[TenTec] Orion Beta Testing

[Dick Green]

> IT is obvious that TT is providing software and then letting 
> the customers discover the "pitfalls" and "problems."   When 
> a manufacturer sells a $3000 plus radio, it is reasonable to
> expect flawless operation "right out of the box."
> 
> AM I BEING UNREASONABLE WITH THIS ASSUMPTION ?

Yes. Welcome to the world of software. As a 30-year veteran of this
industry, my credo has always been "All software has bugs." There is no such
thing as flawless software. Sometimes this is due to haste or poor practice,
but most often it is due to a combination of complexity, compatibility
requirements and demanding customers. Had the Orion been designed as a
simpler radio, the initial firmware would have been more reliable. It is
because Ten Tec is trying to do some very special things with this radio,
and get them out to their customers quickly, that the early versions of the
firmware have been a bit unstable. In my book, Ten Tec has been amazingly
responsive to suggestions from customers and has implemented a number of
excellent features in the months following release of the Orion. The product
has already gone beyond the specs under which I bought it, and that is what
I call value. I say, thank goodness for highly programmable radios (it's
about time) and thank goodness for a USA-based manufacturer who is easy to
deal with, willing to make changes, and fast by industry standards. I'll put
up with a few early firmware bugs for this.

73, Dick WC1M