[TenTec] Orion 2.055 Observations

[Mark Erbaugh]

I just installed V2.055 in my Orion this afternoon and did a little experimenting.

When I was running the CW side tone at level 14 or so, the tone sounded very tinny. At 2 or 3 it sounded more normal.

If you set the number of taps for the DSP filters to 32 (minimum), the filter doesn't track bandwidth changes very well. As you decrease the bandwidth (in 10 Hz steps), you will find a step where there is essentially no filtering (i.e. it opens wide). This is repeatable. A step or two in either direction and the bandwidth is back in step.  This doesn't appear to be a problem with more taps. I wonder if the filters were even tested with 32 taps?

I notice that turning up the AGC threshold also causes the S-meter to climb (just like adjusting the RF gain). Following some setup guidelines, I increase the threshold until the signal just starts to drop. At this point, my S-meter is indicating S-5.

My Orion only puts out about 80 watts (according to an external meter) into a 50 ohm dummy load. The Orion meter indicates 100 watts and bangs the needle against the stop at key down.

Mark