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[TenTec] Original Orion Firmware

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Subject: [TenTec] Original Orion Firmware
From: "Merle Bone" <merlebone@charter.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:32:30 -0500
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John Henry,
Thanks for your note.  I am very happy to see your solicitation of input for 
the next Orion V2 release.  I am very happy to see Ten-Tec making an investment 
in the Orion/Orion II firmware. I currently run V2.063Xg.
My request list has three items on it:
1. Reduce the subreceiver "blow-by"  described by Barry (N1EU) earlier.
2. Clean up the "inter-function" gain distribution to eliminate distortion in 
the audio output of the next release. This issue first developed when the AGC 
loop take-off point was moved up in the DSP IF chain. The "Audio AGC" in the 
last release was an attempt to eliminate the audio distortion and to eliminate 
the AGC from being pumped by a strong CW signal (audio sound eliminated but AGC 
still pumped). Unfortunately, the new "Audio AGC" took a lot of system gain out 
without going back and resetting the individual function gains. Whatever you 
come out with - wherever the AGC take-off point is, please clean up the 
distributed gain. People were told to increase the AGC hang time - and other 
strange things - to clean up the audio distortion. Not a good thing if you are 
trying to work weak CW signals. We just need the time taken to make sure that 
the gain at each function point is appropriate (Whether you have auxiliary 
functions like NB in operation or not).
3. The software noise blanker function is weak in V2, compared to V1. It is 
also very weak compared to other current DSP algorithms. Strengthening that 
system would be good for everyone. Many people fight local noise issues - from 
time to time - and a strong noise blanker is one of the most important tools in 
the tool kit.

Additional comments:
1. The speech processing is excellent. I have bench marked it against the V1 
code at they are very nearly identical in function/performance. Please don't 
negatively impact their performance.
2. I actually think the new band display function is helpful. I use it a lot 
during the E-Skip season on 6M with a 6M transverter and amplifier. With the 
current band-display you can spot a signal and move the VFO, and cursor, to the 
new signal position before the display changes the position of the desired 
signal. I like "purpose driven tools" and I think the new display is very 
useful as a tuning tool. 

Thanks again for your effots.
Merle - W0EWM


Hi,

As many of you know, and we have already announced, we are in the
process of improving the Original Orion firmware.
In that regard, I would like to get some more inputs and information.

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