[TenTec] re should i buy an orion now

[Bill Rowlett]

Harry, methinks it is you who is missing the big picture. Weather we like it 
or not, the industry is going the way of TT and either firmware upgradable 
rigs, or the pure software control like the SDR-1000.

We can not think in terms of the old plug and play version 1 or 2.

The other three manufactures are all working on their versions. Icom has 
allready released one in the 7800 which has upgradable firmware.(They had to 
recall the whole lot for a harware mistake).

The times they are a changing, get the rig now and enjoy.

Bill  kc4atu
QRP,doing more with less



>From: Harry Reed <doon at infoscientific.com>
>Reply-To: doon at infoscientific.com,Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment 
><tentec at contesting.com>
>To: tentec at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [TenTec] re should i buy an orion now
>Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2005 11:27:38 -0700
>
>Methinks that people are forgetting the big picture.
>
>Most, if not all, here want dependability, reliability, and repeatability 
>in their rigs -
>especially ones that costs ~$4000. Is that *really* too much to ask? TTs 
>competition doesn't
>seem to think so. If I wanted an experimental rig I'd go out and buy a 
>SDR-1000.
>
>While the Orion's hardware seems to be up to the task (albeit getting a 
>little
>long in the tooth) TT firmware seems to have lingering problems. I gather 
>TT software
>engineering has been more than a little taxed trying to implement a bug 
>free SDR HF XCVR.
>Real-time software is a bear unless done exactly right - the last 2+ years 
>of upgrades
>has shown that they haven't. Indeed, going from a 1.x release to a 2.x 
>release indicates
>that they probably programmed themselves into a corner, so to speak. "When 
>all else
>fails do a rewrite!" Let's see if they can get it right with the v2 
>firmware. If not, maybe
>they should open up the firmware development to the FS/OS software 
>community (ala GNURadio)
>and get it done right HIHI :)
>
>
>Please, don't misunderstand me, I'm not bashing TT or the Orion. TT seems 
>to be a fine
>company and the Orion has the potential of being a fine rig worth its 
>asking price. I
>just don't think people are happy in spending ~$4000 on a SDR whose 
>firmware is still
>very much beta quality and a work in progress. I'm curious what's happening 
>to TTs reputation
>in all of this? Surely it can't be good. Indeed, one has to wonder how many 
>people bear with
>TT and their Orion in the hopes that TT will fix the problems and that the 
>Orion will get
>better because they don't want to admit that they spent their hard earned 
>$$$ on a subpar,
>even flaky radio?
>
>For these reasons I'm holding off my Orion purchase until v2 of the 
>firmware comes out and
>the Orion owners/users/abusers have their say. I don't demand a *perfect* 
>radio.
>Just one that doesn't hang or require a HW reset because I twiddled a knob 
>the wrong way -
>one that works reliably and predictably when I want it and when I need it.
>
>Harry Reed, AB7YF
>
>
> ><<<I just can't see any viable reason to not try/own an Orion. Especially
> >any technical reasons.>>>
>
>  >
>  >I'd go through the reflector archive for the past 2-3 years and look
>at what earlier >purchasers went through.
>  >
>  >If you have a lot of free time to tinker, maybe it's okay. For example
>if you are >retired and have a lot of patience maybe it's okay.
>  >
>  >I'm pretty low on time and patience. I want dependability. I want to
>be able to unbox >the rig, power it up, hook an antenna to it, ground,
>mic, key, cans...whatever i >need, adjust collector PA current and mic
>gain, adjust AF/RF gain, tune around, hit >the PTT button and start
>making contacts.
>  >
>  >If it's much more involved than that, or its behavior mysteriously
>changes from one >day to the next on a regular basis, then I start
>loosing interest.
>  >
>  >So the likes and dislikes probably have as much to do with operator
>personality as >anything else.
>  >
>  >rob/k5uj
>
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