[TenTec] IC-7800

[Tim Randa]

Nice comments John...but you better double up on those flame pants.
Unfortunately there are people on this reflector that will take your comments as
a deadly assault on their first born.

73 de KØFL

John Clifford wrote:

> Interesting rig.
>
> I will say one thing for Icom... that display sure is nice looking.  And it
> sure presents information clearly.
>
> <FLAME PANTS ON>
>
> I'm sure I'm going to be attacked en masse... but IMO comparing the Orion
> display to that of the 7800 (which I just spent the past few minutes
> comparing photos from the link below and from the Ten-Tec website) makes the
> Orion look downright primitive.  Quite frankly, the Orion's display needs
> some serious help both in fonts and in layout.
>
> Here's an example of how the 7800 has a clearer interface than the Orion:
>
>  - I _believe_ that the Orion's VFO A is set to 14.270 MHz USB, while VFO B
> is set to 14.021.620 MHz CW (lower sideband).  I believe that VFO A is
> assigned to the main receiver while VFO B is assigned to the subreceiver.
> (I _thought_ that each receiver had two VFOs, but the interface doesn't
> indicate this.)  After staring at the Orion's screen for a few minutes, I
> guess that the numbers and abbreviations around the edges apply to the
> closest button status.  I have no idea which VFO the bandscope applies to
> (I'll assume it's VFO A).  There's three bar graphs in the display... (or
> are there two?)... and I assume that the two smaller ones indicate signal
> strength while the larger one above the rightmost small one is a volume
> barcode of sorts(?)... or perhaps the two small bar graphs are volume while
> the large one is the S-meter.
>
> In other words, as a guy who likes Ten-Tec and a person who understands what
> each control on a complicated rig is supposed to do... I have a hard time
> looking at the screen and figuring out what is what.  This is primarily
> because the interface layout is not clear... and that I do not immediately
> understand it is NOT my fault but is instead the fault of the
> person/people/committee that laid out the screen.
>
>  - Contrast this to the 7800 display, where it is EASY to see which receiver
> is using which antenna, what the pre-amp, attenuator, and AGC settings are
> for each receiver, what the S-meter is reading for each receiver, which
> receiver the bandscope applies to (as well as a histogram display for the
> bandscope), etc.
>
> The 7800's display shows the value of color.  It also shows the value of
> choosing good fonts (the frequency settings are MUCH clearer due to the font
> chosen over the Orion).  In short, it shows much better UI design.
>
> The Orion has one advantage (I believe)... and that is the fact that its
> software can be upgraded in the field (something that is not mentioned for
> the 7800).  I think it would behoove Ten-Tec to make the investment and put
> considerable effort in redesigning the display so it as at LEAST as
> attractive as that on the 746 PRO.
>
> Here's an even better idea for Ten-Tec: why don't you redesign the UI so
> that end users can come up with their own display interface, by creating a
> toolkit with basic barcode, text, and numeric displays, assigning IDs for
> each necessary item (or having the display interface handle missing items
> gracefully), and letting the end user use a resource editor (perhaps even
> creating a resource compiler that works on the Windows Resource Editor
> dislog output).  (Hint: I would be willing to be contacted to help with
> this!)
>
> I have no doubt but that the Orion is a fine rig.  I have given some serious
> thought to ordering one.  But... why can't it have a fine-looking display?
> I'm afraid I see the history of Japanese ascendence over US manufacturers
> being repeated all over again when I look at these two rigs side-by-side.
> The American manufacturer has cutting-edge technology... but the Japanese
> manufacturer outsells it because they have taken the time to make a rig that
> looks as good or better than it performs.  Ten-Tec needs to be the Apple of
> ham radio (and note that Apple still has a platinum case)... otherwise they
> risk being beaten by a company that has developed what they perceive to be
> an Orion-killer and that intends to be the Sony of ham radio (Icom).
>
>  - jgc
>
> John Clifford KD7KGX
>
> Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
> Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
> Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1
> Alinco DR-605TQ
> Icom T90A
>
> email: kd7kgx at arrl.net
>
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