[TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements, Flex Radio
Bernard(wtrone)
wtrone at comcast.net
Sun Feb 13 18:24:34 EST 2005
Steve:
Could you post the like for the "flex radio?"
Is this the radio that Yuri and company have been developing?
73,
Bernard, WA4OEJ
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve N4LQ" <n4lq at iglou.com>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements, Flex Radio
> 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
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> __________________________________
> >> Do you Yahoo!?
> >> The all-new My Yahoo! - Get yours free!
> >> http://my.yahoo.com
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> TenTec mailing list
> >> TenTec at contesting.com
> >> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TenTec mailing list
> > TenTec at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
More information about the TenTec
mailing list