[TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements, Flex Radio

Sun Feb 13 18:13:08 EST 2005

I think TenTec could easily get $4,999 for the Orion if they would add a 
color screen, soup up the processor, make the bandscope at least as good as 
the PRO and fix the firmware. You would then see those crowds flock around 
the TT display and the Orion would be the biggest hit since the IC-706. 
Personally I don't care if it requires a new model number like Orion II. Of 
course it would be better if the Orion could be retrofitted like the Omni 
VI, option 1, 2 3 etc. I'm saving up the money for whenever this happens.

Oh......Speaking of firmware bugs. You guys having seen anything until you 
try the Flex-Radio. I've spent a great deal of time playing with one here. 
It's got some great potential but it's a long way from being practical as 
your only ham rig. If someone would take the receiver concept and package it 
with a built in CPU, Hard drive, sound card etc. all in one box it would be 
awesome. The simple receiver in that radio is something everyone should 
hear. The audio quality is simply astounding and the selectivity something 
that leaves one with a dropped jaw. For instance, I set the bandwidth to 
100hz, tuned in a weak QRP station at S3, fired up my Omni VI at 60db over 
S9 just 110hz away and noticed no degradation in reception. This is 
impossible! Nothing has ever come close to sounding as quiet, pure and clean 
on cw as this thing. The problems mostly involve control software stability 
and cw keying. Both need a lot of work. Buying a Flex is really joining a 
think tank instead of buying a "plug and play" rig. You become part of a 
development team along with a great bunch of guys. The openness and 
willingness to share thoughts and ideas between he manufacture and the buyer 
have never been equaled and I think eventually they will have a great 
product.

Steve Ellington
N4LQ at iglou.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tommy" <aldermant at alltel.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 5:22 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!

> This is my opinion only!
>
> I think it's becoming obvious that what the ham radio user community wants 
> in a radio has changed to more 'glitz' that actual operational 
> performance. Ten Tec probably designed the Orion with customer loyalty in 
> mind, the 'IY' manufacturers designed their latest rig's with the 
> customer's wallet in mind. (Acknowledging the 'IY' manufacterers current 
> radios technical performance IS quite good.) The Orion is just about as 
> perfect 'hardware design' as one could ask from amateur equipment. The 
> ONLY snaffu in the Orion design is possible the added stages of 
> amplification on the last two narrow roofing filter positions, done with 
> their user community in mind. The selectable roofing filters, which help 
> provide the very best receiver performance available kinda caught the 
> competition grasping for some way to use the term 'roofing filter'. Ten 
> Tec again, with the user community (cost to the user) in mind, used a 
> non-color display. The concept of a near-perfect hardware design and 
> firmware downloadable updates should have been a 'killer' system for the 
> ham community IF the ham community was still technical-orionted.
>
> Two major problems; 1) The very old addage "One aw-s**t will kill a 
> thousand 'Atta-Boys'!" remains true today. While the Orion is an extremely 
> excellent hardware design, Ten Tec kinda dropped the ball with the Orion's 
> firmware; 2) probably 95% of today's ham community think a color screen 
> (so to speak) is much more important than actual radio performance under 
> extreme operating conditions.
>
> What I saw yesterday at the Orlando hamfest kinda brings home the point 
> about today's hams. During my walk around at that hamfest what I saw was 
> shocking to me.
>
> First walk through approximate number of ham visitors:
>
> Yaesu booth:        25 to 30 visitors at the booth.
> Icom booth:          30 to 40 visitors at the booth.
> Elecraft booth:      10 to 15 visitior at the booth.
> FlexRadio booth:  8 to 10 visitors at the booth.
> Ten Tec booth:      Only person present was the sales guy.
>
> Two hours later:
>
> Yaesu booth:       20-30 visitors
> Icom booth:         20-30 visitors
> Elcraft booth:       8-10 visitors
> FlexRadio booth: 5-10 visitors
> Ten Tec booth:    Myself and the TT sales guy.
>
> My immediate impression was the non-technical ham of today probably ranks 
> pretty color screens over pure absolute technical performance. I think 
> even if Ten Tec had a flawless firmware package in the Orion today, the 
> 'average' ham would prefer showing his friends the 'pretty color screen' 
> and boast about how much it cost instead of proudly boasting about the 
> technical excellence of their Orion.
>
> In my opinion, the "Guys @ TT" had the wisdom to produce the best hardware 
> design offered to the ham community on their first try, and I personally 
> do not see the need for "Hardware" improvements via an Orion Pro II, or 
> what ever. Of course, advancement in technology would require such, in the 
> future.
>
> Tom - W4BQF
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jim Davis" <nn6ee at yahoo.com>
> To: "Ten-Tec List" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 1:51 PM
> Subject: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
>
>
>> Gentlemen,
>>
>> In the future I hope that the Guys @ TT have the
>> wisdom to offer "Hardware" improvements (when
>> available) instead of offering a entirely new version
>> of our Rig. Look what manufacturers like Icom did to
>> us  when they brought out the IC-756, then the PRO,
>> then the PRO 2, then the PRO 3!!!  All similar rigs
>> but enough differences to preclude any chance of
>> up-grading any of them by their owners which I think
>> is an insult to all of us who ARE NOT independently
>> wealthy or have a psycotic need to keep up with the
>> "JONESES!!!"  $3400.00 is too big a chunk of change to
>> have to part with every time TT brings out a better
>> rig?
>>
>> The "ORION" is a stellar rig, no doubt about it, BUT
>> still the hardware should be made avaialble when the
>> time comes and it WILL!!!
>>
>> Any thoughts???
>>
>> Jim/nn6ee
>>
>>
>>
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