On Wed, 2007-01-03 at 22:13 -0600, Kim Elmore wrote:
> I've had mine since just before Christmas, graduating from a TS-930S,
> owned since new in 1986, that was aligned to within a gnat's derriere
> and had most of the contest mods applied (PIEXX board,
> hardened/safetied PS, etc.)
>
> I'm no longer a very active contester, though I used to be (kids, new
> QTH, work, building a house, etc). And, when I was, the '930S was the
> cat's meow -- preferred even to the '940 except for the lack of a
> computer interface.
>
> I've not operated or owned a lot of different rigs: the obligatory
> FT-101E, an FT-301, and 430S, and I've used my Dad's FT-102 with the
> full set of NC4L mods. I've operated various other rigs, though not
> extensively or in a side-by-side comparison.
>
> Yes, I know that the '930S is long in the tooth and doesn't have a
> stellar front end when considering 3rd order intercepts numbers, but
> I know and love it. The Orion II beats it hands down in every
> respect. It's another world altogether. It's not the terror some make
> it out to be while learning to use it. Mine has been rock-solid
> stable with the latest software release. I now have the opportunity
> to play with things only dreamed of previously. It has a different
> "feel" than the Japanese radios. Neither better nor worse, simply different.
>
> I once had the pleasure of operating at W1AW many years ago, and
> chose the TenTec station. It had whatever their tip-of-the line radio
> was at the time -- a Paragon, I think.
> To be honest, until that time, I'd always been put off by the "look
> and feel" of TT radios. They always felt cheap, plastic, and
> lightly-made to me. My '930S, OTOH, feels very solid: a heavy
> internal PS adds to this feel, but it also has a die-cast front
> panel. That doesn't make it a better radio, but it feels substantial.
> But the Paragon surprised me: it didn't have as nice a feel to the
> tuning knob, but I liked it. Orion II does NOT feel like the previous
> TenTec radios I've experienced: it's superb, solid, and smooth.
>
> Simply put, the Orion II is an amazing piece of equipment.
>
> Perfect? No. Neither is any other radio. Major bugs? None that I've
> uncovered. Worth the money? Without a doubt.
>
> Kim Elmore, N5OP
>
I improved the feel of my Corsair II by turning a 2" diameter by nearly
an inch thick aluminum knob. Lots more flywheel effect.
73, Jerry, K0CQ
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