[Elecraft] Surface Mount tech; Orion; and K2/100

[tlogan7@cox.net]

Hi folks -
  This may be a very ignorant question but what the heck. If I understand it
correctly alot of the inards of the Orion are only available as surface
mount  (SM) type items. QRP folks are playing a lot with this if you look at
the Norcal site etc
  Could this mean  that the next level of Elecraft evolution could be based
on SM technology and utilize some of the Orion type concepts? Is this a
moron question?  Thanks for the feedback. 73/Tim NZ7C
.
----- Original Message -----
From: <N2EY@aol.com>
To: <tlogan7@cox.net>; <elecraft@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 8:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Impressions of Orion and K2/100


> 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