[TenTec] Orion III (was: Orion firmware gripes!)

[Rick Denney]

Robert Carroll writes...

> You probably have not missed a thing, depending on how you operate. That's
> why I suggested a second main rx as an option for those who see a need for
> it.  In a really crushing pileup with a narrow time window of
> opportunity--such as the Andamans on 160m cw--it is vital to find where the
> station is listening and to find it quickly.

With my use of an RX-320 as a sub-receiver to my Omni V, I find it
usually acceptable to use the sub-receiver to listen to the DX station
and the main receiver for the pileup. The extra selectivity and
QRM-fighting options on the main receiver are usually needed to parse
through a pileup, but not for the DX station unless that station is
very weak and down in the noise, or when the band noise is very strong
and up in the station's signal. That's when a first-quality
sub-receiver is needed. The 320 doesn't have the ability to turn down
the RF gain, for example, to allow improving the s/n when static
crashes are a problem. Nor does it have a notch filter, which I wish
it did.

Using the main receiver for the pileup also allows me to be on the
correct transmit frequency without working split. My work flow is
easy--I just use the "follow" feature in N4PY so I can tune the
sub-receiver with my main VFO knob. When I've tuned in the DX station
on the sub receiver, I turn off "follow" and use the main receiver to
tune through the pileup. I put the subreceiver in my left ear and the
main receiver in my right ear, which lets me hear both sides of the
QSO and still be able to distinguish them. I would think doing this
with an OII would follow a similar procedure.

It seems from your description that you're using the main receiver for
the DX station and the sub-receiver for the pileup. Maybe I'm
misunderstanding.

Rick, KR9D