Should I be upset with Ten Tec?

[K1FBI]

I just got off the phone with the service department and was told my Jupiter's failure to transmit was a $2 filter in the transmit chain. I asked why they thought it failed and was told: "It's probably due to age". This is where I start to feel like I'm loosing it.... I reply: "Sir the rig is only 13 months old, how can it be age?" and get something along the lines of I don't know, that's what was wrong.

Bottom line, I agree to pay.
The total cost of repair including shipping is $138.57, plus the $48 it cost me to get it there.
This is for a $2 item on a 13 month old radio???

Should I be upset?

[WB2WIK]

Wow. I have a Jupiter that's six years old and all is well, nothing's ever failed and it gets a lot of use.

However if it did fail, in my experience I'd just call them on the telephone and talk it over to see if they can diagnose the failure by wire (as they usually can), then buy the $2 filter and install it myself.

I've had no Jupiter failures, but did have the PTO go weird in an older Ten Tec. I called them, described the symptoms, and their tech declared it pretty much had to be the PTO, which cost about $65. I said I'd buy one, and he said, "I'll just ship you one; replace yours, and assuming that fixes it, return the old one in the same carton with a check for $65 and that will take care of it."

So they did ship the new PTO, I did replace it, that did fix the rig, and I did return the old one with a check. That's the way Ten Tec "used" to be...maybe something's changed.

[KL7AJ]

You should have asked for one of their REAL techs. The do have them down there. You probably got a trainee.

Eric

[KD2AKG]

I'd be a little miffed, and I would not pay those prices to fix the rig. You should have done as WB2WIK suggested and replace the part yourself. Now that it's all said and done, I suggest you send a letter to the CEO or president of the comapny and explain the situation. You may get a partial refund or something.

[KL7AJ]

Good idea. Ten Tec DOES care....I know from experience. They'll probably hang the tech in question by a length of RG-8 our in the parking lot as an example.

[K0RGR]

Sounds a bit strange to me. At least they fixed it. I've had nothing but great service from Ten Tec, but in honestly I haven't had to use them much. I had one of the first 100 watt SSB rigs TT made - a Triton, S/N 99. My brother Klutz borrowed it and for some reason decided to turn the VFO knob past the stops, basically destroying the mechanism and the PTO. I never dreamed TT would fix it, because by that time, it was a very old rig. I called them and they said they could fix it, so I sent it to them. I believe the tab was under $100 - definitely worth the price, as the Triton was a great radio.

I guess nothing good goes on forever. I sincerely hope this is not typical.

[W9PSK]

Wow. I have a Jupiter that's six years old and all is well, nothing's ever failed and it gets a lot of use.

However if it did fail, in my experience I'd just call them on the telephone and talk it over to see if they can diagnose the failure by wire (as they usually can), then buy the $2 filter and install it myself.

I've had no Jupiter failures, but did have the PTO go weird in an older Ten Tec. I called them, described the symptoms, and their tech declared it pretty much had to be the PTO, which cost about $65. I said I'd buy one, and he said, "I'll just ship you one; replace yours, and assuming that fixes it, return the old one in the same carton with a check for $65 and that will take care of it."

So they did ship the new PTO, I did replace it, that did fix the rig, and I did return the old one with a check. That's the way Ten Tec "used" to be...maybe something's changed.

Why would TT put a PTO on their radios? Are they capable of plowing the fields too? Man, I really need to check these TTs out!!

[KO6WB]

It's not the age of the Jupiter it's the age of the part put in the Jupiter. It may have been manufactured quite sometime ago. Some parts just don't do well sitting on a shelf. They do much better when they are used and used often. Once they start down the road to deterioration there's no turning back. The part just hits a point where it fails. Most of the Jupiters made do not have this problem and you should expect good performance for the rest of the time you have the rig. Sometimes things just happen. Parts do go bad from time to time. Yes, you could have repaired it yourself if you were wanting to. It's sometimes better to get the techs at the factory to take on the task. Yes, it does cost you but some of the things that can be a problem for those that don't do it on a daily basis are a breeze for the techs. I used to repair consumer electronics and some of the stuff that was worked by the owner or somebody they knew prior to making it to the shop were really weird. It made the task of repairing it much more difficult.
Lately I had the opportunity to install an INRAD filter in my TS-50S. Everything in there was SMT including the place where the filter would be mounted. The task of removing the filter was really a sweat. Getting the solder to release the filter was a small step process that took a lot of time. I had previously installed the CW filter in the same rig. That was easy since there was a spot for it and the holes were already there. The biggest problem was not making solder bridges on those tiny and very close together connections. When your eyesight is not as good as it was and you have shakey hands things get entertaining really fast.
Consider what you spent on a professional repair as money well spent. It's worth it in the long run. "I fixed it myself" is always something to be proud of but "I messed it up even more" not so much.
Have a good one
73
Gary

[W3WN]

Why would TT put a PTO on their radios? Are they capable of plowing the fields too? Man, I really need to check these TTs out!!

The older rigs came with PTO's. Corsair, Corsair II, Argosy, Argonauts (pre Argonaut V), Tritons, Deltas... and so forth.

And with all due respect to K1FBI, something doesn't sound right here. I've dealt with Ten-Tec for 30 years, going back to when I worked for a Ten-Tec dealer (yes, they once had a dealer network), and never had an issue like this. In fact, I recently purchased an Argonaut 505 from a ham in need of tremendous TLC, and the service folks gave me a lot of assistance and advice... on a 35+ year old rig.

There has to be more to the story here. Something just doesn't add up.

...who did you talk with at Ten-Tec? Maybe you need to discuss this with someone higher up the food chain. That said, if it is a 13 month old rig, it is out of warranty (though you may be able to make a good case for an exception, if indeed it was a failure of an "old" component & nothing more), and there is a cost for bench time to diagnose the problem, and bench time to repair the problem. The cost of the part itself is sometimes not significant.

Ever go back to the car dealer with an out-of-warranty issue? The repair bill may be signficant, and the cost of the part(s) is often by far the least of it.

Also, it's been my experience & the experience of other TT owners out there that the repair time also includes realignments, small updates, etc., so that the rig is not just repaired but completely up to date. That's something to factor into the cost of the trip to TN as well.

By the way... have you looked into what an out-of-warranty repair by the manufacturer can cost from some of the other major companies? Ten-Tec at least doesn't give you an "out of warranty & no parts available" brush-off, as others have alleged about other companies, and they actually do the repair work, again not as others have alleged about other companies. Things must be kept in perspective.

The bottom line, to answer the primary question: IF the sole failure was a 13 month old part that you are now told is "old", you may have an issue to discuss with the management. MAY. But before getting upset, I'd inquire further and ask some questions.

[K1FBI]

Wow. I have a Jupiter that's six years old and all is well, nothing's ever failed and it gets a lot of use.

However if it did fail, in my experience I'd just call them on the telephone and talk it over to see if they can diagnose the failure by wire (as they usually can), then buy the $2 filter and install it myself.

I've had no Jupiter failures, but did have the PTO go weird in an older Ten Tec. I called them, described the symptoms, and their tech declared it pretty much had to be the PTO, which cost about $65. I said I'd buy one, and he said, "I'll just ship you one; replace yours, and assuming that fixes it, return the old one in the same carton with a check for $65 and that will take care of it."

So they did ship the new PTO, I did replace it, that did fix the rig, and I did return the old one with a check. That's the way Ten Tec "used" to be...maybe something's changed.

Yes, I tried that but was told the Tech who is the "Jupiter Guy" was out and was taking a few days off to spend with the Grandkids. The Tech I spoke with told me I would need to send the radio in.