[CQ-Contest] More on Orion de W4PA

[Marty Ray]

Gentlemen,

Excellent topic of discussion. I normally stay on the sidelines and just
read the
commentary, but I feel that I have something to add to the discussion on
this topic.
I just received my Orion a couple of days ago, and I have had the
opportunity to
try out some of the features.

First of all, I'll admit you are correct on the wording of the ad. I thought
the same
thing and called TenTec to ask if that is what they really meant to say. Now
then,
what makes this radio good for SO2R ops? The Orion's main receiver is hot!
That alone should merit the purchase of one. You can't work what you can't
hear
and when you've got that 40 over S9 guy parked right next to you, who do you
think will win? You can sit there all day and hammer out q's until the guy
gives up
and moves on. I mean you won't even know he's there, at least on cw - my
mode
of choice.

> Personally, I don't really care all that much that the ORION doesn't
provide
> two radios in a box. That has very little to do with my interest in the
> radio. See below....

> ...OK, I agree that from a flexibility standpoint the ORION is better for
SO1R
> contesters than any other rig on the market. However, I disagree that the
> flexibility features are of much benefit to SO2R ops. We can't make use of
> them because there's not much practical advantage to using the
subreceivers
> for monitoring additional bands ...

Second, while the above comments are true, the real advantage to using the
Orion is that you have the flexibility to use diversity reception. This is
what really
struck me. The FT1000 can do this, but I think TenTec's implementation is
superior.

My plan is to use my OMNI VI+ as the second radio and stick some dedicated
rx antennas on the #2 and #3 antenna ports on the Orion. I think SO2R ops
will
find ways to make this an oustanding addition to thier lineup.

I believe that the Orion will prove itself under severe conditions. There
isn't
currently anything in the ham market that touch it. I'm not a TenTec die
hard. I
have simply evaluated the performance of the available radios on the market
and have come to conclusion that the Orion is the best amateur radio
available.

This is my opinion, and, like certain parts of the human anatomy, everyone
has
one.

Regards,

Marty Ray
N9SE