[TenTec] Intermittent Omni VI+ rx problem & optical illusion fixed.

[Don Rasmussen]

Richards, I think the most important thing is to have a good radio - Ten Tec seems to have a knack for AGC and gain distribution - I am told OMNI 7 is world class, every other Ten Tec radio I have used has been the same. 

To me, the ergonomics are analogous to these two cameras I have, where taking a "flash off" (more realistic looking) photo in low light is the ultimate objective. The flash always ruins the photo even without the red-eye issue which is almost guaranteed with pets (many of our shots)

My Canon SD780 camera has stabilization built in, and on "Auto" it seems always to take a bright, realistic looking photo even indoors & dimly lit, without a flash. You never get a bad image, if you got one then conditions were wrong and no amount of fussing with the settings were going to fix that. It is a dream to operate, I consider it to be liberating.

The Sony camera on the other hand needs more light, flashless indoor shots end up woefully dark quite often, and seems -always- to put this flashing hand up to indicate you are shaking. Short of a tripod I don't know how to reduce the camera shaking very well, however for the light optimization there are many custom aperature settings to fix that. You can, in the end, with enough snap time adjustments, take a picture that is as well lit as the Canon using natural light, but by definition the camera -always- wants to use a flash because it needs the light. 

Outdoors, the Sony shines (pun intended), it just gobbles up all that light, but still, there is more operator involvement than a simple "Auto" shoot. 

You only know this if you A/B test the cameras under identical conditions, the same way you would A/B test transceivers. 

Don


Re: [TenTec] Intermittent Omni VI+ rx problem & optical illusion fixed.
from [Richards] [Permanent Link][Original] 

To:  Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec at contesting.com> 
Subject:  Re: [TenTec] Intermittent Omni VI+ rx problem & optical illusion fixed. 
From:  Richards <jruing at ameritech.net> 
Reply-to:  Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec at contesting.com> 
Date:  Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:51:41 -0400 
List-post:  <tentec at contesting.com">mailto:tentec at contesting.com> 

Wow!  Good news is always in short supply.  Nice to know it all worked 
out well for you.

It's funny you mention the ergonomics of the "multi-knob" which I have 
on my Omni VII -- which I do not mind at all – but as this is my first 
ham transceiver, I am only used to this way of operating – but still, I 
have occasionally wondered whether or not it would be easier or more 
convenient if each separate function had its own separate knob.  Two 
ways to skin the cat, for sure, but sometimes I wonder whether I would 
prefer it the other way.  Similarly, for the AF gain/RF gain knob - 
sometimes I wonder if I would prefer those functions to be on their own, 
individual knobs.  I think if I had learned on a radio with separate 
knobs, this multiple use thing might take some serious getting used to. 
  So, I can understand your comment.

Anyway, your comment touched the nerve in the back of my mind…