I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

-OB

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:35:45 GMT, (Odd Ball)
wrote:



I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

-OB

Fortunately, there are plenty of radios available to meet your
criteria. Should be able to pick up a Johnson Viking II and a
Hallicrafters SX-100 on Ebay. Lots of knobs and real meters.

Dick - W6CCD

Odd Ball wrote:

I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

-OB

If I'm going to run a piece of equipment from a computer I'd rather
do it from a real computer and not even see the other parts of the
system.

I worked on a $80,000 telemetry receiving system that ran under
Embedded Windows NT. A real pain in the ass to install the software and
set the radios up on the production floor.
--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:02:54 GMT, Michael A. Terrell wrote:
Odd Ball wrote:

I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

If I'm going to run a piece of equipment from a computer I'd rather
do it from a real computer and not even see the other parts of the
system.

The highway patrol is gonna frown on that 17" monitor up on the dashboard.

HI!HI!

73
Jonesy
--
| Marvin L Jones | jonz | W3DHJ | linux
| Gunnison, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | OS/2 __
| 7,703' -- 2,345m | config.com | DM68mn SK

Allodoxaphobia wrote:

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:02:54 GMT, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

If I'm going to run a piece of equipment from a computer I'd rather
do it from a real computer and not even see the other parts of the
system.

The highway patrol is gonna frown on that 17" monitor up on the dashboard.

HI!HI!

73
Jonesy


Who has time to operate mobile when there are so many retired crazies
on the road around here?

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

Get a Collins KWM-2....................... THEY have meters and
knobs..........and TUBES TOO!

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
...
Allodoxaphobia wrote:

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:02:54 GMT, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

If I'm going to run a piece of equipment from a computer I'd rather
do it from a real computer and not even see the other parts of the
system.

The highway patrol is gonna frown on that 17" monitor up on the
dashboard.

HI!HI!

73
Jonesy


Who has time to operate mobile when there are so many retired crazies
on the road around here?

--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

John Franklin wrote:

Get a Collins KWM-2....................... THEY have meters and
knobs..........and TUBES TOO!


No thanks, the last transmitter I took care of was a 130 KW Comark
UHF TV transmitter with the antenna on a 1749 foot tower and it had a 5
MW ERP from Orange City, Florida. I prefer working on high end
receivers and their design problems but I had to leave the business due
to health problems. This was my last project:
http://www.l-3com.com/te/PDF/Microdyne/RCB-2000.pdf I worked as an
engineering tech to help move it from hand built prototypes to the
production floor.
It sold for about $80,000 when I left Microdyne.


--
?

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

The highway patrol is gonna frown on that 17" monitor up on the
dashboard.

....if they notice it over the monitor on their OWN dashboard.

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:35:45 GMT, (Odd Ball)
wrote:



I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

-OB


I don't mind the computer displays, but I don't like having to follow
a menu several levels deep to set the controls I should be able to set
with the knobs. On the Icom 706, my biggest gripe is not being able
to set the display light level without having to turn off the rig
twice.

On the 706, i would much rather the Initial Set menu only set defaults
that will reset when I turn the rig off, but allow all the options be
available while the rig is turned on, if I want to change them.
Occasionally, I want to turn up the display light for a short while.
It makes no sense to me that I have to turn the rig off to turn the
light up so I can read the dial.


--
73 for now
Buck
N4PGW

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:35:45 GMT, (Odd Ball)
wrote:



I just finished looking at the Tentec Orion, and I thought it was
ugly. I did not care for the Icom computer screen radios, or the
Kenwood orange LCD screen radios either. I want real knobs to turn,
real buttons to push, and a real analog meter to look at.
I sit in front of a computer all day at work. I don't want to look
at another computer screen when I get home and turn on my ham radio.
Am I the only one that thinks a radio should look like a radio, and
not an over sized Palm Pilot with a mic jack and a coax connector?

-OB

That's fine, do you want to pay twice as much for a radio? Knobs,
buttons, switches, potentiometers, analog meters, gear- or
string-driven frequency readouts, huge faceplates of finely sculptured
aluminum, etecetera, all cost boucoup money.

On the other hand, a few function switches, encoders and software
devices with an LCD readout is a lot cheaper.

An alternative is to buy old stuff off Ebay -- of course, you'll need
to know how to work on radios if you go that route...

Bob
k5qwg