[TenTec] Orion2 Firmware Update

[jmiller1706 at cfl.rr.com]

I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt now.  Could be a number of things other than inadequate testing before release.  

I am wondering if the firmware is finding some uninitialized residual parameter data in our O2's that isn't in the test radio they have that's causing our loads to go crazy?  I assume a power reset should clear memory completely but maybe not?  Some data values got relocated in flash memory and when you load it into our radios there is some uncleared data that's hosing things?

Are they trying to make the software work for both the O2 and the other radio (Jupiter?).  Maybe it works fine for the other one but not the O2?

If it is indeed poor quality control and testing, then that needs to be cleaned up.  If TT does work for the government/defense, they should know that rigorous, meticulous testing is normally required by the DoD, sometimes taking weeks and months to complete.  Some of that discipline should carry over to their commercial products.

And someone commented that it takes a good hot-shot programmer.  Yes that's partly true, but with software-defined radio technology, it almost takes PhD level theoretical/math understanding of digital signal processing concepts.  Then be able to translate that to firmware.  But in reality it takes many:  A math/DSP guru, a hot shot coder but one who has discipline to craft good code, and then a good independent test team to wring out the bugs.

I notice that the download appears to be reposted on the TT page...back to the previous version?

73 Good luck - Jim N4BE