[TenTec] ORION FIRMWARE GRIPES > RIT/XIT (DX) ES CONTESTING FLEXIBILITY> DE PA3ARM

[Harry van Enckevort]

Hello,
I prepared below last week to put on this reflector es am pleased now to
see some mails which more or less cover some of it. So I added "Orion
firmware gripes" to the subject" es wud refer also to Robert Carroll's
(w2wg) mail earlier today. (check out nr. 8)
Let me input some wishes/thoughts re operational features rather than
performance on this reflector. Have been reading posts since march 2003
es learned a lot from these re performance though.
But I think in particular on above there is still "room for more
flexibility" ...

Below I list the 2 activities I wud like to have more flexibility for:
A - CONTEST
B - DX ing (2 different ways listed)

A - CONTEST; SO2V (I use N1MM logger)

RUN  wid Remote POD tuning RIT
S & P wid remote POD tuning VFO A or B if U like 
Change it by going into the OTHER menu >Remote Pod Enc
WISH : Toggle through that menu item wid F button on Pod (Like step for
instance)
THIS IS WHAT ROBERT CARROLL W2WG WROTE TODAY >>> 8) The ability to
select "Pod Controls VFO A" or "Pod Controls VFO B" from the pod so
there is no need to go into a menu to change this.<<< (NR 8 ON HIS
LIST);  BUT I INCLUDE RIT/XIT TUNING OR THE 4TH OPTION PBT/BW ALSO IF U
LIKE
WHY : easier, QUICKER ("instant" change in POD tuning options) and no
stumbled CW characters in case U tx when in the menu.

B - DX ( I use N1MM logger in ESM mode for DX CW logging) 
1st Enter gives ur call
2nd Enter after pressing spacebar  gives "r 5nn tu" es logs the contact

1 - Split ("normal" operation wid Orion)
RX on VFO A - SUB RX + TX on VFO B - Tune VFO B wid Pod or up down arrow
in N1MM (50 Hz for instance - MISS THIS STEP IN THE ORION STEP OPTIONS!)
Main Left ear - Sub Right ear
Toggle audio of both RX's wid Alt F12 (N1MM) if U want. (be careful when
using 566 es  U tx on Ant 2 - TX first switches to Ant 1 after change in
aud settings!!)
WISH: Create option in menu to display either freq from TX VFO or split
against RX VFO, like RIT
(U do not have to "calculate" the split U are wkg - Can live
without...but  ala ....hi)

This one though is relevant I think:
When split is not higher than 10Kc found below option to work DX vy
useful:
2 - TX, RX, SUB RX all on VFO A (DX freq)  - Tune RIT/XIT wid Pod (50Hz
steps or ?)
Main Left ear - Sub Right ear
DX in Right ear (Sub) - pile up in Left ear (main) when RIT/XIT > 0
DX in both ears (Sub+main) when RIT cleared ("diversity")
YES : LISTENING TO PILE UP IN MAIN,,ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT ?
(I do not work DX on 80/160m) 
WISH: Create option in menu "RIT follows XIT (<>)" when RIT switched off
es enable switching RIT off/on via F button on Pod. (when activated agn
it shud be on a yes or no changed XIT position)
No need to push the small knob on the trx when switching bween
"diversity" or "split" listening es no need to start tuning RIT/XIT agn
from 0 when XIT changed es RIT was off..
(RIT/XIT Clr what we got 3 or 4 years ago is nice but can easily be
handled by fast CW RIT Rate setting to fast in the menu; only needed fer
normal QSO work?).
Let the user have an option in the menu to define wehat he wants: what
we have now or the above. 

I do not know what N4PY's software or other contesting programms offer ;
do know though we were changes in RIT/XIT behaviour promised already in
the begining but never got them. (Apart from the clerance to zero on the
Pod).

Just wud like to know whether above  makes sense or do I miss something
completely...and yes I know option 2 fer DX wud be useless when wkg
VP6DX 25 up....hi. It is obvious I wkd them using "normal" split as
under 1 
The Orion is is a vy vy flexible radio but am I right that above wud
make it more flexible?
Do we have to urge TT to implement this some time? They are operational
options I really miss...I addressed the RIT/XIT options earlier.
 

Ur comments are welcome 
Harry
PA3ARM at arrl.net