THANK YOU SCOTT!!!!!
73
Bob K4TAX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ten-Tec Inc Amateur Radio Sales" <sales@tentec.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 4:21 PM
Subject: [TenTec] Orion commentary
> Wow, what a weekend. The Orion certainly got a terrific reception at
> Charlotte.
> After working the hamfest all day Sunday we drove back over to Tennessee
and
> I spent quite a while into the night reading the commentary on the
Internet
> at home
> Sunday and all day Monday here at the factory.
>
> I haven't addressed any feature or spec questions that have been brought
up in
> Internet commentary only because the only information we have out is
publicly
> posted to our web site and anything else is just speculation. There have
been
> some comments along the lines of "why didn't it do . . . . " or "will
> it.." when
> the radio possibly already does, or will. More information and tech
specs
> will
> be coming over the next couple of months.
>
> I wanted to clear up a few things about Orion that I have read on the 'net
> already:
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >Gold trim. It has gold trim. Gold trim, good. Gold trim, bleech.
>
> I read the comments on the Orion trim color with quite a bit of surprise,
and
> kept waiting for the message that said "Huh? I was at Charlotte. There's
no
> gold trim on that radio!"
>
> There is no gold trim on the Orion. I don't know how this got started,
but I
> repeat: there is NO gold trim. If you saw a picture with gold trim, it
> must have
> just been weird lighting in the building. The trim on the Orion is
> chrome-nickel.
> It is shiny. It is also very SILVER in color. Not
> gold. Silver. "Mirror" finish.
> No gold trim. It is the same knob color that is in use on the RX-350
> receiver.
> The ORION nameplate on the front under the meter is also chrome-nickel
> in color. The reason we elected to use these knobs is the uniformly
positive
> commentary we had about them vis a vis the RX-350 receiver.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >Display this, display that. Color. Monochrome. Blue. Grey. Etc.
>
> I posted a message to the reflector before we even left for Charlotte
stating
> that the display for the Orion was not done. Neither the physical screen
in
> use for the radio, nor anything that appears on it is final. That goes
for
> the
> spectrum scope, freq display, literally everything. We have more screens
to
> test yet. We'll be putting in a lot of time on the layout/design aspect
of
> what's
> on the screen in the coming weeks. I'd say, don't read anything into any
> of the
> comments - positive or negative - about the Orion screen and what is shown
> on it. It's going to change.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >The tuning knob feel was exactly like that on a boombox - no weight,
> >impossible to "spin"
>
> Both of the tuning knobs are weighted and are identical (except for the
> chrome-nickel trim ring) to those used on the Omni-VI Plus. Just like the
> Omni's, you cannot grab our knobs and spin them down the band until they
> come to a stop. This is a combination of the adjustable drag feature on
the
> knob and mechanical resistance within the tuning encoders themselves.
> Like the Omni's, you will have to place your hand on the tuning knob and
turn
> it to move up and down the band rather than just free spinning it.
>
> K8VT wrote:
> >I'm probably wrong, but I think many of us believed (or hoped) that at
> >least part of the >reason for this "pre-introduction" release was done
> exactly TO generate comments and >feedback before everything gets
> >chiseled in stone.
>
> No, you're absolutely right. We wanted feedback on the direction of the
> radio.
> See my comments at the bottom.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >The AF knob is not on the bottom row of controls.
>
> This is incorrect. Both the MAIN AF and SUB AF knobs are on the bottom
> row of knobs, directly above the large tuning knob closest to the screen.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >Ten-Tec didn't put a PS/2 keyboard connector on the Orion like on the
Jupiter
>
> True. We never used the connector on the Jupiter. We had anticipated
> keyboard control of the Jupiter, but unfortunately another company has a
> patent
> on connecting a keyboard to a radio transceiver and we were never able to
come
> to an agreement to license it. This apparently won't be resolved, and we
> left the
> PS/2 connector off of the Orion. The PS/2 on the Jupiter has no function.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >Ten-Tec better get it in gear if they're going to sell the Orion at
Dayton.
>
> We're not. We've said all along there is no anticipated delivery date for
> Orion
> and that's still the case. It will be available later in 2002. There is
> a colossal
> amount of programming to be done yet.
>
> (paraphrasing):
> >Are the Jupiter and Pegasus discontinued?
>
> Not a chance!
>
> I find it very interesting that much of the discussion of the radio has
> centered
> solely on cosmetics, as the Japanese manufacturers have done an excellent
job
> of selling various pieces equipment for many years that are cosmetically
sharp
> but performance wise may not have met up to what Ten-Tec was currently
> offering at the time. We've taken the opposite route for a very long
time
> - performance and ergonomics first, 'look' second. Maybe even third or
> fourth.
> Unfortunately, it has not served us well and we must change to respond to
the
> demands of the marketplace. Performance is extremely important, but there
is
> also a very sizable proportion of the amateur population that is
interested in
> whether the radio looks appealing to them and the performance can be
secondary
> as long as it's within the same realm of other comparable rigs. Ten-Tec
> MUST respond to that sentiment because we MUST have those hams as
> customers if Orion is going to be a success for us. Presently, we don't!
>
> Some of this sentiment has even been expressed by some of the Ten-Tec
> 'faithful' here on the reflector, in reverse. Comments like "I'm not
going to
> buy a Ten-Tec radio that looks like ...XYZ" of course, I'm disappointed
by
> that. And my reaction is to say, I'm sorry we can't come up with anything
> performance-wise that's going to overcome the way you feel - but that just
> proves my point above, that cosmetics are a serious issue and performance
> often will take a back seat no matter how good the radio will operate!
>
> We WILL have super high end performance and features that are superior to
> the JA radios and cosmetics comparable to the fit and finish with the
Orion.
> Ten-Tec can't be 'as good' we have to be BETTER. There are some of you
> reading this that are going to vehemently disagree with me on these points
> (and already have) - and I understand.
>
> The commentary from the Charlotte hamfest and the initial reaction over
the
> Internet this weekend has convinced me that for performance and cosmetics
> that we are very much on the right track with the Orion to be a big winner
> for the hobby.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Scott Robbins, W4PA
> Amateur Radio Product Manager
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Ten-Tec, Inc., 1185 Dolly Parton Pkwy, Sevierville, TN 37862 USA
> Contact Mon-Fri Eastern: Office/Tech (865) 453-7172 9 am-5 pm.
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>
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> please telephone (865) 428-0364 or (865) 453-7172.
>
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>
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