[TenTec] Orion - Week 3

[John Rippey]

I've owned two Mark V's. Kept them a total of 18 months, and sold them. I 
did not like the way the analog filters were arranged, and they were pricey 
as well. The existence of audio-level DSP seemed incongruous in a top-end 
rig, and not very effective--the OMNI VI's NR button did better IMHO.

It appears that recent Mark V's have reverted to the major QC problems that 
appeared in the first production runs and seemed to have been solved in 
later runs. Maybe Vertex/Standard has outsourced parts and assembly. 
Whatever, it's now caveat emptor all over again with regard to new Mark V's.

Barring a windfall of cash (Orion's out of reach), the radios of choice in 
my shack are a TS-870, IC-746PRO, and an Argonaut V. Once getting used to 
how the IF all-DSP filtering in these rigs works, it becomes increasingly 
difficult to go back and use the old analog designs, even the venerable 
OMNI VI.

My sense is we hams have never had it better in our choice of transceivers 
priced under $1,500.

73,
John, W3ULS