[TenTec] Advantage Orion - Receive Antenna Switching

[N2TK, Tony]

Well Billy, here are a few comments in regards to your comments regarding
the IC7800.
First, if you look at the front panel of the 7800 it is easy to see and
change which antennas you are using - look right below BW to see which
antenna is selected and look to the upper left software switch selection for
selecting antennas. Although, it looks like the Orion's method may be
better.
Second, one key feature of the 7800 is having the RX in/out for both
receivers out the back. If you aren't using separate receive antennas, you
can leave the jumpers in place. If you want to use receive antennas,
bandpass filters, additional outboard receivers for either receiver or both,
you have an easy way to do this.
I'm not sure how the Orion allows you to add additional items or split out
the receive signal? Maybe someone can comment on that.
Third, you can transmit with either receiver on the 7800. And both receivers
are identical. The second receiver is not the typical lower quality
sub-receiver.

Will be interesting when the Orion has some contest style operating and some
test bench tests done on it. Will probably have to wait till next year to
compare to the 7800.

Tony
N2TK



-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com]On
Behalf Of Billy Cox
Sent: Thursday, May 22, 2003 15:06
To: tentec at contesting.com
Subject: [TenTec] Advantage Orion - Receive Antenna Switching

I'll toss this one into the fray of the Orion verses IC785 ...

Look at the IC785 brochure ... look closely at the both
the front and back of the rig ... next look even closer for
ANY indications of how the Receive Antenna Switching
is to be accomplished. I did not find it at first pass ...

Now ... look at the front of your Orion sitting on your desk
right now or at the new and much improved web shots on
the Ten Tec site ... look at the left front panel area ...

Scorecard - Advantage Orion!

Why?  Glad you asked ...

The IC785 appears to be accomplishing external
Receive Antenna Switching in the same way I did
it with my IC765 <a great rig for it's time> ... Look at
the back of the IC785 picture, notice the 4 BNC <?>
type connectors along the top right side, the ones
that appear to have jumpers across them. My best
guess is that's the path that you have to break to add
in any form of a Receive Antenna ... which means
that you'll need ANOTHER switch to do this. As a
certified 'crazy contestor'(tm) ... you don't want this!

Been there, done that ... and sat blurry eyed in front
of the rig at 3 am wondering why 20m sounds 'funny'
after QSYing from working DX stations in the mud
<and on the Beverages> on 160m ... Oh, DUH, the
(*&^%$%# external Receive Antenna Switch is still
on the Beverages, no wonder the stack sounds weak!

Now ... look at the left front panel layout of the Orion.

You can CLEARLY see what you are using for the
Receive Antenna on EITHER Receiver ... and the
RX ANT buttons have LEDs that might be just the
'clue' the blurry eyed op needs after that 3 am QSY
from 160m to 20m ... <now, if that LED can be made
to WINK at the op to remind him, aha THAT would be
really great!>*  And it appears that you can switch
your Receive Antenna System to Main RX/TX or SUB
RX or BOTH ... (Stan @ TT suggested who to contact
to confirm that, and I will shortly as I have another question
or two as to how the splitting is being accomplished.)

With the IC785 having TWO RCVE antenna breakouts, that's
going to be a major challenge to overcome. Why? Let's say
you have ONE external Receive Antenna there ... with the
IC785's stock setup ... you'll have to choose which ONE of
the two RCVRs gets the ONE receive only antenna ...

Yes, with a proper splitter it can be done ... but now we are
quickly moving away from KISS engineering tactics.

Not a plus, but a minus, as to one more thing to have to do to
a new top tier radio that you really had not planned on doing.

Regardless, the above comparison puts the Orion at a major
ADVANTAGE as to 'nuts and bolts' station design for 'how the
heck' to intelligently add in the Receive Antenna Switching.

It's a plus just for the chief op <or guest op> being able to
LOOK at THE RIG and understand exactly as to are they on the
TX antenna or one of the RX antennas, and not have to look
on the shelf somewhere else nearby for 'that other dang switch'.

73 Billy AA4NU      *(The Beverage LEDs on my switching network
I designed did that to remind me to ask myself ... What are those
funny little GREEN lites, and why are they blinking at me at  3 am?)


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