[TenTec] Orion vs SDR-1000

[Martin, AA6E]

Seems to me that the open source software development for the SDR-1000
is a big plus with few negatives.  You get faster development (more
man-hours of development and test), faster bugfixes, and lots of
creative exchange among users & programmers all for minimum cost to
the manufacturer.  TT and other vendors, take note!

[Have you looked at the great open source applications and development
software you can get free?  OpenOffice.org, gcc, the GIMP, and many
more.  The commercial equivalents could cost you $1,000+.]

I understood the problem with CW is the relatively slow T/R switchover
time, preventing QSK.   I am not sure where it comes from, whether
long DSP processing pipelines, soundcard issues, or what.  It should
get better as people refine the software.

K5KVH commented that the SDR-1000 is just a QRP rig with a power amp
bolted on.  Doesn't that describe the Orion or any other 100 W rig?  I
agree that the SDR is not as well integrated as an operational radio
as standard rigs are.  It would appeal to experimenters, I think. 
Kind of like ham radio?  hi.

73 Martin AA6E

On 8/30/05, Grant Youngman <nq5t at comcast.net> wrote:
> 
> > Did they ever get teh CW operation up to par?
> 
> Flex staffers/reps were still downplaying CW performance (that means that
> when the subject came up there were a lot of averted glances, mumbling and
> equivocating), at least as of Dallas Ham-Com in June.
> 
> It looks like a neat radio, and is certainly the direction of things to
> come, but it's no Orion, even counting the supposed warts.
> 
> There are a lot of positives from open source, there are many more
> negatives.  You don't see many Linux vendors these days giving away their
> Enterprise-class software as freebies from a bunch of volunteer developers,
> and I can't imagine you'll see that from any mainline radio vendor, and down
> the road probably not even from Flex if they have a brain ....
> 
> Grant/NQ5T
> 
> 
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