[TenTec] One complicated radio!

[Don Rasmussen]

Bill, 

It took me almost 2 years to figure out why I wasn't
using my DSP based transceiver optimally on CW. 

They keep talking about this "learning curve" with
Orion.

I can't help but think that Orion is similar in this
manner to the IC756p. The problem with that radio is
it ships with a miserable set of defaults (for CW),
and each control that you once understood to work a
certain predictable way on an analog radio is just an
input parameter that's used by this complex computer
program called DSP. 

The various controls don't affect each other in a
predicatable and linear fashion like they do in an
analog radio. 

So, trial end error involving the entire host of
controls seems to be required for every operating
scenario based upon mode, band, time of day and noise
level. 

It really makes me wonder if an operator of a DSP
radio
would ever find operation "second nature".

The Corsair II took a little getting used to, but my
OMNI 6+ worked bang well in all conditions with nary a
twist of the RF gain control. Now there's a 
transceiver that's really 99% good out of the box.

For the fellow that asked, Orion is just fine for what
it is, maybe the best. Question is if it's your own
type of radio enjoyment.

73,
de WB8YQJ/6


To:  tentec at contesting.com 
Subject:  [TenTec] One complicated radio! 
From:  Bill Tippett <btippett at alum.mit.edu> 
Reply-to:  tentec at contesting.com 
Date:  Mon, 24 Nov 2003 10:09:33 -0500 
List-post:  <mailto:tentec at contesting.com> 

W3ULS wrote:
>Reading the above makes my brain hurt.


        John, did you miss the part where I said the
settings should work for all but 1% of QSO's?  If you
want to extact maximum performance from any product,
whether it is a radio, camera, or automobile, you
definitely need to learn how to take it out of
Automatic mode and learn to shift the gears.  If you
aren't willing to do that, just be happy with what you
get in Automatic mode the other 99% of the time.

73, Bill W4ZV  
 
From:  Bill Tippett <btippett at alum.mit.edu> 
Reply-to:  tentec at contesting.com 
Date:  Mon, 24 Nov 2003 10:09:33 -0500 
List-post:  <mailto:tentec at contesting.com> 

W3ULS wrote:
>Reading the above makes my brain hurt.


        John, did you miss the part where I said the
settings should work for all but 1% of QSO's?  If you
want to extact maximum performance from any product,
whether it is a radio, camera, or automobile, you
definitely need to learn how to take it out of
Automatic mode and learn to shift the gears.  If you
aren't willing to do that, just be happy with what you
get in Automatic mode the other 99% of the time.

73, Bill W4ZV  


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