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Re: [TenTec] Any update on a replacement for the Orion II?

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Any update on a replacement for the Orion II?
From: John Huffman <hjohnc@gmail.com>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Sat, 05 Apr 2014 16:02:33 -0400
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Wow, you sure read more into that than was intended. I was just saying that lesser radios can do the job.

Your message never mentioned any contest club or other organization. Just the 'boys'. Please forgive me for insulting the 'boys'. Please forgive me for not knowing the 'boys' was your contest club. Please forgive me for insulting your contest club. Forgive me for 'trashing' your club and it's policies.

You are always right. I am always wrong. Is it possible to find forgiveness in your heart for my grievous behavior? I promise never to question any statement you make or add my opinion to any of your statements.

73 de K1ESE
John



On 4/5/2014 3:45 PM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
John,

You ask if I am familiar with T32C...
That's like asking if Pope if he is Catholic.
I sponsor nearly every major DX-pedition in the world with antennas.

Are you by chance a member of any contest club or expedition club?

I have been for over 30 years.
Our clubs define standards for all of the equipment and organize
accordingly.
Not only are the radios defined, but so are things like mike connectors,
headphone connectors, etc. - down to the last detail.
We must comply.  And they have never allowed us to bring along a Ten-Tec,
even though several of us love our Ten-Tecs.

Before you trash our club and its policies, perhaps you should consider that
we hold the all time high score record for CQWW in CW and SSB for Europe,
AND the all time WORLD RECORD (overall) in both modes.  One of the things
which helped us achieve this is standardization, leaving little room for
operator error.

Once again:  the boys don't like equipment they are not familiar with.

Check out what the T32C boys ended up using for antennas.  Most were built
on our masts.  Reason:  they had them from us from previous expeditions that
we sponsored.  When they returned, several of them privately bought a lot
more kit from us, so that they would be prepared in case something like that
happened again.

Ask any of the guys who went along how they liked the 450.  I know several
of them personally.  The radios weren't great but they were all they had.
You can't look a gift horse in the mouth.
I SINCERELY APPRECIATE WHAT YAESU DID IN A CRASH ACTION TO HELP MAKE THAT
EXPEDITION A SUCCESS.

We always plan, but in a disaster, I'd use a razor blade and a pencil lead
as a detector if that was all I had available.
"Any port in a strom" (hi).

Unfortunately Ten-Tec does not do loaners for DX-Peditions.  So the Eagle is
OUT.

The 2008 Ducie Island DX Pedition (VP6DX) was co-organized and led by the
Carsten (DL6LAU) the German Ten-Tec distributor.
Being unable to obtain loaners from Ten-Tec, he contacted Elecraft who
promptly loaned them enough K3s to man all stations.
Lost opportunity!
BTW, 100% of the VP6DX antenna masts came from "guess who".
Recently Tim (K3LR) who is now president of DX-Engineering, did a video
interview with Carsten about that and other expeditions.   See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvwNcGP0y6w

The only major contest station I know using Ten-Tec is KQ4I.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of John
Huffman
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 9:07 PM
To: n4py3@earthlink.net; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Any update on a replacement for the Orion II?

Rick -

Carl handled the USB port issue.  Let me give you my two cents on the
dxpedition part of your message.

You said - "if you are going on an expedition with 20 other guys, you need
to take rigs that people are familiar with..."  and "the boys don't like
different. "

One of the most successful dxpeditions in the past few years was T32C with
over 200,000 QSOs.  The boys 'liked' the FT5000 and that was the rig they
were going to use.  The container got lost and at the last minute Yaesu gave
them ten FT-450s to use.

The FT-450 may be the least expensive rig available.  It is one of the
simplest to use.  I doubt any of the big gun ops were familiar with it.
But, the results of the dxpediton were outstanding.  Just maybe a good,
solid, simple radio will do a great job.  The Eagle falls into that
category.  I wonder what would happen if Ten Tec gave dxpeditions 'loaner'
Eagles?

73 de K1ESE
John


On 4/5/2014 2:31 PM, Carl Moreschi wrote:
Rick,

Even though the Eagle only has a USB port, Windows makes that appear
as a normal comport.  So any program that is written for the Orion,
can work with the Eagle for simple things like logging.  Take a look
at Windows Device Driver list and turn your Eagle on and then off.
You will see a new comport get added to the list and then get removed
when you power off the Eagle. OmniRig only needs a definition for it
and the Orion may in fact work for it.

Carl Moreschi N4PY
58 Hogwood Rd
Louisburg, NC 27549
www.n4py.com

On 4/5/2014 1:35 PM, Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP wrote:
The PROBLEM with the Eagle is, it is not very popular, in general.
If you are going alone, it's great.
But if you are going on an expedition with 20 other guys, you need to
take rigs that people are familiar with an like.
Ten-Tec has always been "different" and on expeditions, the boys
don't like different.

Besides, although the USB connection is innovative, we pay the price.
Many of the common software programs won't integrate properly with it
and that's a shame.
Lots of programs use OMNIRIG as the rig I/F and they have yet to
write a driver for a USB rig.
I tried to get them to do it but they replied with "write it yourself".
You can generally run the program in Orion2 mode, but there will
always be things that don't work.

On the other hand, everything works with the K3.

73 - Rick, DJ0IP
(Nr. Frankfurt am Main)


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Ron
Notarius W3WN
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 6:44 PM
To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Any update on a replacement for the Orion II?

Bry, let me put it this way...

If I was going on a trip or a DXpedition, where size and weight of
the radio was a major consideration (such as air travel restrictions
on luggage), I would probably take a K3 with me, all else being
equal.

But if that wasn't the case, that is, physical size wasn't an
issue... I'd take my Omni VII or even the Omni VI+.  I'm just more
comfortable with the larger front panel and layout.

And I wouldn't rule out the Eagle over the K3, I just haven't used
one enough to know if I'd like it under traveling conditions.  (Now,
if anyone wants to send me an Eagle to evaluate, I won't turn them
down... but that never happens...)

73, ron w3wn

-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of
Brian Carling
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 6:37 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Any update on a replacement for the Orion II?

Do you mean that the ergonomics might bother some people ?

Best regards - Bry Carling AF4K



On Apr 4, 2014, at 6:33 PM, Barry N1EU<barry.n1eu@gmail.com>  wrote:

On Fri, Apr 4, 2014 at 9:51 PM, Bill Cotter<n4lg@qx.net>  wrote:


The Elecraft K3 is an incredible radio at a fair price point. You
can "accessorize" it to suit your wallet. With the panadaptor and
filter choices You should be able to improve on your present
Orion-II platform.
Sorry.  Agree with everything you say except the K3 is a lateral
move and best be sure K3 ergonomics will be suitable to you.  I have
done a serious amount of operating on both platforms.

73,   Barry N1EU
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