The attitude displayed by the owner when questioned about what is going on says all you need to know. Best assume they’re dead - just not yet buried
Most recent news on Ten Tec site was November 18, 2022; on Alpha site was January 7, 2022. Draw your own conclusions on what that means. You know, to this day I still get a charge out of the tail end of the third chorus of that song when Wainwright III hollers, "C'mon stink!"
What a bunch of whiners. If any of you actually HAD an Alpha amp and needed support, you would know that people are getting amps repaired at the factory, they get FREE email help for anything they want to do at home, and the Groups.io forums have plenty of factory-supplied procedures and information. TenTec closed, by now that's no mystery, is it? The web site is still up with documentation, nothing has been deleted. Oh, a few dates are old, wow. You guys must be REALLY bored. Glenn AE0Q
Not even close. I've posted this many times every time this comes up.... Kenwood is a GLOBAL corporation with over 4400 employees and 1.71 BILLION DOLLARS in annual sales. The ham radio portion of what they do, as Marley said to Scrooge, "is but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of their business" They MAY stop making ham gear - sure - that miniscule market segment is likely similar to that buzzing gnat that gets in your car and flies around while you drive until you open the window and it blows out. Or you just swat it and never even give it a thought. But the Kenwood Corporation is very very much here to stay for a LONG time to come. Dave W7UUU
So they really are getting repaired at the factory? Huh, didn't realize that, but good to know. I have heard different things regarding that, but if you say so. Probably not as bored as you, I'm thinking you must feel like the Maytag repair man.
Ten-Tec? 'E's passed on! This ham company is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e rests in peace! If they didn't have the dead web site they'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible!! THIS IS AN EX-HAM COMPANY!!
Oh, geez... Ten Tec croaked when the owners retired and sold of the company to folks who only wanted to dispose of inventory for a profit. At that point the main worth of Ten Tec was the LAND the factory sat on!! It is the same demise that befalls many AM radio stations when urban sprawl overtakes the acres of land they their AM tower arrays occupy--land value exceeds license value. Mike comes along and buys the dregs/ashes and is being prosecuted for even attempting to raise that Phoenix from it's ashes. For all intents and purposes the OLD Ten Tec died years ago. Geez, thirty year ham gear and you expect someone to repair your junkers? From what I see a lot of $$$ is going into a new facility for amps and maybe TenTec to some extent. I wish Mike all the luck in the world and I think his attitude is fine. He owes you clowns nothing.
The problem I see is that some folks think a company should support its products FOREVER, regardless of the reality of parts supply, personnel costs, etc. Also, some folks don't understand that many rigmakers are actually quite small businesses with only a few employees. Look at how some folks whine about Elecraft... 73 de Jim, N2EY
He certainly isn't being "prosecuted." Not persecuted either. People DO, however, take exception to and not appreciate trying to maintain a continued illusion of a live company then basically berating potential customers. We aren't the clowns here. Ten-Tec is the closed down dusty circus. If there's a clown involved it's not the hams asking questions.
I don't understand why they blame someone who took over TenTec in name only to be their punching bag. The company was done and sold out by the owners and the folks who bought inventory only for resell value. Mike is trying to rebuild and spending a fortune in production gear, and apparently there is some support for Alpha. Personally, I run two Omni VI+ rigs in split configuration, and have four spares and complete board sets to keep them running longer than I will at my age. All have full dual roofing a full compliment of roofing filters. Even have a Paragon II in reserve. All have full Mike owns the name, but gets the blame. That is sad.
Because he punched first. Every time someone asked if Ten Tec or Alpha are still doing business the guy comes out swinging like a dog in a manger and telling us what a great guy he is for being willing to resurrect these companies, and what turds we are for having the audacity to ask, how are they in business when they don't build anything. I don't really care, but if you have read any of the stuff he has posted as far back as 2017, you would start to get the picture. Here is one from 2016, please take some time and read the entire post. There are plenty of others, but this one really conveys the disdain they seem to hold towards the customer. [TenTec] Ten Tec Service / How I am mishandling customer relations and a (contesting.com)
