I can't help but wonder why we keep rehashing the early issues with
the Orion? There must be some glee or self justification or
something in doing that I suppose.
The Orion is not the radio it was last summer. Let me clarify that --
the Orion "radio" has always been superb. There were glitches in
the control interface. There are still a couple of things that some
people don't like, or want added. No different than any other radio
out there.
If one likes the Orion, but doesn't own one now because there were
"issues" in August, I suggest that such self-flagellation is simply
depriving them of a fine radio.
Basically proves that it is not possible with any device to make
everyone absolutely happy all of the time. Some will like it, some
won't.
All radios have knob twists and/or button pushes to get things like
bandwidth, PBT, RIT reset to neutral values. Each of them has it's
own set of poisons. None of them can read YOUR mind :-)
There's a notion on the other side of the aisle, equally potent, that if
someone doesn't like a feature of the Orion and gets rid of it or talks
about getting rid of it, that a crisis has occurred. It's just one radio. I
don't see a lot of fuss every time someone sells some other brand
of radio.
I had a PRO II for a while (a couple of weeks). Didn't like it at all --
and my list was every bit as long as any "why I gave my Orion back"
list I've seen. Kept my 781. Sold the PRO II -- and lost money on
the transaction since other vendors' idea of a "trial period" is to sell it
on eBay if you don't like it. So what?
But I have to say .. that if someone asks about the Orion, and all
they hear is why you didn't like yours last summer, you are doing
them (and yourself) a disservice ...
Grant/NQ5T
> Mark,
>
> I would hate to see what u wud have said if u didn't like it. But,
> what did u go to in place of the Orion? A 756 Pro II? Sounds like
if
> that was it u aren't totally happy with that either since u plan on
> going back to the Orion?
>
> Tnx. 73,
>
> Dennis, K2SX
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark Erbaugh" <mark@microenh.com>
> To: <tentec@contesting.com>
> Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 2:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion issues
>
>
> > Dave,
> >
> > I returned my Orion during the 30 day evaluation period.
> >
> > I will say first that I felt the receiver and transmitter
> > performance were truly top notch.
> >
> > That said, why did I return the Orion?
> >
> > For me it was the lack of polish to the product. In my opinion,
the
> product
> > that was being sold (in August, at least), was, at best, very early
> > beta test quality. I develop (and test) software for a living so I'm
> > probably more picky than others might be. In just the first few
> > hours playing with the radio, and without even trying, I found
> > several areas where the radio did not perform as documented.
One of
> > them I mentioned this morning: by going into Binaural Rx mode
and
> > then changing the audio routing, it was possible to get into a
mode
> > where there was no audio from the radio, requiring you to go
back
> > into Bin Rx and undo what you had done.
> >
> > There were other places where the user interface just didn't
seem as
> > polished as one would expect. For example, there were a
couple of
> > places where a display element would pop up over the screen,
but
> > when it went
> away,
> > it didn't completely erase itself.
> >
> > There was at least one area where I feel that the hardware
design
> > was
> short
> > changed. One of the widely touted features is that you can
select
> > which audio (main or sub) goes to which output (speaker,
headphone
> > left,
> headphone
> > right). However, there is no way to select which audio output
goes
> > to the aux jack on the back of the radio (for digital connection)
> > and the audio that goes to that connection is not related directly
> > any of the other
> output
> > routing choices. In fact, with some audio routings, it is possible
> > that no audio is routed to the aux jack. I discussed this with
Gary
> > B. at TenTec and he said that there was no hardware to control
the
> > audio routing to the aux jack. There are two audio output pins on
> > the AUX jack. Apparently,
> each
> > one is directly connected to one of the two DACs in the Orion.
> >
> > I also found that the user interface was cumbersome in places.
There
> > are some functions that one uses frequently that required going
to
> > the menu to change.
> >
> > For a standard of comparison, I use the Icom 756 (and it's
progeny).
> > After
> a
> > very short learning curve, the interface becomes second nature.
