My Ten-Tec Orion arrived about a month ago and I posted my initial
impressions, mostly favorable, on this refelctor a few days afterwards.
I had not tested that radio at that time for my main criterion in what I
want out of a receiver, which is its ability to dig weak CW signals out
of the noise, mainly on 160-meters. When I A/B'd the Orion with my
FT-1000MP and Elecraft K2, it did not come close to those two radios in
the ability to dig the weak ones out of the noise on CW. This was a
major disappointment, therefore the Orion has been returned to Ten-Tec
for a refund. A number of other dislikes I had about the Orion also
influenced my decision.
The K2 and FT-1000MP compare about equally on digging weak CW signals out
of the noise on 160m, but the MP has the edge on 10m. I expect that the
new DSP (KDSP2) module that I ordered for the K2 will improve it in this
respect.
The K2 has had its growing pains and over a year ago when I built the
radio I complained bitterly about its temperature drift problems.
Elecraft has since developed mods for the K2 which have completely cured
the drift problems the K2 had. This and other improvements in the radio
(now included in all new K2 kits) have made the K2 truly a first-class
radio.
I took a lot of flak from died-in-the-wool Elecrafters whenever I
complained about the radio, but Eric and Wayne (Elecraft
owners/engineers) apparently took heed and did something about it. For
fear that I get flak from died-in-the-wool Ten-Tec'ers who think that the
Orion is God's gift to Ham Radio, I've chosen to not post this on their
reflector.
73, de Earl, K6SE
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