[TenTec] Orion Noise Reduction Ability

[Merle Bone]

Gary (AA2IZ) said:
"I'm not the one to ask....so consult the archives.  As I remember there is a
strong interaction with other settings....I think it was AGC hang or
something, that drastically messed up the NR if these other settings are not
correct.  But if they are correct, then all is well.  This of course
accounts for widely different experiences with it."
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Gary, I've followed this reflector for quite a while - since the Orion was first released - but I don't think I know the story you are referring to. Grant's comment about the interaction of the "front-end bandpass" and the effectiveness of the noise blanker has been discussed here. 

NR action does depend on the signal strength, the band characteristics of the signal, the bandwidth setting of the IF pass-band and the setting of the NR knob. Also, the NR code has been changed "significantly" over time (See the archives). There was also a long discussion of what people "theorized" was going on in the NR algorithm. Some people find different versions - and there have been very different versions - more or less helpful. I think the effect of this "tool" is "at the margin" in terms of improved signal to noise improvement. But it may make using the rig "more pleasant" or "less tiring" depending on the mode and the release of the code you are using and your own preferences. I suspect the evaluation of the "usefulness" of NR depends more on what individual expectations (subjective observations) are rather then what really happens to the signal to noise ratio of the signal in the IF pass-band.
73, Merle - W0EWM