Hi Denny : Looked at the Y-2000.Sexy, until I read the info, the
narrowest roofing filter was
3k! (four pole not eight) and it didn't have a separate receiver,
ect. ect.- - -. I've a
proud owner of my O-1 since SEPT03 and the more I look & read about
the so called super
rigs from JAPAN I just laugh ! Maybe some day they might be REAL SUPER RIGS:
BUT NOT UNTIL THEY HAVE A HAM BAND ONLY RECEIVER WITH 9Kcs 1st IF AND
A SEPARATE GENERAL COVERAGE RECEIVER !!!!! GET IT!!!!!
Denny really enjoyed ur letter and hope this brings a smile to ur face.
73' Ray
> I had my main contesting radio go toes up a few days back... Decided to
> replace it as well as shipping it for repairs - again - so I can operate in
> CQWW... Counted up the cash in my pocket, busted the dog's piggy bank, dug
> out the rainy day wad stashed behind the amp and totaled it all... I email
> offered a few guys cash money for their advertised OI radios... None were
> interested in my offers... Thought it over for a day and decided debt isn't
> THAT bad if it is for a n e w radio - right Santa? It's like that old
> line your buddies give you, "Aahh, have another beer, she can only get SO
> mad."... Anyway, stashed the wad back behind the amp, broke out the plastic
> and called my drug pusher, name of Stan, and had a new OII fitted out with
> filters and shipped 2nd day air... It arrived at noon yesterday and was
> installed and working by two...
>
> So here we are the morning after the binge at two... Woke up at ten, rolled
> over and carefully looked - still looks like a 10 to me - whew! Anyway, all
> jests aside, my first impressions: And let me say I had been put off on the
> Orion by all the weeping, whining, wailing, and teeth gnashing on this list,
> so I was skeptical to say the least when I decided to place the order... I
> did not want a radio that merely learning to operate is an entire vocation
> in itself - I just want to contest and dx, not sit around stroking my cpu...
> And this is not new buyer enthusiasm, puppy love, or the first real radio I
> have ever owned - it took a lot of hard thinking before I made the
> decision... After 46 years of hamming I have been through everything from
> junk to Collins... I have a steel cabinet that holds multiple radios from
> homebrew, HeathKit, Drake, Icom, Yaesu, Ten Tec - and a couple I can't even
> remember... This ain't my first rodeo...
>
> So, the big moment - power on: It goes through the self checking for a few
> seconds then lights up like a pinball machine in a smoky bar... I
> reflexively reach for a beer and a cigar while my elbow thumps my side to
> see if I remembered to tuck the heat under my belt before I left the house -
> oops, then remember I had to give all that up to buy this radio - durn! The
> speaker is hissing, lots of hissing... Hmmm, I punch the RF gain button and
> after a moment of figuring out which knob does the job turn the gain down to
> ~72 so the hiss sounds about right, punch the AGC button and choose 'off'
> ... I see the MODE button and push it, golly there is a couple CW selections
> even, push the button next to one and we are in CW mode... Hmmm, look the
> panel over carefully for filter buttons, finding none I finally see the BW
> knob, give it an experimental turn and the sound from the speaker starts
> changing... Golly gee, look I can even see the bandwidth selected on the
> display... Crank in down below 1 kc and I hear the sound change as the rig
> auto selects the crystal filters as I dial down, just like Stan promised...
> Down to 590 cycles, the 600 cycle crystal filter auto selects and it sounds
> just right to my battered old ears...
> Okey doakee smokee, I plug the paddles in and hit it -> nada, nuttin, no
> dits, no dahs, no nuttin, ahh jeezzzz...
>
> I stare at the panel for a long minute, I even look at the back side of the
> radio and along the sides hoping for a button or knob, no joy, then with
> bowed shoulders I shuffle over to the shipping box and fish out the manual..
> I hate it when I have to do that...
> 90 seconds later I am a new man - That cryptic SP button controls the keyer
> - oohhh ya, and I even see how to get to the tuner when I want it, hey
> reading the manual aint half bad... Seconds later we have dits, yesssss, set
> the numbers to a solid 23 wpm, spin the dial, there's an IK3 calling, go
> right back at him and we have the first Q in the log... Life is GOOD...
> Spent the rest of the afternoon and evening going back to the radio and
> making a couple of Q's, then go work outside for a while - and gloat...
>
> So after day ONE - Radio is a 10
> Operator is still a -1 but learning fast...
>
> The intent was that the Orion would go into the #2 radio slot on the bench
> during CQWW while one of the 'reliable' #2 radios would go back to being #1
> for the contest... But one day of operating the Orion and that plan is
> dust... The Orion will be in the #1 radio slot and either a Yaesu or an Omni
> will be in the #2 slot... I took the time to plug the computer into the
> Orion and fire up N1MM Logger and reconfigure for the Orion - it plays like
> gangbusters... The MK-V was more work to get configured the first time
> around... "lots tougher", I spent days reading that manual...
>
> Color me happy so far...
>
> denny / k8do
>
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--
The joy is in the journey...
Mary Ann Higgins
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