Now that Ten-Tec is shipping the Orion, it may be time for the
company to resume the "Tech-Talk by Ten-Tec" columns that ran for a few
months in QST (July-October 2001). The columns were pithy discussions on
technical issues such as sensitivity and selectivity written by Allan
Kaplan, W1AEL. Since that time, we have seen (perhaps as a substitute?)
lengthy and highly technical articles by Doug Smith, KF6DX, on the Orion's
circuitry and on such arcane topics as "Improved Dynamic-Range Testing,"
the latter appearing in the July/August QEX. These no doubt add to the
prestige of Ten-Tec.
The difference for me between Kaplan's columns and Smith's articles,
however, is that I understood the "Tech Talk" discussions much more
readily than I do the intricacies of what Smith writes about. For those of
us among the unwashed who do not have advanced radio know-how, I urge the
Ten-Tec powers-that-be to consider re-starting the "Tech Talk" columns in
QST in order to provide a format for explicating in simpler terms the
various aspects of the Orion's circuitry that make it special.
I don't know whether Kaplan is still with Ten-Tec, or whether Smith's
contract gives him exclusive publishing rights. The way corporations work,
you never know about such things. Nevertheless, Ten-Tec IMHO would be well
advised to produce a series of simple technical explications of Orion's
features as a marketing tool, and the 2001 "Tech-Talk" columns are a good
model.
John, W3ULS
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