I'm a very satisfied Orion II owner who just recently installed the latest
'beta' firmware release. I also own a Flex 5000A, and have used a K3. The
Flex 5000 is every bit as easy to use as the Orion II, and the real time
Spectrum Analyzer is amazing. The Orion II has come a long way with the
current spectrum analyzer, and I like the ability to freeze the spectrum
display while you cursor over to the spot you want, either signal or clear
frequency. The waterfall display is especially useful. But it pales in
comparison to the point and click capability of the Flex. I even bought an
external knob with buttons for frequency control, and it's back in the box.
PowerSDR, the Flex software, is very easy to get used to. The only knob I
missed was the volume control, and I have one on the audio amp I use with
the Flex.
Receiver wise, I've done side by side comparision of the two on weak signals
in crowed band conditions - both CW and SSB. Both hear extremely well, with
little or no intermod, but the Flex filters appear to me to be a tad better
- My Orion II is fully loaded with filters.
My choice for CW still is the Orion II, and that's purely subjective, but
I'd love to have the ability for point and click tuning that the Flex has.
I could get that with Carl's (N4PY) software and a Perseus(sp?) receiver,
but haven't the time money to spend on that now that I have the flex.
YMMV, but I sure would not want anyone to think the Flex is difficult to
use!
Dave WN5V
-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Martin Ewing
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8:15 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Ten Tec Advertizing
Ten-Tec has to sell the products they have. The Orion is right at the
top on any list of performance specs. (Giving or taking a couple of
dB.) It is a much more conventional package and probably easier to use
than the Flex boxes and the K3. It is a lot cheaper than the Icom
7700/7800. And the service and accessibility of the manufacturer is
excellent. Did I miss anything?
They have to take a reading of who their customers are going to be.
Probably not you or me or the high-tech SDR folks or people who are
counting the days to the next firmware update. I hope their
advertising people know their stuff.
All that said, I would have to say the June QST ad is visually
obscure. TT seems to have a thing about black on black. It's just
hard to see the hardware in that photo! Fortunately, the text is
good. "The SSB Company" indeed!
73 Martin AA6E
On Tue, May 19, 2009 at 8:04 AM, M. Todd Miskel <foamhand@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>
> Dave, (KD2E)
>
>
>
> I can understand your point about trying to be different. Let's look at
the american competition & leave the I,K,Y rigs out of it. Elecraft and Flex
Radio are already showing better performance numbers on their K3 & Flex 5000
than the O II according to Bob Sherwoods site tests. I have noticed Elecraft
gaining a large following and taking away TT customers just due to the fact
that their software updates are consistently forthcoming. Flex radio is a
major SDR by definition, and a lot of the serious tech heads are jumping on
the Flex bandwagon because of the computer horsepower offer by their radios
( i believe they incorporate a real time spectrum scope.) Many conversations
I have heard by the serious tech heads call the Ten Tec dragonball processor
the "Tarball" as it is old technology. As much as many of us would like to
still be in our 57 chevy's at the drive in getting served by waitresses on
rollerskates, times have changed. The only thing in life that is constant is
change, and we either must adapt to change, or perish.
>
>
>
>
>
> (For me, I love cross needle meters as they save time and effort when in a
hurry trying to get tuned for that rare Dx station before it fades away! :)
)
>
>
>
> 73, Todd - KT0DD
>
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
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