[TenTec] Fwd: Is Orion really worth it? Given the published problems?

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson]

On Mon, 2006-07-17 at 23:23 -0400, K4IA at aol.com wrote:
>  In a message dated 7/17/2006 8:29:41 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, K4IA  writes:
> 
>  
> In a message dated 7/17/2006 6:35:48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
> ronc at sonic.net writes:
> 
> Then  by all means, please post a copy of the firmware that has apparently  
> fixed in your unit the following:
> 
> 1).  The notch and auto  notch that is outside the AGC loop contrary to the  
> specifications;
> 2).  The whacky S-meter that reads 12 dB low  below S-9 and 20-30 dB high 
> above it;
> 3).  The missing 9 dB of  low frequency response at 50 Hz as shown in the  
> specifications;
> 4).  The NR that is of no practical  benefit;
> 5).  The speech processor that only increases background  noise and doesn't 
> increase average power much;
> 6).  The 3 kHz of  received audio bandwidth on AM that used to be 6 kHz.
> 7).  The  distortion in the AM detector.
> 8).  The 'click clack' sound in the  CW sidetone.
> 
> 
> 
> Ron -Good job but you left out:
>  
> 10) Key clicks and the miscalibration of the rise time displayed vs.  actual  
> (actually I don't care about the miscalibration as much as I do  that the 
> default of 5ms rise time apparently causes clicks)

So the gain is set too high causing ALC to clip the power before its had
time to rise all the way and level off gently. Lower the transmitter
gain.

> 11) QSK that doesn't
> 12)  AGC that hangs after transmitting so you can't hear a reply -  shouldn't 
> AGC just work on receive?
> 13) Lack of an ALC output to control non-TT amplifiers

The exciter ALC doesn't control the amplifier, its the other way around.
The amplifier sends ALC back to the exciter as an INPUT to control the
drive to the amplifier to keep the amplifier linear.
>  
> Just saw in the August QST that Icom has upgraded the roofing filter in  the 
> 7800 to a mind-boggling 3KHz.  Wowie zowie!
>  
> k4ia
> Craig "Buck"  loving his Orion - warts and all  in
> Fredericksburg, Virginia USA
>