

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W3WN

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #33 on: December 03, 2022, 02:22:12 PM »

Current status of Ten Tec... as I understand it... Correct me as necessary...

- Mike Dishop, or his company Dishtronix, acquired the remaining assets of Ten Tec.
- That would indicate that the original Ten Tec was not making a go of it anymore or just wanted to get out of the business.
- Now the new owner, in attempt to  get a return on his investment, is trying to salvage what they can from the remaining assets...
- Which I would guess are the Ten Tec name/trade-mark, Intellectual Property, Product Design documentation and maybe some remaining inventory of parts and/or products.
- Important to understand here that an asset buyout does not mean that the buyer is buying the company... they are just buying all of the companies assets.
- With the original Ten Tec organization closing the doors they probably had to lay off all their staff, including the product support group.
- Unsure if the new asset owner elected to hire any of the previous Ten Tec staff...
- But from the sound of things they opt'd not to pick up the immediate expense of hiring the original design and support team.
- I'm unsure if Mike/Dishtronix restarted production on any of the Ten Tec products. Likely it may not have been profitable to do so.
- Sounds like they want to come out with a new design and try to get the demand ramped up again...
- But that takes time and money to implement... and in the current market may be quite risky.
- In the interim would it be a wise investment to hire a support staff... when little or no money was coming in? Likely not.

If this is about right, I understand the new owners situation.
And, I understand the former customers situation.

Tough on both ends...
But this is what often happens when someone comes in and tries to pick up the pieces and put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

All that said... I'm unsure if Mike/Dishtronix bought a going concern or the remnants of a business not really producing a return on investment anymore... or worse.
Almost.

One of the founders of Ten Tec passed.  The other wished to retire.  They sold the company to the owner of Alpha Amplifiers, AA6DY, who merged the two companies together under the RF Concepts banner. 

Within a year, ownership of the company passes to another firm, RKR Designs.    Little is publicly known about why this happened when it did.  Little was known about RKR, although two of the principals were involved with a company called QSC Systems, who built circuit boards (and allegedly other things) for Alpha.

See:  http://www.arrl.org/news/ten-tec-and-alpha-purchased-from-rf-concepts for one.

RKR... well, they didn't seemed attuned to the Amateur Radio business.  It was under them that the "fire sale" of Eagle and Omni VII rigs took place, basically inventory sold off below cost to (apparently) raise cash.  It was under them that parts of Ten Tec started being sold off, and it was under them that the company was being liquidated.

Mike Dishop via Dishtronix bought what was left of Ten Tec from RKR.  He and partners also eventually bought what was left of Alpha from RKR.  But at the time of the purchases, neither company was an intact, functioning manufacturer.

Mike promised to put both companies back together and eventually return them to the Amateur Radio market.  (He also said that he would do so without borrowing money, but in a bootstrap fashion so that he would always pay cash, not borrow). 

He has actually succeeded in restarting both companies, although not to the level that they had been prior to the RKR acquisition.  He has had setbacks and unanticipated difficulties... for example, RFC did not get the Ten Tec factory building with the company (story is that the grounds were sold to Wal Mart, who built a new superstore there, and that the previous owners of Ten Tec netted $1 million from that sale -- more than they had ever made in profits from the company in 40 years, total)... so things have gone much slower than he had planned. 

But they have progressed.  He may not succeed... I for one hope he does, but it's a tough business to be in these days... but they are, slowly, progressing.
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W3WN

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #34 on: December 03, 2022, 02:27:02 PM »

Interesting to note that of all the people posting negative comments on Mike and his attitude... yes, the Premature Funeral Committee membership drive is alive and well...

How many of you actually spoke to Mike face to face?  In person that is?  How many of you gave him a phone call and asked him some questions?  How many of you had an actual email direct from him?

Yeah.  I know what he's posted.  I know what a lot of people have alleged the man has said... in emails or texts or correspondence sent to someone else. 

But who has actually said an actual "hello" to the man and held a conversation?  Especially in the last 2 or 3 years?

