[TenTec] New to the list--Orion questions

[Mark Erbaugh]

Don,


> Hi everyone. I'm new to the list and have been following this list for
> sometime now and find it very interesting. I don't have an Orion yet but
am
> very interested in it. As a "newbie" to the list, I have a couple of
> questions that I know have been answered along time ago, but I've missed
the
> info, so I apologize for the basic questions.
>
> First, having had an ICOM756 PRO2, I'm wondering if the band scope
function
> for received signals is as active and sensitive to signals as the 756. It
> seems some of your comments indicate some of you turn it off.
>
> Second, is there any kind of "video" output so you can use an external
> monitor for the bandscope (not sure of the accurate name of that
function)?
>
> I seem to remember something about RF feedback problems causing
malfunctions
> but that may be an isolated case or only with high power amps.
>
> I enjoyed the PRO2 but don't have it anymore and am interested in the
Orion
> due to its QRM fighting features I read here (I'm a DX chaser--primarily
CW
> on 160-40 and SSB on 20 thru 10 meters, altho CW occasionaly anywhere).

I see you've gotten at least one answer, but let me add my comments.

I have owned both the original 756 and the 756 Pro, but not the Pro II.  I
consider the bandscope on those radios to be the best I've seen (I haven't
seen the 7800). I now have an Orion. The Orion's bandscope is nowhere as
good as the 756's.

The maximum range on the Orion's bandscope is 72 kHz.  At that range, it
looks like every vertical column of pixels in the display corresponds to a
sample point, just as in the 756 display. However, if you reduce the range
of the Orion's bandscope to 36 kHz, there are now two columns of pixels for
each sample point. IOW, you don't get any extra resolution when you reduce
the bandwidth. the same continues as your reduce the bandwidth further. When
you get the band width to it's minimum of 4.5 kHz, 16 columns of pixels are
used for each sample point - it looks more like a bar chart than a frequency
spectrum. On the 756's as you reduced the bandwidth, you could see more
detail.

IOW, assume (I didn't measure) that the banscope is 288 pixels wide. That
means at 72 kHz, there are 4 sample points for every kHz, or one sample
every 250 Hz.  As you decrease the band width to 4.5 kHz, the Orion is still
only sampling every 250 Hz, thus it only has 18 data points to display. It
displays those 18 point as 16 pixel wide bars. To me, the preferred
behaviour would be to have the Orion take smaller steps ( i.e. 15.625 Hz for
4.5 kHz bandwidth ) and display 288 distinct points. That looks like what
the 756 does.

Also, the Orion bandscope is not usable on Tx.

I've not had a problem with RF in my Orion, although I seldom run more than
barefoot.   I haven't had to do a master reset for quite some time and the
last time I did it, it may not have really be necessary - it's been a while
and I don't remember.

There is no video output of the display on the Orion (of course the 756
didn't have one either).

Hope this helps,
Mark