[TenTec] Great Contest Radio?

[ss409ss at aol.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Merle Bone <merlebone at charter.net>
To: tentec at contesting.com
Sent: Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:07:16 -0600
Subject: [TenTec] Great Contest Radio?


Larry(N0XB),
I don't think I was clear in my note on the "Great Contest Radio," although
we might still not agree. I believe the Orion, with the V1 code - I run
1.373b5, is a great radio.

I also understand that the Orion can be changed to a "different radio" by
changing the firmware  (I was on the V1 and V2 Beta team). I don't think
that the V2 code qualifies today's Orion - running V2 - as a "Great Radio".
While I think, running V1, the Orion is a great radio, I hear contesters 
complain
about the lack of stability of the V1 code in contests and their need to
"re-start" the radio.

I have had the Orion for about 2 years. I think it is a great radio running
V1, although I do get frustrated when the screen locks up due to the control
processor issue. But I don't think that the "V2 code radio" has gotten close
to great. The notch and auto-notch filters don't eliminate the signal from
the passband but act like an "audio notch." That leaves those signals in the
band to pump the AGC. Both of those filters also appear to add their own
noise to the signal passband when they are engaged.

I personally much prefer the Noise Reduction performance in V1 to V2 - but I
use it more in CW then for SSB - but that is a preference.

Some people thought they were going to get a "fully functional band display"
in the original Orion - I know I did when I bought it.

I can only suggest that you test the QSK in V2(Try sending a stream of dits
over a carrier and check where you stop hearing the carrier). That issue was
worked pretty hard the Beta program.

The monitor audio appears to indicate distortion in the transmit audio that
may or may not be there.

There still seem to be issues of "audio quality" when using Speech
Processing (Which is outstanding with V1 firmware).

And other issues......

Larry, you did not say if you were running V2 - which was my specific
subject in my earlier post?

However, if people think that because the knobs haven't changed and the
display looks similar - that the V2 is the same radio as V1, they probably
want to do more investigation on software defined radios. I would say more
but I don't feel I can because of being on the V2 Beta program. However, it
should be evident that with Doug Smith gone from TenTec - the Orion
designer - that it wouldn't be surprising to see fundamental changes (Not
associated with stability) in the radio firmware - and that means the radio.
I certainly hope that V2 will get as good - and even better - then V1. At
that point I would certainly put it back into the category of a great radio.
For me, V1 is a great radio now with some stability problems.

I do hope that people don't set their expectations too low for V2. "Great"
is not only about the hardware, it is most assuredly about the firmware in
the Orion and other software designed radios and what they both deliver in
terms for functionality - performance - and stability. Having been trained
originally as an electronics engineer - and having worked as an HF
communications engineer - I admit to believing in great performing radios. I
waited for the ARRL review to buy the Orion because I wanted to really
understand its performance - "Great"(Unfortunately they didn't see the
stability issue). I hope that we will get a V2 radio that would, or will,
test as well as the V1 radio. There are a lot of nice radios on the market
with OK to good performance - many cheaper then the Orion II.

I  hope that we are not here on the reflector working these kinds of
Orion issues 2 years from now - like we were two  years ago.
73,
Merle-W0EWM

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