[TenTec] Orion II Curiosity

[Robert & Linda McGraw K4TAX]

Further to this end, my experience and practice tells me that an analog 
meter under normal speech will show a power level of some 6 dB less than the 
true peak level.  Some from Europe may argue that this could be as high as 
10 dB if one uses the DIN scale.  OK, so be it.  This goes back to the 
discussion of VU meters vs. true peak levels on program circuits.  With this 
thought in mind then if the analog meter {yes I understand meter dampening 
and etc} shows 25 watts and one believes that there's a 6 dB difference 
between average and peak levels then the peak output will be about 100 
watts.

Using the same rational of 6 dB and seeing 75 watts on the same analog meter 
would then tell me that the peak level is some 298 watts.  I don't think so 
unless there is a significant amount of processing or compression taking 
place in the TS-50.

This goes along with many stations where I hear the operator state that the 
meter is showing 100 watts out on the power meter and they are running one 
of the modern day 100 watt radios.  {You name the brand.}  And they wonder 
why folks complain about their wide signal that lacks significant dynamic 
range or better yet the background noise is only 2 S units below their peak 
signal or one can hear their adenoids rattle when they inhale.  That's 
clearly quantity over quality.

I'd say that without excessive processing that 25 to 35 watts is about 
correct for a 100 watt radio.

73
Bob, K4TAX



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Barry LaZar" <k3ndm at arrl.net>
To: <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 6:29 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Orion II Curiosity


> The way I'm lashed up here in the shack has a power meter continuously on
> line. I looked up to see how much I was putting out with the Orion II and
> discovered that I was showing about 35-50 watts average on SSB. I changed
> mode to CW and found I was putting out about 105-110 Watts.
> I changed over to my Kenwood TS-50 which I have used to reach out and 
> touch
> people all over the world to see what I would read with it. I discovered
> that the average was about 75 watts.
> I went back to the Orion II to see if I missed something in my setup, mic
> gain or something. Nothing I played with seemed to allow me to kick up 
> more
> power. I played with the speech processor and the mic gain. All I could 
> see
> was that I was affecting the ALC, not much else. OK folks, what am I
> missing?
>
>
>
> 73,
> Barry
> K3NDM
>
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