If you have no immediate plans to buy an Orion perhaps this discussion
is academic. However, I respectfully disagree with your assessment of
the value of the firmware. Software defined radios are probably the
future of ham and commercial equipment. I believe they offer an
invaluable opportunity to be sure that your radio is benefiting from the
latest and greatest development. I am a relatively new owner of an
Orion II. But I also own an ICOM 756 Pro. I can't help thinking how
useful it would have been to have been able to upgrade my radio to the
equivalent of an ICOM 756 Pro III by software downloads rather than
having to buy an entire new radio.
Of course there are costs associated with software dependent radios. I
am not an engineer, but everything I have read suggests that the hardest
aspect of product development is software rather than hardware
engineering. It takes time, effort and frankly, a bit of trial and
error to get it right. I certainly know that is true with most of the
business related software I own and use. Yet with each new release the
radio's operation can be incrementally improved.
Those of us who read the reviews in QST or E-ham often encounter new
radios with less than sterling performance and possibly, outright bugs.
Unfortunately, those radios will continue to exhibit their shortcomings
until reaching their final resting places in local landfills. But, not
so with the Orion. The radio we buy today may be considerably improved
in the next two or three years. Only software defined radios can do
that. Sure, there may be missteps along the way but I think the journey
is well worth it. You may not be in the market for an Orion or a
Jupiter today but I'll bet when you are in position to buy, if the radio
you select is new it will more than likely be a software defined or at
least software dependent radio.
Bruce W8FU
-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com
[mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of Paul Gates, KD3JF
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2007 8:55 AM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: [TenTec] Orion
I think the real downside of the Orion is the firmware. I think I have
probably read most every message on this reflector of customers
complaining about the firm ware. I remember some who d/l new firmware
that would not work and they could not go back to the previous firmware
they had that did work.
Of course I will never be tempted to get an Orion because I do not have
that kind of money for one. I would like a Jupiter but would find it
difficult to raise that kind of money either!! But maybe I can
eventually.
Paul Gates, KD3JF
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