Bill I use a horizontal loop antenna and it brings out the worst in a
receiver. If the receiver is the least bit susceptible to front end
overload, it will show up. For example, my Triton IV on 80 meters is totally
overloaded by several local BC stations. I had to install a BCI filter
across the rx input to tame it. Several other older or low end receivers
have experienced the same problem. The PRO2 and IC-781 are totally immune.
Even on 160m they are completely clean however on 160 and 80m the Orion was
almost unusable. The cure for me was to use an external antenna tuner and
just before sending it back, I ordered and received an ICE BC filter which
really did the trick. After sending the Orion back, I received an OMNI 6+.
Like the ICOMs, it had no BCI whatsoever.
Regarding your comment: "Are you sure you weren't hypnotized by that pretty
display? ;-)" This is typical of some TT owners. Yes, the display in the
PRO2 is certainly pretty and very useful too. The display on the IC781 is
not so pretty or very useful. The Omni 6+ has no pretty display at all nor
does my TS-930 but none of these had the front end overload problem on 160m
.
I certainly cannot blame anyone for being frustrated with the Orion.
Features and performance come and go as new firmware is released. Mine had
fast but clicky QSK with the original version. The next version had smooth,
quiet but very slow QSK. As you can see, I refuse to be defensive about the
Orion.
Steve N4LQ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Tippett" <btippett@alum.mit.edu>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 4:57 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Sweep display freezing on Orion
> N4LQ wrote:
> >The PRO 2 out performed it in every respect except for
> BDR and I couldn't find enough QRM to even verify that measurement.
> I had lockups, hang-ups, dropouts, poor performance in QRN and even total
> front end overload from BC stations.
>
> That's very interesting Steve. Your BC overload statement does
> not compute.
> If you think you saw BC front end overload (which is the same thing as
BDR) on
> Orion, you would have seen over 35 dB worse overload on a Pro 2 at the
5-10
> kHz spacings typical for BC stations on 40 meters. Compare Swept BDR
here:
>
> http://www.arrl.org/members-only/prodrev/pdf/lab/IC756pro2.pdf (p. 21
upper
> graph)
> http://www.arrl.org/members-only/prodrev/pdf/lab/orion_etrr.pdf (p. 19
> lower left)
>
> Are you sure you weren't hypnotized by that pretty display? ;-)
>
> 73, Bill W4ZV
>
>
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>
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