[TenTec] 516/Orion/"software defined"/etc.

Ariel M. Elam k4aal@jackatak.theporch.com
Tue, 29 Jan 2002 01:34:12 -0600


Hi Kevin -- Your thoughts are a LOT like mine. My TT is a VI+(used).

73, Ariel, K4AAL

Kevin Anderson wrote:
> 
> I've been following these various threads on
> the Orion and 516, and now feel it is time to
> put in my $.02 worth and give another perspective:
> 
> I personally hope that T-T continues through
> with the 516.  As a 99% QRP operator, I would
> think seriously about purchasing this new rig.
> And there are quite a few T-T owner/operators
> that are also QRP folks (I recognize several
> of the posters here as also on QRP-L), so
> sufficient market is likely there. I would
> certainly buy this radio before the Yaesu FT-817
> (I am one who personally thinks VHF should not
> be part of an HF radio), although I would
> seriously consider the K2 instead.
> 
> However, I am not sure T-T can successfully
> market this many rigs at once. If you look
> back through their history, rarely have they
> had this many models out, although a low,
> mid-sized, and high-end model at once certainly makes sense and has been done by them before.
> A question is whether there would be
> enough differentiation between the 516
> and Jupiter to have them both survive.
> I am sure that the IF-DSP "core" is largely
> similar, so that likely works in their
> advantage for having multiple rigs at once.
> But it wouldn't surprise me that they drop
> the 516 again (although it would disappoint
> me).
> 
> The Orion sounds neat, but at $3300 I can't.
> It is for me to cry in my own beer, but I for
> one cannot afford that amount of money in this
> hobby. Even $695 for the basic 516 w/o PS will
> be stretching it for me and will take a big
> blessing from my wife.  But I guess there are
> plenty of folks who can afford $1,000 and above
> on radios. This is one major reason I've been
> able to buy only used radios to this point --
> I am just about at the point where I might
> consider a used Corsair I/II or Delta II. A
> used Omni (V or VI) is still way beyond my
> means for some time yet (although I would buy
> one of these before I would buy the Jupiter
> or the new Orion).
> 
> Which brings me to my last point for the day:
> "software defined" radios come 20 years from.
> A beauty of TenTec radios has been their ability
> to hold value AND be fully functional 20
> (even 30) years after manuafacture.  All of
> us have witnessed the number of Argos,
> Centuries, early Omni's and Triton that are
> still on the air. The radios now being built,
> heavily dependent on processors and now
> software flashrom to even operate, have me
> nervous.  I doubt a manufacturer thinks that
> far down the road, although the service dept.
> of TenTec must certainly do so! I hope that
> TenTec is keeping that in mind when choosing
> processors, DSP chains, ROM chips, etc.,
> for future servicing. We have all witnessed
> the rate of change of computer manufacturing
> and how hard it is to find chips, let
> alone software, for older equipment. It is
> possible that I might not buy the 516 for
> just this very reason -- i.e., that I would
> be able to operate it 20 years from now.
> And I refuse to think of an amateur radio is
> just a "consumer item", to be pitched when
> broken or out of date -- IMHO it goes against
> the grain of ARS.
> 
> Now back to your regular contributors...
> Cheers/73from Iowa.
> Kevin Anderson, K9IUA,
>  who operates a TenTec Argosy II, Century 22,
>  and a Scout (all used!) as his only radios.
> 
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> Kevin Anderson, K9IUA, Dubuque IA
> k9iua@juno.com - Opinions all my own
> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
> 
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