[TenTec] When can I buy a new transceiver?

[Keith Hanson]

I purchased an OII at Dayton the first year they came out and couldn't have been more happy.  It was fully loaded including the remote pod and served me well for many years.  The only thing it appeared to lack was a reasonable panadapter / waterfall display which Ten Tec faithfully promised me year after year at Dayton and never delivered. I would have been happy with the equivalent of my 756Pro display, but it never appeared. However, time marches; I replaced the OII in the main position with a Flex 6700 / Maestrocombination several years ago and relegated the Orion to back-up duty.

Honestly, with the exception of AGC slope, I find the Flex to be superior in every respect.  I have done numerous A/B comparisons and I don't think there was ever a time when the Orion receiver would have delivered better than the Flex.  The Flex Panafall display, a combination panadapter / waterfall, makes pile-ups easy and is wonderful on "dead" bands.  I rarely listen to the "split" anymore in a pile-up, I can tell where DX is listening by spreading the pile-up across the entire screen and seeing calling stations.  Plus the ability to look at all the bands simultaneously during a contest changes that part of the equation.

Bottom line for me now is that although I have lobbied for on OIII for years I don't think I would buy one if it were offered - unless somehow it were to beat Flex SmartSDR at its game.  That is doubtful, but I'll keep an open mind.

Keith - AC9S