[TenTec] Re: Buying a New Orion?

["Ron Martin" <royalct@inr.net>]

Nothing is 100% complete upon delivery............

I had a Kenwood 930 ......it was definitely not complete even after a few 
production runs.  You had the privilage of paying to have them fixed for 
completeness. 

I had an Icom 765.....it has paper capacitors in it where it should have 
been ceramic.  You have to pay to have that change to make it complete. 

I have an Icom 775DSP.......it wasn't complete (until I debated with Icom to 
put in a major fix at their cost). 

I belive if you bought an Icom 756Pro, you had the pleasure of buying the 
newer model for completeness. 

I won't even go there with the Big Y radios............ 

I purchased my Orion in August and was delivered in September 2003.  It is 
the most 'complete' big complex radio out of the box that I have ever owned. 
I do not seem to have the problems (except the 2.5kHz AM Mode) that others 
chat about on this reflector. 

I am running the latest firmware version, run the spectrum scope 
continuously from friday evenings to Sunday evenings without any problems.  
I have not had to do a master reset since a few firmware updates ago.  I 
have added new functionality that you would have to pay in the older rigs.  
(Hmmm, wonder if RFI is an issue) 

Compared to the $4K I payed for my 775DSP in the late ninities, I have much 
more 'complete' radio out of the box with performance that is significantly 
greater than the 775....................  Cost and completeness wise, I am 
far ahead of the other top end radios that I have purchase.  (ps, I am not 
of "the faithful culture.") 

Ron......NU1U 



Don Rasmussen writes: 

> Hi Guys, 
>
> I had an email exchange with a new Orion owner today
> and here is how he ended it:
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
> Yes, still a bunch of gremlins but I'm willing to pay
> the price to play with this amazing radio.
> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> I worked two spanking new Orions on 15m CW yesterday,
> the guys LOVE them.  
>
> But it seems that the Orion has been factory debugged
> for almost a year now, and beta fixed for several
> months before that. 
>
> If an Orion is sold today at $3600, what would be a
> fair amount of time to expect it to be 100%, given the
> list of issues at RFSQUARED.com? And is it fair to
> expect that all of these issues will be addressed
> before TenTec stops fixing bugs to move to new
> development? 
>
> The problem is, as long as there is ever a larger bug
> that crops up, the little ones don't seem important. 
>
> I'd expect some of "the faithful culture" to suggest
> that $3600 is a cheap ticket for cutting edge
> technology. That as long as the larger bugs are
> addressed in decent time, the smaller ones can be
> ignored. After all they pale in comparison to the
> benefits of cutting edge technology. 
>
> But while the cutting edge is always diminished over
> time, bugs live forever. ;-) 
>
> $3600 into the Orion may be the best money you ever
> put in an amateur transceiver *if* Ten Tec fixes
> absolutely positively every last tiny little bug that
> is reported. 
>
> I read in the Orion groups that bugs have sticking to
> the list for longer that they should have already. The
> goal should be 756Pro class performance, mine hasn't
> needed a power reset in the two years I've owned it,
> nor have I ever pressed a button that put it into an
> "unwelcome state".  
>
> With the ARRL review out, opening the door to
> mainstream acceptance of the rig, the honeymoon is
> just.. about... over.. 
>
> What's your Orion worth two years down the line? 
>
> Ten Tec holds all the cards on that one, I'm hoping
> they go the extra mile for everyone - but it won't be
> cheap or easy.  
>
> 73,
> de WB8YQJ/6 
>
>  
>
>  
>
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