[TenTec] Orion 2 situation

[Rick - DJ0IP / NJ0IP]

Well I will agree that it was a great radio and certainly the cream of the
crop of the hybrids of that day (all transistors except for tubes in the
driver and final - 3x 6146B).  Unfortunately I must to bust your bubble on
the dynamic range.

Dynamic range back then was measured much wider, not at 5 kHz and 2 kHz like
we measure it today.
It's tasking my memory to state how wide it was at that point in time, but
they used to measure at 100kHz, later at 50 kHz (for wide) and at 20 kHz for
narrow.  When they state a number in dB with no specified frequency split
for the two tones, then one most assume they are stating the highest number.
So my guess is, it is the 50 or 100kHz test.

Look closely at the specs in that review.
I read it as two tone blocking dynamic range of 97.5dB on 20m (where these
tests are most often run), not 102 dB, but it does state the 102 dB number
elsewhere without any explanation.
BTW, at 100kHz, the good radios today have 125 to 140 dB Blocking.

So when looking at its dynamic range and comparing to today's radios, you
have to check the WIDE specs of today's radios.
It was a much different world back then.

Indeed the transmitter of the FT-102 was the cleanest of all of the current
rigs at that time and much cleaner than most current rigs today, but the RX
was not even close to the performance of the top rigs today.  Also, the
FT-102 was similar to the FT-1000 and FT-2000 rigs in that it could be run
in two TX modes.  Like the two newer Yaesus, you had to run class-A with
greatly reduced power to achieve the -41dB 3rd order IMD, but it did
actually achieve that.  It was a lovely radio.
I checked but Rob's list didn't show any measured data on the FT-102.

However, having used that radio here in Europe on the 40m band with a full
wavelength loop, I can assure you its performance good, but at best in the
class of the Omni VII, but not that of the Eagle, Orion, or K3.

Still, your fundamental message is a good one.
SHAME ON THE OEMS for ZERO improvement with the transmitters!

BTW, if you look at how the FT-102 achieved the good dynamic range, they did
it by running their mixers with 24v instead of 12v.
Makes you wonder why they don't do that today, doesn't it!

Thanks for reminding us that it wasn't always as bad as it is today.

73
Rick, DJ0IP


-----Original Message-----
From: TenTec [mailto:tentec-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of MARY
DOUGLAS
Sent: Monday, July 01, 2013 9:45 PM
To: Roger Rippy; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion 2 situation

I hope the sales and marketing types, both here and Ten Tec will go back to
the October 1983 issue of QST and look at the performance figures for the
Yaesu FT-102. Receiver dynamic range was 95-102 and intermod on transmit was
-40 db.  Haven't made too much progress in terms of real performance.
 I might note that that the voltage to the mixer was way higher than 13.8
volts. Higher voltage would benefit more than just the transmitter.  Lot's
of interesting points here.

On Monday, July 1, 2013, Roger Rippy wrote:

> Do you suppose anyone at TT reads the posts on this list? After two 
> days and a substantial number of posts, rumors, and speculation, 
> wouldn't you think someone from sales and marketing would wade in on 
> this? Doesn't it seem a little strange all the way around? 73s Roger 
> W7RIP _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec at contesting.com <javascript:;>
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
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