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Re: [TenTec] V 1.372 for Orion

To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] V 1.372 for Orion
From: "Ron Castro" <ronc@sonic.net>
Reply-to: Ron Castro <ronc@sonic.net>, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 12:34:46 -0700
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
The problems are with the 2.0xx firmware for both the O1 and O2. With the O2, I can't load back to a v. 1.0xx, so I'm stuck with the problems.

As for offset between Main and Sub, it's most likely that the crystals in the two DSP's are slightly off frequency, but a firmware fix is possible if the user is allowed compensate for the offset in a menu item, much like the offset control for the narrow roofing filters. Many programs that use the soundcard in your computer, such as RTTY programs, allow for such a compensation, and since the 14 kHz DSP IF in the Orions is based on similar technology as a soundcard I figure it shouldn't be all that hard to do.

You must be older than me if you know the right way to spell Oija! Actually my spell checker also shows Ouija as a spelling....

73...
Ron N6AHA


----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Tippett" <btippett@alum.mit.edu>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2006 10:52 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] V 1.372 for Orion


N6AHA:

>The S-meter is as accurate as a Oigee board. (For those of you too young >to
know what a Oigee board is, look it up on Google!)  Should also be
compensated for pre-amp in or out.

        That's Oija....not Oigee.  ;-)

>The Auto and Manual Notch does not interact with the AGC to increase the
level after the offending tone has been removed.

>Crash caused by NB, NR and Notch on at same time.

>The Speech processor sounds OK, but it's not loud.  It's only a fast AGC,
not a real clipper.

>Some distortion on AM receive.

>Needs a firmware routine to cause the Main and Sub receiver DSP to >operate
on the same frequency when linked to the same VFO.  They are currently (on
mine anyway) a fixed 6 Hz off of each other on all frequencies.  DSP
soundcards can be software-adjusted for this type of problem.  There is no
reason why Orion DSP can't.

        My Orion/v1.373b5 does not have
these problems except for the last but
I never use NB/NR/Notch simultaneously.
In my unit, the diversity mode offset
is ~2.33 Hz on all frequencies.  I've
mentioned this to ditsnbits several
times over the past few years with no
response.  Diversity mode can be very
useful on the low bands but Orion's is
limited by the very poor front-end
performance of the Sub-RX.  My ~2 Hz
offset is annoying but not as much of a
problem as front-end issues.  BTW, you
can reduce it to <1 Hz by assigning Main
and Sub to separate VFO's offset by
6 Hz (for you) or 2 Hz (for me).  I
suspect the problem is that the offset
is not constant offset across all rigs
which prevents a global fix in firmware.

        An Orion 3 with good front-ends for
both Main and Sub that could be phase-
locked would give me what I want for True
Diversity, but it would cost $5-6k.

                                73,  Bill  W4ZV

P.S.  Nice summary of outstanding issues for O2.

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