[TenTec] ORION for 144/14 MHz TRV - operation 14.000 - 14.400

[Jiri Sanda]

Hi,

I have bought 2 pcs of  ORIONs recently. I am very happy with their 
performance on HF. I wanted originaly and want still to use them on VHF 
too.

I have two DB6NT TR144H transverters - by the way probably the best ones 
on the market, and since the problems with close in dynamics on 2m is 
specially here in Europe much worse than for instance on 40m. I wanted 
to use the ORIONs - without any doubt the BEST radio on the market now - 
too. Since I had IC775DSP and FT1000MP-5 I bought those TR 144H with 14 
MHz as IF - the IP/DR of both ICOM and YAESU radios is cosiderably 
better on 20m than for transvertors conventional 10m. (Not only my own 
measurements but also measuremnts of others - to name a just a few 
reliable ones: G3SEK or RSGB....) and here my fundamental problem comes 
- ORIONs main RX and  TX  works only up to 14.360. I would need it on 
14.400 at least !!!!! I am sure I am not the only one with this problem. 
So far as I know DB6NT made quite a lot of 144/14 and 432/14 MHz 
transvertors. I am sure the improvement in overall performance would be 
significant. The 14 MHz as IF is used due to poor design of other Radios 
they perform much better on 20m than on 10m. The improvement in dynamic 
range is significant - for sure over 10dB probably closer to 15 dB. I 
have not tried yet to measure if there is some difference in ORION (and 
never have found any info) - how ever I do have the transvertors with IF 
14 MHz and I am unable to change them to 144/28. To make the long story 
short this makes ORIONs a unusable on 144 for me. I believe the solution 
would be VERY SIMPLE - just to allow operation of ORIONs up to let's say 
14.410 or better up to 14.500 MHz. I would love to use them in JULY VHF 
contest - 1.st weekend of July. Can you help me PLEASE.

73 !

Jiri - OK1RI
(probalby well known on HF on VHF better known as OK1KIM or OL4A)

PS. - Same is valid for OK1RF with the second ORION I bought.

PS2 - If interested in having a look on a couple of 2m antennas - 
together 37 booms - total 202 m of booms with 397 elements "only" - have 
a look at http://www.ol4a.com/Contests/pd2003/galery/P7040014.html and 
around.