> > Things
> just
> > seem to be set up to be used in real life operating. Granted, I
> > only had the Orion a few weeks, but that wasn't happening with
its
> > interface. I
> know
> > some people might say that I didn't give the radio a chance and
that
> > it is so different that it takes a long time to get used to, but I
> > feel that I pretty much understood how things worked (or didn't
> > work) for me.
> >
> > There were also a couple of real big negatives for me:
> >
> > 1) The spectrum scanning display was very poorly done. On the
756,
> > when
> you
> > narrowed the scan width, the resolution ( in terms of frequency
> > point per horizontal division ) got finer. On the Orion, the
> > resolution stayed the same, the vertical lines of signal strength
> > became wider and wider bars. I also was disappointed that the
> > spectrum scope only works with the main receiver and thus
can't be
> > used for general coverage reception (I do some SWL in addition
to
> > being a ham).
> >
> > 2) The voice recorder (DVR) is a joke. There are two
'permanant'
> > memories that are remembered when the radio is powered off.
These
> > can only record a message of about 4.5 seconds (as opposed to
15 for
> > the 756 Pro). Also, to 'save' these memories, after you record
them,
> > takes around 25 seconds. Finally, there is no way to adjust the
> > playback level other than to re-record.
> >
> > Granted, these are trivial features in the scope of the
transceiver,
> > but I feel that if you're going to do something in a product, you
> > must do it
> well.
> > I probably would have had better feelings about the Orion if
these
> > two features hadn't been included at all, as opposed to having
them
> > done
> poorly.
> >
> > I think TenTec is working out some of the issues and I
appreciate
> > the fact that to get the latest features, I would just have to
> > download an update. With the 756 I would have to buy a new
radio
> > (Pro, then Pro II).
> >
> > I will also mention an issue about the firmware updates. Again, I
> > realize the complexity of a major software project (which
basically
> > is what the Orion has become for TT), but there were an update
> > during the period that
> I
> > had the radio. On that update, certain bugs were fixed and new
> > features
> were
> > added, but some features that had worked were now broken.
This is
> > likely
> in
> > any software project, but I found some of these in just a matter
of
> minutes
> > working with the Orion after the udpate. I can't believe that this
> > would have passed any kind of QC testing and I have to asume
the the
> > updates
> were
> > being released without such testing. You can see comments on
the
> reflector
> > today where folks have stayed at an older revision because
certain
> > things that mattered to them were worse after the update.
> >
> > The bottom line for me was that I didn't feel like I wanted to pay
> > $3.5K
> (I
> > got the internal tuner) to be a beta tester. In a year or so, when
> > the
> bugs
> > are worked out, I may wind up buying another one. As I said, I
> > really
> liked
> > both the receiver and transmitter.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Dave Sublette" <k4to@arrl.net>
> > To: "Ten Tec Reflector" <tentec@contesting.com>
> > Sent: Friday, January 09, 2004 10:36 AM
> > Subject: [TenTec] Orion issues
> >
> >
> > > Good morning all,
> > >
> > > I have been subscribed to this reflector for less than a week. I
> > > signed up because I am the owner of an OMNI VI+ and I am
> > > contemplating the purchase of an Orion. Just this morning I
> > > noticed two people mention in passing that they had once
owned an
> > > Orion but no longer had one.
> > >
> > > Without trying to stir up controversy, I am curious to know the
> > > reason that you chose to sell your Orion. I have looked at one
at
> > > the Ten Tec factory and have read the specs. I am aware that
there
> > > have been mods made to the operating system based on
customer
> > > suggestions and bugs that have been discovered. To further
my
> > > education, I'd like to know why someone would want to get rid
of
> > > their Orion. I don't want to know any personal or financial
> > > problem details. If it was for either of those reasons, just say
> > > so and I will understand.
> > >
> > > If I continue to have an interest in the Orion, you will be seeing
> > > a posting for my OMNI VI+ for sale in less than six months.
> > >
> > > Thanks and 73,
> > >
> > > Dave, K4TO
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > TenTec mailing list
> > > TenTec@contesting.com
> > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> > >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TenTec mailing list
> > TenTec@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
-------------------------------
Grant Youngman /NQ5T
http://www.globeking.com
nq5t@comcast.net < == NEW
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