[Elecraft] Impressions of Orion and K2/100

[N2EY@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/6/03 9:13:19 AM Eastern Standard Time, tlogan7@cox.net 
writes:

> Based on the information available to date, I would like to hear anyone's
>  objective estimate of how the Orion and K2/100 would compare to one 
another.
>  I'm not much on the technical side, so I would be interested in hearing
>  what, at least theorectically, the average operator might experience as
>  differences between the rigs while in the shack. I don't want to create a
>  "Elecraft vs TenTec" loyalty type of discussion......I simply want to
>  understand what Ten Tec's combined crystal/DSP  technology may represent in
>  the "real" world outside the lab. 

Good questions all. Here's my take on them:

First off, the two rigs are in totally different "classes" - in price, size, 
weight, power consumption, and options. A bare bones Orion costs more than 
five times the price of a basic K2, and about triple the cost of a fully 
loaded K2/100!

But do you get three to five times the performance? That's debatable...

What Orion offers is (arguably) excellent performance and every imaginable 
feature, including things like a general-coverage second receiver, 
ultra-accurate frequency readout and TCXO stability, lots of selectivity 
options including bandpass tuning, DSP and optional IF filters. All in a nice 
big heavy box with big knobs and lots of buttons. Orion is meant to go up 
against the FT-1000 - and beat it. Things like price, size, complexity, 
user-repairability and power consumption are not major considerations in that 
arena.  

If those features and performances are worth the price and other tradeoffs, 
Orion should be a great rig. 

>  I'd be very interested in knowing if Ten,
>  Tec's approach will have an effect on future Elecraft products....

I hope not! I doubt there is much an Orion owner can do to fix the rig, 
should a problem be encountered. And will Ten Tec offer an Orion kit? 

The ONLY think I would hope Elecraft copies from the Orion would be to offer 
a "Sasquatch" version of the K2 in a bigger box that can hold all the options 
at once, with bigger knobs and readout for big-handed oafs like me.

Please understand, I think nothing but good of both companies and their 
products. I've used other people's Ten Tecs for years, and almost 20 years 
ago I had one of my own. But today I have a K2.

73 de Jim, N2EY