[TenTec] Orion - newbie first impression

[JACrux]

I just spent a week operating as KH6/G3JAG and was obliged to choose very 
quickly between using an Orion (I) or an FT1000MP, never having used either 
before. No time to play - just get on with operating.

The Orion won ..... the FT1000 had so many buttons I never even switched it 
on !   And I found the Orion extremely user-friendly as long as I avoided 
doing anything complicated ... no time for that when there is a howling mob 
on frequency. Obviously not as easy as my ancient Omni-V.9, but a real 
delight to use on CW.
There may well be software glitches that need fine tuning, but as an operator 
- as opposed to a nit-picking knob twiddler -  I wish I could have brought it 
home with me. 

I also liked the Alpha 99, but it was noisier than my Hercules II. Besides 
which I could not get it in my overnight bag ....... 
ex-KH6/G3JAG