[TenTec] Re: Contesting

[Tommy]

OK...now that you have all of those very informative opinions, what conclusion do you draw? Or do you just draw a glass of beer and drop the subject? hihi...

One thing that was pointed out was that not very many hams understand the term ' SDR '. Doesn't matter as they will give you their opinion anyway!

So just what is SDR? A method of updating a radio, period, the end? Or are you supposed to be able to set up personal configuration of a radio by SDR? (No, that is done by parameter selection of the radio via a menu established by firmware.)  Obviously, I am finding out that I, also, have no clue what SDR really means. Firmware upgrades, Orion, is mainly being used to fix firmware errors and modifying operating parameter as the field discovers 'beta errors'. I would be hard pressed to tell you how SDR would, or has, any connection with a good contesting radio at all.

I know when you say SDR, your not referring strictly to the Ten Tec equipment as there are other claimed SDR radios on the market. For contesting,  the Orions selectable roofing filters is the best advance in contesting radios that has come along in a long time. BUT as claimed by Scott, if a Yaesu FT-1000xxx driving an amp at 1.5kw sits down 500Hz away from my Orion during a costest, switching to the 500Hz or 250Hz roofing filter does not make that thumpy thing go away...it just doesn't happend. However if a clean Icom, or Kenwood, or K2, or other Ten Tec rig with amp at 1.5kw sits 500Hz away from you, then the roofing filter may help you. None of whick has anything to do with  SDR.

DSP bandwidth setting filters are better than I expected them to be and WILL help significantly during a contest (big signal) environment. Again, nothing to do with SDR.

All marketing BS aside, what am  I  missing? Isn't SDR just a marketing term used to confused the under informed to make them think they are getting something wonderful?

Tom - W4BQF