A real live ORION was shown at the annual Old Timers Picnic on Saturday in
Marcellus, MI. Jack Burchfield, K4JU President of Ten-Tec, was very kind to
make the trip to MI to visit with friends and OTs. The Picnic is hosted by
Noel W9EFL who I believe is on the Ten-Tec Board of Directors. Al Kahn K4FW,
one of the founders of Ten-Tec, is 96 years old and was there to officiate.
First impressions: The Orion is a B*I*G rig. It is very deep and wide as you
have seen in the various pictures. The display is bright and clear and can be
reversed from B/W to W/B with a sort of bluish tint (to my eyes). The rig that
Jack brought was right out of Engineering and I don't think the Engineering
team was too pleased to see it go out of the lab in it's incomplete state.
There is a LOT of programming yet to be completed and tested for the Orion and
I suspect for the Augonaut-V as well.
I am sure you all appreciate and understand that these new radios are a hybrid
and sophisticated mixture of software and hardware that makes them a challenge
to master for any manufacturer. I recall that Jack said both rigs are "on
schedule" for deliveries as shown on the website. I think Ten-Tec took on
quite a workload to try and push out two brand new software defined radios one
after another this summer. They will surely deserve special recognition among
their peers if they pull it off.
Jack gave a great demo and reassured us all that the team in TN is working
their butts off to get the rigs ready for the promised delivery dates. There
were so many features and options that I was somewhat overwhelmed with all the
customization. I think the new owners will fall in love with their ability to
make the rig behave exactly the way THEY want it. For example, there are six
or seven AUDIO menu sub-segments that allow you to select where you direct the
Main and Sub RX audio (speaker, headphones, mixed, left ear, right ear...)
There are sub menus for virtually every main operating feature and display
characteristic.
Many more menu items and sub-menu items than the Jupiter. I was surprised at
the complexity and delighted with the possibilities. The spectrum display
wasn't hooked up in this particular radio - but I bet it will be nicely
visible and a joy to use with it's realtime image of the band. I usually put
my rigs on the left hand side and operate my computer on the right side of the
shack. So I tried the "ergonomics" of the Orion using my left hand and it was
very easy to find the right buttons, knobs, and tuning. There appear to be
many more standard front panel buttons for frequently used functions compared
to my Jupiter. So I suspect one would not have to use the "MULTI" knob nearly
as often once the rig was setup for your particular style of operation.
I didn't experiment with the USER1 and USER2 capability, but it reminded me
very much like the high-end cars with memories for different drivers that
recall where you like your seat and mirrors positioned and what radio stations
you like programmed on your dashboard. I wasn't sure if bucket seats and
leather trim were options for the Orion or not (hihihi).
The knob skirts sure did look sort of "gold" to me (sorry Scott :-) but I am
sure it was the lighting in the room (hihihi). Jack did comment that Ten-Tec
has heard the many voices asking for improved encoders and will probably offer
ball bearing style encoders that you can "spin" down the band. Each would have
a drag setting - again for customization to your own feel. I personally don't
"spin" a knob down the band on any of my radios - I use the spectrum display
instead (hihi) but TT recognizes this IS a competitive issue for many ops and
so they will respond in a positive way - as they always have.
These guys ARE HAMS and are designing a radio FOR HAMS. You have read that
Scott Robbins W4PA is a "contest" operator meaning that he has very high
expectations for sophisticated controls and high performance in any rig he
uses. You know about Doug Smith KF6DX from his fantastic ARRL book on DSP and
the many articles and professional achievements he has had. Gary Barbour AC4DL
is heading up the programming team for the Orion. Stan WD0BGS is standing by
to answer your questions and take your orders :-) They are not pointy headed
engineers (well Jack had his hat on and I couldn't tell hihihi) but
down-to-earth designers of what they believe is the finest gear they can
manufacture at a price we can afford.
I encourage you to attend the various hamfests and gatherings where you can
meet the people behind the design, manufacturing, and sales parts of Ten-Tec.
They deserve your consideration for this fine new gear.
I am an enthusiastic Ten-Tec customer, but NOT associated in any way with any
manufacturer, dealer, distributor, or vendor of any ham gear. I am not
compensated in any way for this email. I couldn't even get Jack to bump me up
in line on the delivery schedule list (hihihi). I truly believe what I have
stated above and I believe in the integrity and promise of this Proud American
Company.
dit dit
de ken n9vv
http://www.n9vv.com/orion.html
|