Do I hear crickets chirping?

Since you are implying that YOU have had a conversation with the man, is there something you would like to share about the status of TEN tec?

Personally, I'm fine with it as an asset buy from a dead company. I don't see where he has any responsibility to do anything! I do appreciate that he still hosts the diagrams for the models.

I also doubt that he will produce a new model, especially since the brand name momentum/goodwill  is lost and the economy is in the weeds.
Like a coroner, he should officially declare the death of TenTec so the "funeral committee" can move on.
I'm implying nothing.  I have spoken with Mike, in person, many times over the last few years at Hamvention. 

Try it some time.  He's actually a good person to talk with, and has a good technical head on his shoulders, especially when you treat him like a human being and aren't trying to goad him into losing his temper.  Which some members of the Premature Funeral Committee have done; I guess they think it's sporting?

I have posted information from these conversations in the past both on these forums and those on other sites.  I've also put that information, as appropriate, in my club newsletter.  Specifically, information I've been told I can share.  So I've already shared what I can.

Just ask 'DPO.  He's mocked me for that more than a few times over the years, here and on the Zed. 
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K4BDA

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #35 on: December 03, 2022, 04:41:16 PM »

W3WN, good historical information.

I know it has to be a difficult job to put Humpty Dumpty back together again... especially since the assets were sold and resold.

I would guess that the product manufacturing documentation... schematics, pwb docs, assembly drawings, bill of materials, manufacturing processes, assembly and testing instructions, etc may have gotten disorganized and/or worse during all these transfers of ownership.

I wish the new owner the best but it sounds like a tough road.

Too bad, after he stated his ambitious intentions, that folks are not a little more understanding of all the difficulties one may encounter on such an endeavor.

 

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AE0Q

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #36 on: December 03, 2022, 08:52:06 PM »

Mike Dishop via Dishtronix bought what was left of Ten Tec from RKR.  He and partners also eventually bought what was left of Alpha from RKR.  But at the time of the purchases, neither company was an intact, functioning manufacturer.
Not to be TOO picky, Ron, but we never stopped building and shipping amps that were being ordered at Alpha under RKR _or_ Mike's ownership.  Alpha was in the same building as QSC that made boards for the amps, across the hallway.  We built, tested and shipped new 8410 and 9500 amps the whole time, as well as repairing amps.

Glenn AE0Q
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W3WN

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #37 on: December 03, 2022, 10:34:40 PM »

Mike Dishop via Dishtronix bought what was left of Ten Tec from RKR.  He and partners also eventually bought what was left of Alpha from RKR.  But at the time of the purchases, neither company was an intact, functioning manufacturer.
Not to be TOO picky, Ron, but we never stopped building and shipping amps that were being ordered at Alpha under RKR _or_ Mike's ownership.  Alpha was in the same building as QSC that made boards for the amps, across the hallway.  We built, tested and shipped new 8410 and 9500 amps the whole time, as well as repairing amps.

Glenn AE0Q
And you would know, of course.

Thanks for the correction.
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AE0Q

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Re: Ten Tec , Iconic Ham Radios, support?
« Reply #38 on: December 04, 2022, 10:44:46 AM »

We built, tested and shipped new 8410 and 9500 amps the whole time, as well as repairing amps.
I'll make my own correction, that was until mid-2020.  Because people at QSC had been coming to work sick for the 10 years Alpha had been across the hall (they had crappy or no employee benefits), we had to stop coming to work except on a few weekends when they weren't there.  Our Assembler building the amps was diagnosed with cancer and the rest of us decided it was too much of a risk for ourselves.  The owner of the building decided to terminate the Alpha lease and give the space to QSC.  Alpha parts and equipment were moved to Dayton, Ohio during late 2020 and 2021.  Amps of both models are being assembled in Dayton, now.

Umm, this has already been posted, dissected, argued about and posted again.  And again.  Does it need to be another multi-page thread AGAIN??
« Last Edit: December 04, 2022, 10:48:49 AM by AE0Q »
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