Roger......Roger......Roger......... Relax! Ten Tec did just fine with
the
Orion. I don't know about the FSK as I don't have an Orion here......YET!
But I do know about the QSK and I think you are a little bit confused.
See comments below.
On 3 Apr 2003 at 20:15, Roger Borowski wrote:
> If it has changed, I just lost all interest in an Orion. It also appears
> that there are no provisions for QSK keying of a QRO Brand Amplifier with
> QSK that requires a 9-12VDC signal from the exciter for optimal switching to
Neither the QRO, nor the ACOM, nor the Alpha, nor any other QSK
amplifier I am familiar with including Ameritron and of course Ten Tec
requires a 9 to 12 volt signal to switch the amplifier.
In fact, if you will take the time to check the specs and diagrams, most of
which are available on line, you will see that the QSK keying input of all the
amps I mentioned above and probably all the rest as well, require the input
to be pulled to GROUND to key the amp. Indeed, the input jack may well
have 9 to 12 volts or so key up. Maybe even a little more, like 20 or 24 or
so. But they all require the QSK input to be pulled to ground. The Orion
and all other Ten Tec's provide that switch to ground as well as providing
proper timing of their QSK outputs to prevent hot switching as you call it.
They also provide a keying loop that can easily be enabled or disabled as
desired.
The folks down in Sevierville are not quite as dumb as you would like us to
believe. In fact, it looks to me like they have just successfully produced
what is to become the leading Amateur Radio transceiver available,
measured by any standard!!!
> messy. Speaking of PC control, I wonder where that documentation is and if
> it has been released to the ham software designers or when PC control with
> all the popular logging and contesting programs will be ready? The
> documentation in the Orion manual avoids the subject and that doesn't sit
> right either. It seems to me that most people receiving their Orions are
> thrilled to have a new toy after waiting so long. It also seems that these
> people comprise ragchewers and casual operators who like to compare and
> play, and there is nothing wrong with that. But, if the intent of Ten-Tec
> was to have a rig that is revolutionary to serious DX'ers and contesters,
> who 99.9% utilize PC controls for total station operation as well as
> logging, so far, we haven't seen anything really new except stereo,
Surely you jest! Nothing new??????? I would say it the other way
around. In the Orion, we are seeing almost everything new. I think it is
safe to say we are seeing a Paradigm [sp?] shift. Some folks are going to
take a while to catch on to it but it happened last week!
>and are
> still waiting for some real-world reports, which we probably won't see until
> rig control via programs used by contesters and DX'ers becomes reality. I'm
> still hopeful but it looks like the early announcement and increasing
> pressures for shipping wound up superceding what could have been, with
> enough focus and time, a complete revolutionary package that I, and other
> contesters and DX'ers had hoped for. 73, -=Rog-K9RB=-
>
As far as waiting for logging software to catch up to the Orion, neither you
nor I know what is happening in that regard, but............it makes no sense
to me for Ten Tec to hold up shipment of the Orion waiting for other parties
to finish their work. I am quite sure anyone producing contest logging
software will be hard at work on the interface, if in fact any work is
necessary. Man.......the thing has only been out a week or so, what did
you expect, simultaneous announcements of availability?
>From following this thing from the beginning, it appears to me Ten Tec has
done the right thing in making sure the radio was ready to go before
shipping contrary to your opinon that they did not finish their work.
That said, one of the outstanding features of Ten Tec DSP based radios
starting with the Pegasus, is the downloadable firmware. So far I have
seen some nice featuers added to my Pegsaus and some little bugs
smashed. I have no doubt the same will be so with the Orion. I am not
aware of any of the imports doing that on a regular basis. What you get
from them is what you get. Oh yea, I almost forgot the 30 day trial. Try it
under real world conditions and if you don't like it, send it back in 30 days
for a full refund [less shipping]! That's a no risk policy if I ever saw one.
Your choice of course wether you go with Orion or second best. I'll not be
at all surprised that within less than a year most serious contesters will be
running one or more Orions. Let's see....................:-)
73 de Lee, WA3FIY
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