[TenTec] Orion vs SDR-1000

[Harry Reed]

Hi all,

While I agree that TT probably should not release source code for the Orion firmware to 
the F/OSS community, how about releasing a hardware spec that the F/OSS community could 
code to? Granted the schematics for the Orion have been released and it *may* be possible to 
garner enough info to figure out how to program the thing, why not just release the
specs needed so that we could write the software ourselves? Considering the sheer amount 
of resources in the F/OSS community the Orion could have a very long life indeed! While 
the software would no longer be TT software or even TT derived software, if/when TT 
decides to stop updating the Orion (as it apparently has with the RX-350 and Jupiter) 
that new firmware upgrades could continue to be produced via the F/OSS community.

73
Harry Reed, AB7YF


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tommy" <aldermant at alltel.net>
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 22:31
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion vs SDR-1000


>/ Of course the Orion firmware is not and probably never will be open/
>/ source./

Thats good.

 But it sure doesn't cost Orion users very much!
>
>/ Tommy - W4BQF/
>
>
>/ At Tuesday 06:12 PM 8/30/2005, you wrote:/
>/ >/
>/ > > 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!/
>/ >/
>/ >By definition, the "value" of an SDR is going to be in the software, and/
not
>/ >in the diminishing number of hardware bits that front-end it.  Software,/
as
>/ >protected Intellectual Property (IP), is where the value is.  I agree/
that
>/ >there's value in open source.  It's a place for experimentation and/
>/ >innovation.  Ultimately, it's value-less if it's free, and that puts SDR/
>/ >vendors out of business unless the open source eventually becomes closed/
and
>/ >proprietary, and therefore has value as IP./
>/ >/
>/ >Flex is using open source (read that as free volunteer written software)/
to
>/ >add value to their hardware modules.  You get half a radio at something/
more
>/ >than half the price, and for now the entire back-end part of the radio is/
a
>/ >PC, soundcard, and free software.  As Flex's "half" shrinks where are/
they
>/ >going to make a dime?  The user community isn't suddenly going to be/
happy
>/ >about having to shell out several $000 for the FlexPRO software release,/
but
>/ >if that doesn't happen, the Flex will forever be a tinkerer's radio, even/
if
>/ >an interesting and fun one  ..../
>/ >/
>/ >Grant/NQ5T/
>/ >/
>/ >/
>/ >/
>/ >/
>/ >/
>/ >_______________________________________________/
>/ >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/
>

-- 
Harry W. Reed                       | Never ascribe to malice that which can
doon at infoscientific.com             | adequately be explained by stupidity.
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 than  under  omnipotent  moral busybodies,  The robber baron's  cruelty may 
 sometimes sleep,  his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who 
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 the approval of their own conscience."    -   C.S. Lewis, _God in the Dock_
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