[TenTec] How Does the Orion Work?

[Ken & Linda Burrough]

Hi All

September 8th will mark 11 months of using my Orion.  I brought it home with
me last year from the Ten-Tec Hamfest.  I must say it has been a trouble
free radio.  I did have the Transmitter failure when I updated the firmware
from V1.158, I can not remember the number that came after 1.158.  I
e-mailed Gary at the factory and he send via e-mail V1.158 and all was well
until the next update which worked well.

I am not into contesting, DX or many of the other things that can be done
with the Orion.  I have made 3,079 contacts with my Orion and have never had
the radio shut down.  I operate about 60% CW and the rest is SSB and PSK-31.
I am just the old fashion Rag Chewier.

My friend, Toby, W4CAK said he has a friend that does the Master Reset about
once a week, well I am that friend but do not use the Master Reset that
often.  About once a month I do the Master Reset, but almost daily I do use
the User Profiles.  Number one is set up for CW, Number 2 is PSK-31 and
Number 3 has some very different AGC settings I use with the N4PY Control
Program.  So about once a day I do use the User Profiles and that can, at
least in my mind, help keep the Orion running right.  I even use the User
Profile for Factory Default just to remember how they set up the Orion at
the factory.

To say I have had the easy time learning the Orion would not be the truth.
I have read the manual many times, the last time was two days ago.  Any time
I get the Orion into a mode I do not understand, out comes the manual.  I
have two, one I printed from the Ten-Tec WebPages.  It is dog eared and well
worn.  I print and save in the dog eared manual most of the stuff that comes
across this list, that has helped a lot in learning how to use the AGC
system.  I have saved most of what Bill, W4ZV has posted about the Roofing
Filters, thanks Bill.  I also have to thank Toby, W4CAK for his help with
the Roofing Filters.

Time will tell if the Orion is the best transceiver made, for me now it is,
it even beats my old Omni Six Plus but only on SSB.  On CW the Orion is a
bit ahead but boy the Omni Six Plus was one great CW rig and will stay there
for a long time.

Thanks for the time on the Reflector and for reading this, it is not much
but it is my feelings.  I will be at the Fifth Ten-Tec Homecoming Hamfest.

Ken/w8keb
Flushing, Ohio
USAF Retired