[Elecraft] Ten-Tec Orion

[Charles Greene]

Earl,

Very interesting.  I would be an Orion owner except now I had to replace 
the engine on my sailboat and it used up my kitty.  Care to elaborate on 
other dislikes; you can do it privately if you like.

I have the Ten-Tec Omni-VI and the K2 beats it in most categories.  My 
biggest complaint about the K2 is the ripples in the filter bandpass and 
their lack of steep sides way down. (Eric and Wayne, take note). I operate 
mostly the digital modes and the ripples are annoying, where the filters 
are flat with steeper sides on the Omni-VI.  I didn't get the DSP unit as I 
use a Time wave outboard DSP unit but that is post IF filtering.  Even with 
the K2 filters, when a strong Pactor II signal opens up a couple of KHz 
away, the K2 is less affected than the Omni-VI.

I have upgraded my K2 to the "B" level and a lot of pervious complaints 
went away.  I have managed to work around the offset between Rx and Tx with 
any filter except OP1 when operating the digital modes, so it is only a 
slight an annoyance in operating any more.  My K2 is, and shall remain so 
at least in the forseeable future, a QRP rig.  I get as many contacts on 
the digital modes with 5 watts as I need, and don't miss the additional 7 
dB or so increase in power level.


"To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net, topband@contesting.com
Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 14:18:58 -0700
From: k6se@juno.com
Subject: [Elecraft] Ten-Tec Orion

My Ten-Tec Orion arrived about a month ago and I posted my initial
impressions, mostly favorable, on this refelctor a few days afterwards.

I had not tested that radio at that time for my main criterion in what I
want out of a receiver, which is its ability to dig weak CW signals out
of the noise, mainly on 160-meters.  When I A/B'd the Orion with my
FT-1000MP and Elecraft K2, it did not come close to those two radios in
the ability to dig the weak ones out of the noise on CW.  This was a
major disappointment, therefore the Orion has been returned to Ten-Tec
for a refund.  A number of other dislikes I had about the Orion also
influenced my decision.

The K2 and FT-1000MP compare about equally on digging weak CW signals out
of the noise on 160m, but the MP has the edge on 10m.  I expect that the
new DSP (KDSP2) module that I ordered for the K2 will improve it in this
respect.

The K2 has had its growing pains and over a year ago when I built the
radio I complained bitterly about its temperature drift problems.
Elecraft has since developed mods for the K2 which have completely cured
the drift problems the K2 had.  This and other improvements in the radio
(now included in all new K2 kits) have made the K2 truly a first-class
radio.

I took a lot of flak from died-in-the-wool Elecrafters whenever I
complained about the radio, but Eric and Wayne (Elecraft
owners/engineers) apparently took heed and did something about it.  For
fear that I get flak from died-in-the-wool Ten-Tec'ers who think that the
Orion is God's gift to Ham Radio, I've chosen to not post this on their
reflector.

73, de Earl, K6SE"




73, Chas, W1CG
K2 #462B