[TenTec] Orion bugs and firmware upgrade wish

[WB3LGC at aol.com]

It's now been a few weeks since I got my Orion with Version 1.371 firmware.  
I have enjoyed using the radio.  I found a few bugs in the operation that I 
have not seen on the reflector.
 
1.      Recording to “send 1 (2,3)” with NR on.  After completing the 
message, a tone is present.  Turn NR off and it goes away until you turn NR back on. 
 Power off to fix.  Record the message with NR off, all is OK.  Note: this 
was also the first time I tried to use “send” to record.  Repeatable, but not 
100%.
2.      If you change the roofing filter setting (2.4Khz to 1.0Khz for 
example), the graphic in the LCD display does not change to the correct display 
until the BW knob is diddled.
3.      Sometimes when I tune (auto tuner), the audio does not return.  If I 
PTT, it returns. NBD.
 
Two wishes:
 
1.      Auto “step” control.  Replace the largest step size with “auto” 
that would change the step size the faster the knob was turned.  A slow/fast 
selection could be added to the auto selection.  I have used a function like this 
for a track ball control for scrolling over a graphic image where the number 
of encoder counts per software loop was multiplied by a factor and squared.  
Worked well.
2.      A menu selection to allow firmware to disable the transmitter if the 
tuner is not tuned, “auto”?  (I would love to see a K2 type function of 
re-setting the tuner when band changes are made, but the K2 reads the settings from 
it’s tuner.  I guess the Orion just commands the tuner to tune…).

73, Steve