[CQ-Contest] Orion

[Kelly Taylor]

Hi,

Boy, what a hornet's nest did one simple question stir up.

I think there's a little defensiveness that seems to be clouding one issue
that really has nothing to do with the radio and more to do with the
semantics of the segment on the TT web site.

That paragraph, which we all know by now, clearly left me, and lot of other
relatively intelligent and knowledgeable two-radio ops, thinking it was
promoting an SO2R-in-a-box radio. I mean, c'mon: when people say they SO2R
it doesn't mean they listen on the other radio between characters, it means
the other radio is open and listening throughout the counterpart radio's
transmission. Certainly Ten Tec knows this.

I do not dispute any of the statements made regarding the quality of this
radio nor any of the amazing features that Scott mentioned. Certainly, it is
an outstanding achievement, SO2R-in-a-box or not. But I don't think it takes
anything away from the radio to suggest that the advertising should be
clarified, even if just slightly, so that no misunderstandings present
themselves in the future.

'Instant two-radio capability' does not suggest to me 'Instant one radio at
a time' capability. Two radios are just that: two radios, able to operate
simultaneously. That is clearly not the case with the Orion, no matter how
well organized the radio is. And it is very well organized. A credit to
Scott's in-depth understanding of the needs of contesters that it features
the very intelligent functions it does, particularly the
Oh-my-God-what-have-I-twiddled-too-far instant reset of factory parameters
and its hands-off frequency agility.

I would venture to speculate that if the Orion holds up to be even 3/4 as
good as Ten Tec claims (and I have no basis to dispute Ten Tec's claim), it
will be one of the best new radios on the market.

It certainly seems to be a built-for-contesters-by-contesters kind of radio.

But it does not have Instant Two-radio Capability.

73, kelly
ve4xt