[TenTec] ORION vs OMNI VI

[John Rippey]

It's interesting to compare the ORION's numbers against the venerable OMNI 
VI. In a QEX article (9-10/02) T. Raczek included a table showing the 
drop-off in performance between measurements at 20 kHz and 5 kHz spacings 
for a bunch of transceivers. The OMNI fell off 9 dB in BDR and 14 dB in IMD 
DR--one of the better results. The ORION, for all practical purposes, 
doesn't fall off at all, according to the new ARRL data.

The ORION also has the OMNI beat by a ton in composite phase noise 
measurements, but that's true for every other transceiver out there. From 
what I read, the ORION is basically impervious to very close-by 
super-strong signals. I don't have any of those to worry about.

Overall, for an analog rig that's going on twelve or so years old, the OMNI 
holds up surprisingly well in these comparisons.

73,
John, W3ULS