[CQ-Contest] More on Orion de W4PA

[Scott R.]

>Scott,

>I find the following verbatim quote from Ten-Tec's website *very* >
>misleading:

>'"Instant Two Radio Mode" allows ORION to instantly QSY between two
>different bands. Two linear amplifiers, two sets of accessory devices
>via dual band data outputs and two antennas can optionally be
>connected to ORION to allow instantaneous QSY (useful for seeking out
>and working stations on one band during a contest while CQing on a
>different band, for example).'

>If that's not a description of SO2R, I don't know what is (and I do
>quite a bit of SO2R myself.) If both receivers are muted during
>transmit, I don't see how you can say that the radio will let you seek
>out stations (i.e., receive them) on one band while CQing (i.e.,
>transmitting) on another band.

I wrote the text in question, and I'm an SO2R contester, and I don't
agree.  Many contesters have the facility to 1) pick off multipliers in
between CQing on the same radio as is done with rigs like the FT1000MP
now plus 2) the Orion does much more for two receiver operation than
any other rig that has come before it.  Routing two antennas separately
to each receiver with the facility to switch to even a third antenna on
either receiver.  Separate band data jacks for controlling remote
devices per receiver.  Two linear amplifier keying outputs for running
two linears.  Routable audio through the speaker or user-assignable
headphone controls (what good is a second receiver if you have to
listen to all the audio from both receivers in both ears?) Everything
on the radio controllable via RS-232 (hence, via contesting software). 
Other rigs aren't doing this - and I would venture to say that Orion is
going to certainly color the distinction that has been argued over and
over again about what constitutes SO2R vs. SO1R as a direct result,
too.

Focusing on whether the opposite receiver mutes is losing sight of
everything else this radio has for contesting, period (not just SO2R).

>I even went so far as to inquire of Writelog's author whether he would
>support automatic SO2R switching for the ORION (i.e., use rig control
>commands for TX and audio switching instead of
>flipping bits on the LPT port.) He also would have had to modify
>Writelog's rig control code to deal with two "rigs" over one COM port.
>All that is certainly possible with ORION's robust command set, but
>useless if both receivers are muted during transmit. 

At the moment, it's still an issue then because the Orion acts much
like two independent transceivers would.  There are two sets of
everything for output on the rig - software would do well to accomodate
being able to deliver packet spots needed on other bands to the radio
on the subreceiver.  Packet delivers a spot, Writelog grabs the spot,
delivers it to the subreceiver.  Orion reacts by switching accessory
devices out the 2nd data port; you're ready for the QSO, on another
band, with whatever big antennas you're using, and you haven't touched
the radio.  Sounds pretty darn advantageous to me, like a second radio
in the same box, and just the fact that the opposite receiver mutes
while transmitting negates all the contesting features this radio has
built into it?   

I guess I am surprised by this, because I asked for a whole lot of
this to be put into Orion on the basis that contesters would
immediately see what a paradigm shift this radio truly is - I think,
though, I may have my work cut out for me explaining how truly
amazing this piece of gear is for contesting.

I hope that Writelog also writes in a lot of non-packet stuff that
could be used to control the radio - i.e. hearing a signal on the
subreceiver and sending an autocommand from the software to tell the
radio you want to transmit on the subreceiver frequency (or band) -
that way the Orion operator doesn't even have to touch the radio to
work the second QSO on the subreceiver band and then return to
CQing on the original receiver frequency.

>Anyway, I suggest you reword the paragraph to be less misleading. I
>would not use the term "Two Radio Mode". That's just too close to
>Single-OP Two Radio, especially when used in the same paragraph with
>the word "contest".  Also, I would leave out the entire phrase in
>parens at the end of the aragraph. Unless you want to rely on the slim
>technicality that you can hear between CQs (or code elements with full
>break-in), the claim is simply not true.

I disagree, I've used plenty of examples for what a breakthrough this
transceiver is, and I have no intention of changing the text as
written on the Ten-Tec website.  "Instant Two Radio Mode" on the Orion
is much more than merely listening to a pair of receivers.  

The "typical" contester using ONE transceiver is now at a huge
advantage using Orion over anything else that is out there today just
by virtue of all the duplicated features we have packed into the radio.
The SO2R contester, as I pointed out yesterday, could have 4 bands
going, 4 amps, 4 sets of transmit antennas and Beverages interfaced to
the two radios all at one time.  Did I mention ultra high end receiver
performance, too?  :-)

Scott Robbins, W4PA


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