Hi Bernard,
And I think we are hitting on the issues that make it very difficult
for a (any) manufacturer to produce a product, i.e., differences of
opinion.
I vaguely recall Ten Tec did an on-line survey a long time ago about
the color/non-color screen verses the cost factor, I don't know
their results, but at least they ASKED! The unfortunate truth is
changing to a color display probably is significantly more
cost-involved that simply swapping the monitor. But the current
spectrum sweep performance is poor, regardless of what color it is
viewed with. While I think the cabinet looks excellent as it is, the
black-on-black lettering thing is pretty silly. I personally will
always go with performance, meaning hardware AND firmware, before
the color display and/or the cabinet, in terms of importance.
Tom - W4BQF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernard(wtrone)" <wtrone@comcast.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 6:21 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
Tommy:
Just my personal opinion, but I think that TenTec made an
error in
not paying more attention to customer wants/ desires/ likes in
terms of a
color display and a better looking cabinet.
I asked Scott, at the Huntsville Hamfest, a couple of years
ago
about the color display. His comment was that it was a cost
driven issue.
Personally, I would have paid extra for a color display and a few
more color
driven options. But, that was TenTec's decision and it is hard to
fault
them.
I selected the Orion because of its receiver
specifications. I have
not regretted that decision. The new Icom does not exceed the
Orion specs
and the new Yaesu specs are still undetermined.
The Orion design is probably somewhere between 3-4 years
old (from
initial design). No doubt that the processors could be replaced
with much
higher speed units. I would not be surprised to see this in the
future. I
have also heard rumors of a color display. Will these occur?
Well, only
TenTec knows for sure. If these occur, I hope that I can upgrade
my Orion!
In the mean time, I will enjoy my Orion and not worry about
the Icom
and Yaesu rigs.
Just one man's opinion.
73s,
Bernard, WA4OEJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tommy" <aldermant@alltel.net>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
This is my opinion only!
I think it's becoming obvious that what the ham radio user
community
wants in a radio has changed to more 'glitz' that actual
operational
performance. Ten Tec probably designed the Orion with customer
loyalty in mind, the 'IY' manufacturers designed their latest
rig's
with the customer's wallet in mind. (Acknowledging the 'IY'
manufacterers current radios technical performance IS quite
good.)
The Orion is just about as perfect 'hardware design' as one could
ask from amateur equipment. The ONLY snaffu in the Orion design
is
possible the added stages of amplification on the last two narrow
roofing filter positions, done with their user community in mind.
The selectable roofing filters, which help provide the very best
receiver performance available kinda caught the competition
grasping
for some way to use the term 'roofing filter'. Ten Tec again,
with
the user community (cost to the user) in mind, used a non-color
display. The concept of a near-perfect hardware design and
firmware
downloadable updates should have been a 'killer' system for the
ham
community IF the ham community was still technical-orionted.
Two major problems; 1) The very old addage "One aw-s**t will kill
a
thousand 'Atta-Boys'!" remains true today. While the Orion is an
extremely excellent hardware design, Ten Tec kinda dropped the
ball
with the Orion's firmware; 2) probably 95% of today's ham
community
think a color screen (so to speak) is much more important than
actual radio performance under extreme operating conditions.
What I saw yesterday at the Orlando hamfest kinda brings home the
point about today's hams. During my walk around at that hamfest
what
I saw was shocking to me.
First walk through approximate number of ham visitors:
Yaesu booth: 25 to 30 visitors at the booth.
Icom booth: 30 to 40 visitors at the booth.
Elecraft booth: 10 to 15 visitior at the booth.
FlexRadio booth: 8 to 10 visitors at the booth.
Ten Tec booth: Only person present was the sales guy.
Two hours later:
Yaesu booth: 20-30 visitors
Icom booth: 20-30 visitors
Elcraft booth: 8-10 visitors
FlexRadio booth: 5-10 visitors
Ten Tec booth: Myself and the TT sales guy.
My immediate impression was the non-technical ham of today
probably
ranks pretty color screens over pure absolute technical
performance.
I think even if Ten Tec had a flawless firmware package in the
Orion
today, the 'average' ham would prefer showing his friends the
'pretty color screen' and boast about how much it cost instead of
proudly boasting about the technical excellence of their Orion.
In my opinion, the "Guys @ TT" had the wisdom to produce the best
hardware design offered to the ham community on their first try,
and
I personally do not see the need for "Hardware" improvements via
an
Orion Pro II, or what ever. Of course, advancement in technology
would require such, in the future.
Tom - W4BQF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Davis" <nn6ee@yahoo.com>
To: "Ten-Tec List" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 1:51 PM
Subject: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
> Gentlemen,
>
> In the future I hope that the Guys @ TT have the
> wisdom to offer "Hardware" improvements (when
> available) instead of offering a entirely new version
> of our Rig. Look what manufacturers like Icom did to
> us when they brought out the IC-756, then the PRO,
> then the PRO 2, then the PRO 3!!! All similar rigs
> but enough differences to preclude any chance of
> up-grading any of them by their owners which I think
> is an insult to all of us who ARE NOT independently
> wealthy or have a psycotic need to keep up with the
> "JONESES!!!" $3400.00 is too big a chunk of change to
> have to part with every time TT brings out a better
> rig?
>
> The "ORION" is a stellar rig, no doubt about it, BUT
> still the hardware should be made avaialble when the
> time comes and it WILL!!!
>
> Any thoughts???
>
> Jim/nn6ee
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free!
> http://my.yahoo.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
_______________________________________________
TenTec mailing list
TenTec@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
|