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Re: [TenTec] Orion & SDR1000 thoughts

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion & SDR1000 thoughts
From: "David H. Walker" <k0cop@onlymyemail.com>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 2006 17:31:20 +0000
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
At 15:04 30-03-06, you wrote:


>Hello,
>
>I am a "long time" Orion owner and follower of things related to SDRs.
>
>Lately, I've started to monitor the FlexRadio discussion lists
>relating to the SDR1000.  At first glance, the SDR open source
>software backend looks like what some (but not all, by any means!)
>Orion users have been wanting from TT.  On the other hand, the Orion's
>self-contained box and controls are much more mainstream for ham
>radio.
>
>I have both radios. Quite frankly other then both radios are for 
>amateur radio use the SDR1000 is very different. The Orion is 
>certainly more mainstream in the way it is manipulated. Front 
>controls and backend conections are about the way most of us have 
>been use to operating. The SDR1000 is very different in this 
>respect. The SDR is not a radio for those that are not familiar with 
>software. As a completely software dependent radio it must use the 
>full power of your home computer. This computer must be powerful  to 
>get the full benfits from the SDR 1000. The soundcard must be very 
>powerful and thus expensive. If you are going to interact with your 
>current software then there will be issues that are quite unique to 
>the SDR1000. Using such things as Vitual Sound Cards and Virtual 
>Comports is a very common practice. These issue may overwhelm the 
>first time user,HI.

As far as the performance I cannot speak in a technical way but the 
SDR1000 appears to be way ahead of the Orion. The sound is 
unbelievable in the sense of what full DSP can do. The 
upgrades(betas) are constant. The expertise from the factory is very 
professional. You have an extremely competent software engineer 
answering software questions and you have an RF engineer handling 
those issues. The ARRL said that they thought the SDR1000's 
performance was good but not great. That was in their first review. 
Probably pretty correct but the latest software version is 
remarkable. I think the major factor in the very quick beta releases 
for SDR1000 has been the "open source" concept. I have
downloaded about 14 Beta's in the last nine months,HI. Most of them 
have enhanced the performance of the radio.

So if you are a computer person the SDR1000 will be just your piece 
of cake. If you are not a computer person stick with Ten Tec. As long 
as Ten Tec makes a reasonable effort to continue to improve their 
software then I am a happy camper.

Fortunately I have enough radios to keep my interests going for some time,HI.
73
David




>--
>martin.ewing@gmail.com - AA6E@arrl.net
>President, Yale University Amateur Radio Club - W1YU
>http://blog.aa6e.net
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David H. Walker
K0COP
Aiken, SC
k0cop@onlymyemail.com

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