Pete suggested:
> Seems to me, after reading the reflector for the past few
> weeks, that the folks running a Pegasus and RX-350
> combination are really running an Orion prototype.................
The Orion's target price, per Scott is about $3300. Should
get more than just the added synchronous AM detection
added to the RX-350, plus the 8 kHz added IF bandwidth
selection of the 350. All other rcvr details of the Pegasus
and the Jupiter are identical to the 350. 34 selectable DSP
IF bandwidths are in all three; therefore the 350, going on out
to 8 kHz, must have fewer narrow BW's to choose among.
Anyway, the price of a 350 plus a Peg is way below $3300.
I believe the Orion will incorporate some of the Ten Tec
"high end" rcvr, the RX-340, which only has 57 selectable
IF widths to choose among, going on down to 100 Hz BW,
and all the way out the 16 kHz BW! Also, the DSP filters
of the 340 are really steeper/sharper brick walls than those
within the other three offerings. The front end of the 340 is
"stronger"; higher IP's by some 20 dB, typically. No other
rcvr in the amateur market is so "strong" so far as I know.
And the S meter of the 340 is really amazing! Very accurate
all the way down to the noise threshold, exactly 6 dB per
S unit, run by the processor, and completely independent
from the RF gain control and AGC selection; never saw
that before (maybe in the K2, I have been told).
The 340 has 120 dB of IF gain; that also is amazing; you
won't miss any signal even down in the front end noise
or along with the antenna noise, hi.
Also, I do expect the Orion to have a similar LCD display
to the Jupiter and the 350, maybe a better one. The
340/Peg system does not, though the Peg does offer
spectrum sweep on the computer monitor screen (not
as real time as I would care to have, however. Nor is it
really fast enough.)
There was a rig called the Softwave sold at Dayton a few
years ago (1995, maybe). It had a super spectrum analysis
display, it also used your shack PC for control and display
as does the Pegasus, and did the Kachina. Unfortunately,
not long after Dayton that year, the founders of the Softwave
product got to fussing among themselves, and they folded.
The argument stemmed from a market direction decision:
were they after the communication/amateur radio folks,
or the gadgeteer SWL hobbyist.
Would be nice to see Ten Tec come up with that sort of
display for the Pegasus. Have no idea how the Softwave
product did it so well!
Just have to wait for that hamfest in March before someone
outside TT gets a good look at an Orion!
73, Jim KH7M
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