To paraphrase Jack Nicolson as Colonel Jessup..."some people CAN'T HANDLE
THE TRUTH...!"
Wake up people, an easy-to-use, non-confusing interface will eventually win
out over higher, but difficult-to-use technology. If the learning curve is
steep and bumpy, some of the finest features available in the Orion will not
be properly used. A color display with clear, clean fonts, will provide a
more efficient interface between the operator and the system. The more
bells and whistles available, the greater the need for an intuitive
interface. This issue has come up in avionics time and time again... Some
of the finest, but hard-to-use communications and navigation systems were
the cause of many pilot errors, albeit not necessarily ending in tragedy,
but seriously increasing the pilot's PUCKER FACTOR...
73, Larry - W1GOR
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Randa" <tranda@cox.net>
To: <johnclif@ix.netcom.com>; <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2003 08:07
Subject: Re: [TenTec] IC-7800
> Nice comments John...but you better double up on those flame pants.
> Unfortunately there are people on this reflector that will take your
comments as
> a deadly assault on their first born.
>
> 73 de K?FL
>
> John Clifford wrote:
>
> > Interesting rig.
> >
> > I will say one thing for Icom... that display sure is nice looking. And
it
> > sure presents information clearly.
> >
> > <FLAME PANTS ON>
> >
> > I'm sure I'm going to be attacked en masse... but IMO comparing the
Orion
> > display to that of the 7800 (which I just spent the past few minutes
> > comparing photos from the link below and from the Ten-Tec website) makes
the
> > Orion look downright primitive. Quite frankly, the Orion's display
needs
> > some serious help both in fonts and in layout.
> >
> > Here's an example of how the 7800 has a clearer interface than the
Orion:
> >
> > - I _believe_ that the Orion's VFO A is set to 14.270 MHz USB, while
VFO B
> > is set to 14.021.620 MHz CW (lower sideband). I believe that VFO A is
> > assigned to the main receiver while VFO B is assigned to the
subreceiver.
> > (I _thought_ that each receiver had two VFOs, but the interface doesn't
> > indicate this.) After staring at the Orion's screen for a few minutes,
I
> > guess that the numbers and abbreviations around the edges apply to the
> > closest button status. I have no idea which VFO the bandscope applies
to
> > (I'll assume it's VFO A). There's three bar graphs in the display...
(or
> > are there two?)... and I assume that the two smaller ones indicate
signal
> > strength while the larger one above the rightmost small one is a volume
> > barcode of sorts(?)... or perhaps the two small bar graphs are volume
while
> > the large one is the S-meter.
> >
> > In other words, as a guy who likes Ten-Tec and a person who understands
what
> > each control on a complicated rig is supposed to do... I have a hard
time
> > looking at the screen and figuring out what is what. This is primarily
> > because the interface layout is not clear... and that I do not
immediately
> > understand it is NOT my fault but is instead the fault of the
> > person/people/committee that laid out the screen.
> >
> > - Contrast this to the 7800 display, where it is EASY to see which
receiver
> > is using which antenna, what the pre-amp, attenuator, and AGC settings
are
> > for each receiver, what the S-meter is reading for each receiver, which
> > receiver the bandscope applies to (as well as a histogram display for
the
> > bandscope), etc.
> >
> > The 7800's display shows the value of color. It also shows the value of
> > choosing good fonts (the frequency settings are MUCH clearer due to the
font
> > chosen over the Orion). In short, it shows much better UI design.
> >
> > The Orion has one advantage (I believe)... and that is the fact that its
> > software can be upgraded in the field (something that is not mentioned
for
> > the 7800). I think it would behoove Ten-Tec to make the investment and
put
> > considerable effort in redesigning the display so it as at LEAST as
> > attractive as that on the 746 PRO.
> >
> > Here's an even better idea for Ten-Tec: why don't you redesign the UI so
> > that end users can come up with their own display interface, by creating
a
> > toolkit with basic barcode, text, and numeric displays, assigning IDs
for
> > each necessary item (or having the display interface handle missing
items
> > gracefully), and letting the end user use a resource editor (perhaps
even
> > creating a resource compiler that works on the Windows Resource Editor
> > dislog output). (Hint: I would be willing to be contacted to help with
> > this!)
> >
> > I have no doubt but that the Orion is a fine rig. I have given some
serious
> > thought to ordering one. But... why can't it have a fine-looking
display?
> > I'm afraid I see the history of Japanese ascendence over US
manufacturers
> > being repeated all over again when I look at these two rigs
side-by-side.
> > The American manufacturer has cutting-edge technology... but the
Japanese
> > manufacturer outsells it because they have taken the time to make a rig
that
> > looks as good or better than it performs. Ten-Tec needs to be the Apple
of
> > ham radio (and note that Apple still has a platinum case)... otherwise
they
> > risk being beaten by a company that has developed what they perceive to
be
> > an Orion-killer and that intends to be the Sony of ham radio (Icom).
> >
> > - jgc
> >
> > John Clifford KD7KGX
> >
> > Heathkit HW-9 WARC/HFT-9/HM-9
> > Elecraft K2 #1678 /KSB2/KIO2/KBT2/KAT2/KNB2/KAF2/KPA100
> > Ten-Tec Omni VI/Opt1
> > Alinco DR-605TQ
> > Icom T90A
> >
> > email: kd7kgx@arrl.net
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > TenTec mailing list
> > TenTec@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>
> --
> France has neither winter, nor summer, nor morals.
> France is miserable because it is filled with
> Frenchmen, and Frenchmen are miserable
> because they live in France. - Mark Twain
>
>
>
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