[TenTec] Orion-One Year Report--Plus the N4PY Orion Control Program.

[Ken & Linda Burrough]

My Orion is one year old and has never had a major problem.  It has worked everytime I have turned it on.  Ok I did take it back to the factory during the Ten-Tec Homecoming Hamfest to get the TCXO put back on frequency, it was 60Hz off.  My hearing is such that I could not adjust it so Paul did it for me.

Now I am not a contester, Dx chaser or any of the other things some hams do.  I am a good old fashion rag chewier.  I love cw and can and do rag chew at 30 to 40 wpm with the Orion.  The receiver is the best ever, better then my old Omni VI Plus.  I have all the roofing filters and during the SS Contest this past weekend I could rag chew and not have any qrm.  Where the Orion is much better then the Omni VI Plus is in SSB.  Again rag chewing was done in the last SSB contest and I could not do that with my Omni VI Plus.

Now for the N4PY Orion Control Program, it is great.  I can move around the Orion menus with a click of the mouse.  It has five AGC settings that can be set up and can be different from the Orion AGC settings.  The Threshold is selectable from the front panel with out going into the menu.  Carl put the normal Slow, Med and Fast AGC setting in his menu and once set you do not have to do anything except choose the Threshold setting you want or need from the slider on the front panel with your mouse.  Carl also put two programmable AGC settings in the Orion control program.  I have five agc settings at the click of the mouse.  But wait there is more.  Carl has also set up the program to "Get the Orion AGC setting", now if you like or do not want to change things in the agc you are set up.  When you do this you lose the adjustable threshold control but gee life is about setting up the program how you want it.  Now the Sweep is the best.  It has never locked up and cannot.  I run it in the continuous mode, always sweeping the band.  Carl did this by using the Sub-Receiver for the sweep and it really works.  I can make the sweep window three or six inches wide.  The sweep has Peak Hold that will hold the signal on the window until it changes.  The sweep has nine threshold settings for resolution as you want it.  A mouse click and your are on the frequency where the station is, not was.

This past weekend I got the K1EL WinKey working with the Orion Control.  This was just a matter of setting the menu dialog box, yes Carl has full WinKey support in his Orion, Pegasus and Jupiter Programs.  Now if you like to Keyboard your CW, this is the keyer to use with the Orion.  

If you get Carl's program you can count on Carl being only an E-Mail away for help.  I have never waited longer then two hours but most of the time it is five to 10 minutes and the answer is on your computer.  

I have used the N4PY control programs since 1999 when I bought my first Pegasus, still have and use a Pegasus.  I have used it on my one and only Jupiter also.  The N4PY Orion control program is the best and if you stop to think, Carl has been making this basic program better since 1999.  I have no interest in the N4PY Control Programs, don't make a penny from them but I do have fun using them.

Yes I am a Ten-Tec nut, I bought my first used Triton IV Digital in 1982 and have used Ten-Tec equipment since 1980.  Currently I have the Orion, Pegasus, Omni C, Century 21 and two PM-2's.  All work and are used except for the PM-2's, they get fired up about once a year.

It comes down to this, with all the control programs out there now days it still pays to buy the best and that is the N4PY control programs.

73 from the Buckeye State, Ohio State Football is King.

Ken/w8keb
Flushing, Ohio
USAF Retired 
(Ex calls, NE0C, KC0WN, N6EVC and my first KA2HJY)