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Re: [Orion] Orion "anomalies"

To: "Orion @contesting.com" <orion@contesting.com>,Ron <ron@morell.us>
Subject: Re: [Orion] Orion "anomalies"
From: Gary Tuck <gtuck@mac.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 08:03:32 -0700
List-post: <mailto:orion@contesting.com>
Ron, you took it a step beyond me there.  Interesting info.

As to the Cut control--I use it all the time for CW.  I operate in  
UCW, a practice I acquired from a string of Kenwood rigs and the Cut  
control at "H."  It now acts like a simple bandwidth control.  I then  
have the next control set as "PBT" so I can tweak the position of the  
narrow bandwidth if necessary.

I use 1.371 because I prefer the way some of the controls operate.   
But as a result, I don't use Threshold adjustments as often as I did  
when using the 1.372 firmware.  OTH, I use the NR much more.  Live in  
an urban environment here and noise abounds.  Of course, turning NR  
on drops the Threshold to some low level anyway so the RF gain  
control is useless in 1.372 for adjusting AGC gain.  When using  
1.372, I seldom activated the NR circuit and set the RF gain at about  
75 and made adjustments from there. After I set it for the band  
condx, I left it alone and used the Multi knob for other functions.   
In Sinisa's paper, "Using Orion's Receiver," he recommends that you  
first reduce sensitivity by turning off the PreAmp, then use the  
attentuators and then finally adjust RF gain.  This was published  
before 1.372 so I don't know how the newer firmware would affect his  
recommendations today.  (Really recommend that you read his work if  
you haven't already.)

I generally tune the CW bands in Medium AGC with Hang at .3 like you;  
Decay at 20 db/s and Threshold at the 3.03uv default.  If I'm trying  
to dig out a weak signal out or battle with QRN, then I adjust all  
three parameters in the Program settings.  I don't use BinRx either.   
I found the stereo effect was too subtle for me and only worked if I  
cranked up the AF considerably.

Bill, from what I've read on the reflector, TT is rewriting the core  
routines of the firmware.  Apparently, many of the small anomalies  
arise from problems there.  Firmware 2.0 is to address these issues.   
Rumor had it that the 2.0 beta was to be out before Dayton.  I don't  
believe it was, but not being a beta tester, I don't know if that  
group has it yet or not.

Right now I use 1.371 and have my sub receiver off most of the time.  
I originally turned it off cuz the passive splitter in the rig which  
shares signals between the main and sub receiver drops signal levels  
in the main receiver by 1/2 to 1 S unit when the Sub receiver is in  
use.  Having a compromise antenna in an antenna restricted  
neighborhood, I don't like giving away an S unit.  Whether  
coincidence or not, I've experienced NO anomalies since I turned the  
sub off.  When working a pileup, I use the rig just as I did with my  
TS-850S.

BTW, bought the 850 new in 91.  Put in cascaded InRad filters and it  
is a wonderful CW rig.  Very good QSK etc.   If you look at the 91  
ARRL review, you can see the dynamic range and IMD numbers are pretty  
astounding.  The Orion runs circles around it.

Have fun, Gary  W7TEA


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