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Re: [TenTec] re should i buy an orion now

To: Duane A Calvin <ac5aa@juno.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] re should i buy an orion now
From: Harry Reed <doon@infoscientific.com>
Reply-to: doon@infoscientific.com,Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2005 08:08:35 -0700
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Duane,

    Yes, I may indeed be spending too much time listening to the 
pundits. I am convinced through all of the testimonials I've heard that 
when the Orion does work, it works very well with performance bar none. 
However, before I plunk down my 4Gs I'm interested in knowing how it 
*doesn't work*. That tells me a lot about TTs Q/A.  I'm dying to get my 
hands on one. In a few months Lord willing......

Harry, AB7YF

Duane A Calvin wrote:

>Harry,
>        You're spending way too much time reading the "pundits" on the TT
>reflector.  Spend some time with the Orion and you'll find an entirely
>different story.  Wonderful radio.  Fun to use.  Very few glitches (one
>master reset required on mine in the entire 16 months I've owned mine.) 
>Works great, sounds super in any mode. and gets the job done even better
>than my Omni VI+ did.  (and I loved that radio too!)
>
>        73,  Duane
>
>
>On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:27:38 -0700 Harry Reed <doon@infoscientific.com>
>writes:
>  
>
>>Methinks that people are forgetting the big picture.
>>
>>Most, if not all, here want dependability, reliability, and 
>>repeatability in their rigs - 
>>especially ones that costs ~$4000. Is that *really* too much to ask? 
>>TTs competition doesn't
>>seem to think so. If I wanted an experimental rig I'd go out and buy 
>>a SDR-1000. 
>>
>>While the Orion's hardware seems to be up to the task (albeit 
>>getting a little
>>long in the tooth) TT firmware seems to have lingering problems. I 
>>gather TT software
>>engineering has been more than a little taxed trying to implement a 
>>bug free SDR HF XCVR. 
>>Real-time software is a bear unless done exactly right - the last 2+ 
>>years of upgrades
>>has shown that they haven't. Indeed, going from a 1.x release to a 
>>2.x release indicates
>>that they probably programmed themselves into a corner, so to speak. 
>>"When all else 
>>fails do a rewrite!" Let's see if they can get it right with the v2 
>>firmware. If not, maybe 
>>they should open up the firmware development to the FS/OS software 
>>community (ala GNURadio)
>>and get it done right HIHI :)
>>
>>
>>Please, don't misunderstand me, I'm not bashing TT or the Orion. TT 
>>seems to be a fine 
>>company and the Orion has the potential of being a fine rig worth 
>>its asking price. I 
>>just don't think people are happy in spending ~$4000 on a SDR whose 
>>firmware is still 
>>very much beta quality and a work in progress. I'm curious what's 
>>happening to TTs reputation 
>>in all of this? Surely it can't be good. Indeed, one has to wonder 
>>how many people bear with
>>TT and their Orion in the hopes that TT will fix the problems and 
>>that the Orion will get
>>better because they don't want to admit that they spent their hard 
>>earned $$$ on a subpar, 
>>even flaky radio?
>>
>>For these reasons I'm holding off my Orion purchase until v2 of the 
>>firmware comes out and 
>>the Orion owners/users/abusers have their say. I don't demand a 
>>*perfect* radio.
>>Just one that doesn't hang or require a HW reset because I twiddled 
>>a knob the wrong way -
>>one that works reliably and predictably when I want it and when I 
>>need it.
>>
>>Harry Reed, AB7YF
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>>><<<I just can't see any viable reason to not try/own an Orion. 
>>>      
>>>
>>Especially
>>    
>>
>>>any technical reasons.>>>
>>>      
>>>
>> >
>> >I'd go through the reflector archive for the past 2-3 years and 
>>look 
>>at what earlier >purchasers went through.
>> >
>> >If you have a lot of free time to tinker, maybe it's okay. For 
>>example 
>>if you are >retired and have a lot of patience maybe it's okay.
>> >
>> >I'm pretty low on time and patience. I want dependability. I want 
>>to 
>>be able to unbox >the rig, power it up, hook an antenna to it, 
>>ground, 
>>mic, key, cans...whatever i >need, adjust collector PA current and 
>>mic 
>>gain, adjust AF/RF gain, tune around, hit >the PTT button and start 
>>
>>making contacts.
>> >
>> >If it's much more involved than that, or its behavior mysteriously 
>>
>>changes from one >day to the next on a regular basis, then I start 
>>loosing interest.
>> >
>> >So the likes and dislikes probably have as much to do with 
>>operator 
>>personality as >anything else.
>> >
>> >rob/k5uj
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>TenTec mailing list
>>TenTec@contesting.com
>>http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>
>
>--------------------------------------
>Duane Calvin, AC5AA
>Austin, Texas
>
>http://home.austin.rr.com/ac5aa
>
>
>  
>


-- 

--
Harry W. Reed                       | Never ascribe to malice that which can
doon@infoscientific.com             | adequately be explained by stupidity.
+--------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+
"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely  exercised for the good of its victims 
 may be the most  oppressive.  It may be better to live under  robber barons 
 than  under  omnipotent  moral busybodies,  The robber baron's  cruelty may 
 sometimes sleep,  his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who 
 torment us for own good  will torment us  without end,  for they do so with
 the approval of their own conscience."    -   C.S. Lewis, _God in the Dock_
+--------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+
"Truth often suffers more by the heat of its defenders than the arguments 
of its opponents." -- Sir William Penn
+--------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+
If the assumptions are wrong, the conclusions aren't likely to be very good.
+--------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+
When people start to comment on the form of the message, it is a sign that they
have problems accepting the truth of the message -- ???
+--------------------+--------------------+----------------------------------+

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