[TenTec] K2/100, Orion review

[Carl Moreschi]

The reason there is no real "PTT" in the Orion is the same as why there was
not one in the Omni VI or any other tentec radio for that matter.  The
tentec radios do not have or need to go into a steady transmit mode.  The
QSK is so fast and smooth that you can always go to transmit from receive
mode without all the problems other manufacturers have had.  Traditional
non-QSK transceivers need a semi-breakin where all the relays are first
transferred before transmit can begin.  This is the reason other
manufactures needed a semi-breakin and PTT CW mode.  All tentec transceivers
have never needed this crutch to go between transmit and receive on CW.  If
you want semi-breakin on a tentec radio, you just adjust a delay that really
just mutes the receiver a little longer so you don't hear anything between
the dits and dahs.  But the tentec transceiver is really doing the same
transmit and receive transitions regardless of the semi-breakin delay you
may have set.  Having a PTT CW mode on the Orion would be the same as
pressing mute while you are transmitting.  It just makes no sense at all.
Now I see in the ARRL review of the Orion that the first dit shortening is
at 60 wpm.  It appears to be about 3 milliseconds shorter.  This would be
imperceptible.  At the 20 to 40 wpm range, I would believe there would be no
shortening of the first dit at all because the receiver would have fully
recovered for each dit sent and all dits would be the first dit.

Carl Moreschi N4PY
Franklinton, NC
----- Original Message -----
From: <K3BU at aol.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 26, 2003 12:40 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] K2/100, Orion review


> In a message dated 12/25/03 5:21:40 PM Eastern Standard Time,
shristov at ptt.yu
> writes:
> >>Is the front-panel PTT input (on mic jack)
> operational on CW?<<
>
> "Yes" but it becomes KEYING line instead of PTT on CW, so you lose PTT
> function, but you could send code with your foot switch, which none of the
above $3k
> rigs allows :-)
> Apparently you can't do anything about it. I tried to figure it out, but
got
> lost in the schematics right after the mike connector wiring, doesn't jive
> with reality.
>
> Yuri, K3BU
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