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Re: [TenTec] Final Firmware O2

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Final Firmware O2
From: Rsoifer@aol.com
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:01:16 EST
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Rick,
 
An interesting point you make about ease of use.  When QST reviewed  the O 
II, the reviewer, a longtime Icom user by his own account, was highly  
critical of that aspect of the Orion/Orion II while praising its  performance.  
Well, I was a longtime Yaesu user.  My first T-T radio  was an Argo V that I 
bought for use as a second-station rig (and still have,  BTW).  It took a 
little getting used to, but I wound up having so much fun  with it that I 
placed an order for the O II even before they began  shipping.  I'm generally 
happy with both.
 
I guess ease of use depends on what you're used to.  Maybe QST should  
update its review.  Are you listening, Joel?
 
73 Ray W2RS  
 
 
 
In a message dated 11/11/2009 2:20:37 P.M. GMT Standard Time,  
nq4i@contesting.com writes:

Hi  All...I have to agree 100% with Dennis...I have an extensive M-M  
station
and after many months of studying, I came to the realization that  the TT
Orion was the radio for my station....the CQWW SSB was our first  major
contest with the Orion's and our score was 9 % more than the year  before,
and no, I repeat NO equipment failures...The radio is tops in  its
class...does not have all the menu items a K3 does, and requires a lot  less
learning to master than a K3....a little less complaining from  the
bleachers....I am happy TenTec user...never thought I would be saying  that 
5
or 10 years ago when I equipped the stationen to an all Yaesu  station
then...but the Yaesu's are gone and the Orion is in the station  now...de
Rick NQ4I (we had 8 Orion's in the station for CQWW)

On  Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 8:37 AM, Dennis OConnor <ad4hk2004@yahoo.com>  
wrote:

> Hmmm, some of you need to cut back on the  coffee...
>
> The O2 is a fine radio, well positioned in the upper  reaches of ham radio
> transceivers...
> The biggest whine I see  is that they are not producing enough firmware
> changes to make you  happy..
> It appears that some believe the K3 radio with its rapid  parade of 
firmware
> revisions is somehow superior because it needs  frequent revising - this 
does
> not bespeak superior, to me; adaptable  maybe, a secondary hobby in it's 
own
> right, but not necessarily  superior......
>
> Then I read the moaning about the O2 sweep; and  they didn't do this, they
> didn't do that, etc...
> Last time I  checked the ads the K3 does not have a sweep screen...  But
>  somehow, not having a sweep screen makes it the superior radio,  because
> Orion is not upgrading its sweep screen fast enough - the  logic of that
> escapes me...
> If you want a radio with a fancy  sweep screen get a Pro III...
> If you want an even fancier sweep screen  get an LP PAN for your Orion /
> K3...
>
> If you want an  even fancier radio get one of the $11K to $13K  models 
from
> the  land of the rising sun - but don't expect the factory to answer the
>  phone and put the technician that built and aligned your radio on the  
phone
> to talk you through a problem - which both Orion and Elecraft  do
> routinely...
>
> I happen to have the O2... I have  looked hard at the K3 with the more
> capable sub receiver - as recently  as 2 weeks ago...  But, the less
> desirable ergonomics of the  radio outweigh the receiver advantage and I
> opted to stay with the  Orion for the third year... The O2 has the best
> combination of  receiver and ergonomics I have found in 45 years of ham
>  radio...
>
> Lastly, I am thrilled to have Ten Tec and Elecraft  slugging it out in the
> ham radio arena... A vast improvement over the  import radios that have
> dominated the ham business for some  time..
> And while I am mentioning US companies, let me point out that  PALSTAR
> acquired the Commander amplifiers and has put considerable  time, 
innovation,
> and money, into improving those amps until they  appear to me, to be the 
best
> amps in the business...  They now  have a complete line of tuners, meters 
and
> high quality amps...   You could do a lot worse than spend your ham 
dollars
> with them - and  drive that amp with a new O2 or K3...
>
> denny /  k8do
>
>
>
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