Darrell -
Ten-Tec started out making small solid state transceivers very similar to some of the QRP kits being
offered today. They came with a nice punched and labeled cabinet, and were sold as the Powermite
PM-1, PM-2 and PM-3. There were several 'flavors' of these models with various features/bands
added. The also sold just the wired and tested PC boards to be installed in your own cabinet.
They graduated to more and more complex radios, using the same 'modular' approach. Opening up some
of the early units was like looking inside a homebrew radio, with little PC boards mounted in
various orientations, wired together in a rather hap-hazard way.
I don't know when they progressed to a more 'finished' product, but eventually they manufactured
near 'state of the art' transceivers, with an emphasis on CW and QSK operation. For a while they
were almost alone in the lead in the QSK market, and still make a quality transceiver.
One thing about Ten-Tec gear. The 'word' in the Ham community was that, 'The good news is that
Ten-Tec has an outstanding service department, with friendly, helpful techs readily available. They
very often will ship a replacement board on the promise that you would send back the defective
one.' 'The bad news is, you are almost certainly going to NEED that outstanding service department!'
73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA
Drake 2-B, 2-C/2-NT, 4-A, 4-B, C-Line
and TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>
Darrell Bellerive wrote:
Wow, what a great thread on Collins vs. Drake. I've never had the
privilege of using any Collins gear, so this has been very enlightening.
Thanks all for keeping this so objective.
It seems Ten-Tec came along much later in the game than Drake or
Collins, but also has a high regard from their owners. With the head
start that Drake and Collins had, perhaps it is not as fair a comparison.
In the 70's Ten-Tec had the Tritons, and early Omni's, with the Corsairs
in the early 80's.
So, how about a comparison of the Drake 4 and 7 lines with the above
mentioned Ten-Tec rigs?
73,
Darrell
VA7TO
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