[Icom] Where is Orion?

Mon, 11 Mar 2002 10:17:53 -0500

Doug and everyone else on the list,
I guess I'll just have to get one comment in on this Orion thread, now at
something like 497 posts or so.
Concerning multi-color vs. single color, plastic, etc.
I have spent many hours on the 756 and the Pro II.   However, in my opinion,
I would not judge a rig by how many colors the display has.  If Ten Tec is
building a military grade receiver with a single color display, that's just
great.
I use the IC 781, which has one color, it's amber on a black background.  I
love the singe color-simple no bells and whistles, does the job and is to
the point.  Way too much stuff on the Pro rigs.  I cannot stand to look at
it, or for that matter listen to it.  The DSP is very noisy to my ears.
Plus I will not pay $2.5K plus for plastic radios that cannot perform like
the 781 in terms of quietness.  Yes the Pro has a better notch, but the 781
blows the Pro away in easy to listen to comfort and in QRM fighting on the
adjacent frequencies, along with several other operational features that are
just the best.
Plus, the 781 is solid die cast aluminum, with real CNC machined aluminum
knobs!!  Non of the plastic stuff.

It is sad to hear the new Orion is going plastic too.  If it were made from
good old fashioned "mil spec" metal, I would look at it.  Single color
simplicity on the display would be great for my taste.
But if it goes mass-marketing plastic and multi-colors do dahs, I will stay
with the still top of the line IC-781.  There is a reason these rigs cost
$7K, and just one day of use on one will tell you why.

That's it, I will not make any other comments on the Orion thread, I added
one last blow to a beaten up piece of dead horse that now looks like burger
meat.  Only a DNA test call tell if it was a horse.

Bruce K1XR

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Person" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 9:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Icom] Where is Orion?

> I saw the Ten-Tec Orion yesterday at the Charlotte Hamfest.  It's big, 100
> watts out, has DSP and crystal filters, dual receive, big graphic
display -
> white with black characters.  I told them they needed color.  That the
> 756Pro has set a standard that any modern radio expecting to compete at
the
> high end needed to feature.  They went on about superior receiver
> performance, etc.  I yawned and walked away.  I've heard this before.
They
> will sell a few.  I went to the Icom booth and played with the display on
> the new ProII.  Lovely. An upgrade to the Pro, not revolutionary, but a
> number of nice refinements.  I guess after owning and trading a
considerable
> number of rigs over the last 5 years and finding that the Pro still gives
me
> a thrill when I turn it on, says a lot.
>
> Doug -- W4DXV
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill" <[email protected]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2002 8:38 AM
> Subject: Re: [Icom] Where is Orion?
>
>
> > There are also several Orions sitting on the tarmac at the local Naval
> > Air Station, in case anyone wants to see one in person ...
> > -Bill
> >
> > Geo Clute W7LFD wrote:
> >
> > > Right Ascension: 5 hours
> > > Declination: 5 degrees
> > > Visible between latitudes 85 and -75 degrees
> > > Best seen in January (at 9:00 PM
> > >
> > > Geo W7LFD
> > >
> > > ----
> > > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
> >
> > ----
> > Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> > Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>
> ----
> Your Moderator: Dick Flanagan W6OLD, [email protected]
> Icom FAQ: http://www.qsl.net/icom/
>