[TenTec] re Orion II thoughts (100W/200W), Class A

[george fritkin]

I do not know why class A is a big thing.  All radios today are extremely clean if operated properly.  And, by the way, how is one's hearing anyway?  This is much a do about nothing.

George, W6GF

----- Original Message ----
From: Richard Williams <richardw at mho.com>
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec at contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, January 5, 2007 10:28:27 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] re Orion II thoughts (100W/200W), Class A


Personally,  the 100W power output of the Orion was not even an issue when I 
was looking at replacing the Mark V.    To tell the truth, I was  happy the 
power is lower with the Orion;  am using an Alpha and the power had to be 
turned WAY DOWN with the Mark V.   Though I haven't been in the market for a 
new power amp,  I don't know that I can think of any that I have owned or I 
have looked at that require more than 100W to drive to full output power???

Since purchasing the Alpha (something you should do BEFORE getting married), 
I have been quite surprised over the number of contacts I made with both the 
Yaseu 1000 and the Orion, while waiting for the damn 3 min warm up on the 
amp.   I am sure I can quite safely say that my success rate was not cut by 
50% when I dropped from 200W to 100W.

Additionally,  the extra weight required for the 200W radio is not worth it. 
If you want to move the FT-1000, it takes one body builder, or two average 
men and a boy to budge it;   I can actually take the Oriion off the desk 
without asking two of the neighbors over for an "807" and then coherse them 
to help me move the radio.

Excuse my ignorance, but why would you want to operate a SSB PA in class A 
anyway?   The radio is/was (so Yaesu said) designed as a "DXer's radio" (CW, 
SSB & RTTY ).   I could be wrong, but I haven't heard 1A4A or any other 
DXpedition for that matter, switch to "broadcast quality AM" (or AM at all). 
I would think you would want maximun power, not quality of speech???  But 
maybe there is something to be said for using a "cranked up" RF speech 
compressor before driving a class A amp.   Personally, when I owned the 
Yaesu, I never even tried switching over to Class A.

Dick K8ZTT




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