[TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
Tommy
aldermant at alltel.net
Sun Feb 13 19:15:03 EST 2005
Hi Bernard,
And I think we are hitting on the issues that make it very difficult
for a (any) manufacturer to produce a product, i.e., differences of
opinion.
I vaguely recall Ten Tec did an on-line survey a long time ago about
the color/non-color screen verses the cost factor, I don't know
their results, but at least they ASKED! The unfortunate truth is
changing to a color display probably is significantly more
cost-involved that simply swapping the monitor. But the current
spectrum sweep performance is poor, regardless of what color it is
viewed with. While I think the cabinet looks excellent as it is, the
black-on-black lettering thing is pretty silly. I personally will
always go with performance, meaning hardware AND firmware, before
the color display and/or the cabinet, in terms of importance.
Tom - W4BQF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bernard(wtrone)" <wtrone at comcast.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 6:21 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] TT (Orion) Future improvements!!!
> Tommy:
>
> Just my personal opinion, but I think that TenTec made an
> error in
> not paying more attention to customer wants/ desires/ likes in
> terms of a
> color display and a better looking cabinet.
>
> I asked Scott, at the Huntsville Hamfest, a couple of years
> ago
> about the color display. His comment was that it was a cost
> driven issue.
> Personally, I would have paid extra for a color display and a few
> more color
> driven options. But, that was TenTec's decision and it is hard to
> fault
> them.
>
> I selected the Orion because of its receiver
> specifications. I have
> not regretted that decision. The new Icom does not exceed the
> Orion specs
> and the new Yaesu specs are still undetermined.
>
> The Orion design is probably somewhere between 3-4 years
> old (from
> initial design). No doubt that the processors could be replaced
> with much
> higher speed units. I would not be surprised to see this in the
> future. I
> have also heard rumors of a color display. Will these occur?
> Well, only
> TenTec knows for sure. If these occur, I hope that I can upgrade
> my Orion!
>
> In the mean time, I will enjoy my Orion and not worry about
> the Icom
> and Yaesu rigs.
>
> Just one man's opinion.
>
> 73s,
>
> Bernard, WA4OEJ
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tommy" <aldermant at alltel.net>
> To: <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 13, 2005 4:22 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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>> > http://my.yahoo.com
>> >
>> >
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