OT--Ten-Tec Eagle

[w7aqk]

Hi all,

I downloaded the manual for the new Eagle.  I've always been a Ten-Tec
fan, but the fact that I sold my Orion II says something about what I
think of the way they have been designing stuff for a while now.

Anyway, I got only about 3 pages into the manual, and I knew I would
probably hate the radio.  If you just look at how you adjust power you
will see one of my biggest beefs with Ten-Tec design.  It's the old
"multi-pot" thing (like on the Orion) all over again.  I guess Ten-Tec
wasn't impressed with anything I ever said critically about their
process.  To change power, you have to push a function key, then hit
tune, then adjust power with a control.  Compare that to the the K3 or
K2, which is one control, and right on the front panel.  I haven't even
gotten to how you adjust CW keyer speed, but I bet it's the same
laborious process.

It's one thing to want to make a radio simple, with only a few controls,
but burying adjustments in multi-step processes like this are not making
a radio simple in my view!

The new Eagle trumps the K2 in only a couple of instances, based on my
cursory review--it is 100 watts without an added accessory, and it
covers 6 meters out of the box.  I won't even go into how the K2 trumps
the Eagle.

A K3 would be clearly superior, and for only a small price difference to
add the 100 watt amp and a couple of filters.  Well, maybe not a really
small difference, but small enough, considering what you get.

We'll have to actually see and hear the Eagle in action to really be
able to evaluate it, but I already see lots of negatives.  Ten-Tec has
always been a good company, and I hope they have success with this
radio--I don't want them going away!  Somewhere in that brain trust
there has to be a product that will get me excited again.

I also hope Eric isn't too quick to squash this thread.  I think it is a
good thing to draw comparisons to different radios.  Ten-Tec may be
focusing more on the new Kenwood, as someone suggested, but I think
Elecraft has a big bullseye on it's forhead, and so far, everyone is
using a bow with a 15 pound pull when something much, much bigger is
required.

Dave W7AQK
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[Don Cunningham]

I sent my last comment to the author only, so made sure this one went to the
reflector, hi.  Ten Tec's biggest problem is that they DON'T LISTEN to their
customers.  I too had the Orion II, bought new, but they NEVER did solve
firmware problems that existed from the start.  Today's users are STILL
griping about AGC problems.  I gave up on them after 18 months and was glad
I could sell mine.  Anyone getting into the "software radio" business needs
programmers, and Ten Tec has little to no staff in that area.  Regardless
what they say, no one from Ten Tec actively monitors reflectors.  I hate to
see another American company fail, but I can't see buying another Ten Tec
product myself after the Orion II problems (and loss when I sold it).
73,
Don, WB5HAK

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