[TenTec] Fw: Orion

[WA3FIY]

Roger......Roger......Roger.........   Relax!     Ten Tec did just fine with the 
Orion.   I don't know about the FSK as I don't have an Orion here......YET!   
But I do know about the QSK and I think you are a little bit confused.

See comments below.

On 3 Apr 2003 at 20:15, Roger Borowski wrote:

> If it has changed, I just lost all interest in an Orion. It also appears
> that there are no provisions for QSK keying of a QRO Brand Amplifier with
> QSK that requires a 9-12VDC signal from the exciter for optimal switching to

Neither the QRO, nor the ACOM, nor the Alpha, nor any other QSK 
amplifier I am familiar with including Ameritron and of course Ten Tec 
requires a 9 to 12 volt signal to  switch the amplifier.   

In fact, if you will take the time to check the specs and diagrams, most of 
which are available on line, you will see that the QSK keying input of all the 
amps I mentioned above and probably all the rest as well, require the input 
to be pulled to GROUND to key the amp.   Indeed, the input jack may well 
have 9 to 12 volts or so key up.   Maybe even a little more, like 20 or 24 or 
so.   But they all require the QSK input to be pulled to ground.   The Orion 
and all other Ten Tec's provide that switch to ground as well as providing 
proper timing of their QSK outputs to prevent hot switching as you call it.  
They also provide a keying loop that can easily be enabled or disabled as 
desired.

The folks down in Sevierville are not quite as dumb as you would like us to 
believe.   In fact, it looks to me like they have just successfully produced 
what is to become the leading Amateur Radio transceiver available, 
measured by any standard!!!

> messy. Speaking of PC control, I wonder where that documentation is and if
> it has been released to the ham software designers or when PC control with
> all the popular logging and contesting programs will be ready? The
> documentation in the Orion manual avoids the subject and that doesn't sit
> right either. It seems to me that most people receiving their Orions are
> thrilled to have a new toy after waiting so long. It also seems that these
> people comprise ragchewers and casual operators who like to compare and
> play, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, if the intent of Ten-Tec
> was to have a rig that is revolutionary to serious DX'ers and contesters,
> who 99.9% utilize PC controls for total station operation as well as
> logging, so far, we haven't seen anything really new except stereo, 

Surely you jest!    Nothing new???????    I would say it the other way 
around.   In the Orion, we are seeing almost everything new.   I think it is 
safe to say we are seeing a Paradigm [sp?] shift.   Some folks are going to 
take a while to catch on to it but it happened last week!

>and are
> still waiting for some real-world reports, which we probably won't see until
> rig control via programs used by contesters and DX'ers becomes reality. I'm
> still hopeful but it looks like the early announcement and increasing
> pressures  for shipping wound up superceding what could have been, with
> enough focus and time, a complete revolutionary package that I, and other
> contesters and DX'ers had hoped for. 73, -=Rog-K9RB=-
> 
As far as waiting for logging software to catch up to the Orion, neither you 
nor I know what is happening in that regard, but............it makes no sense 
to me for Ten Tec to hold up shipment of the Orion waiting for other parties 
to finish their work.  I am quite sure anyone producing contest logging 
software will be hard at work on the interface, if in fact any work is 
necessary.   Man.......the thing has only been out a week or so, what did 
you expect, simultaneous announcements of availability?

>From following this thing from the beginning, it appears to me Ten Tec has 
done the right thing in making sure the radio was ready to go before 
shipping contrary to your opinon that they did not finish their work.  

That said, one of the outstanding features of Ten Tec DSP based radios 
starting with the Pegasus, is the downloadable firmware.   So far I have 
seen some nice featuers added to my Pegsaus and some little bugs 
smashed.   I have no doubt the same will be so with the Orion.   I am not 
aware of any of the imports doing that on a regular basis.   What you get 
from them is what you get.  Oh yea, I almost forgot the 30 day trial.   Try it 
under real world conditions and if you don't like it, send it back in 30 days 
for a full refund [less shipping]!   That's a no risk policy if I ever saw one.  

Your choice of course wether you go with Orion or second best.   I'll not be 
at all surprised that within less than a year most serious contesters will be 
running one or more Orions.    Let's see....................:-)

73 de Lee, WA3FIY