Ten-Tec Orion II (Model 566)
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| Frequency | TX: 160–10 m (amateur), RX main: 160–10 m; sub RX: 0.5–30 MHz |
| Bands | 160m, 80m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m |
| TX power | 100 W (100W. Made in Sevierville, Tennessee USA.) |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW, FSK, AM, FM |
| Weight | 13 kg (28.7 lb) - ~13 kg estimated. Desktop flagship. |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 2005 |
| antenna 1 | SO-239 (ANT1, through ATU on 566AT) |
| antenna 2 | SO-239 (ANT2, through ATU on 566AT) |
| antenna rx | RX-only antenna |
| mic | 8-pin microphone (Orion II upgrade from 4-pin) |
| key | key/paddle |
| rs232 | RS-232 (remote control) |
| line out | line-level audio output (0 dBm/600Ω) |
| ext spkr | external speaker (main+sub) |
| dc in | DC 13.8V |
| power req | DC 13.8V. External PSU required. |
Estimated (unverified): Weight ~13 kg (about 28 lb) is approximate (the external power supply is separate). Announced July 2005; production 2005-2013.
Ten-Tec's flagship and one of the finest receivers of its generation. Full dual receive, two 32-bit SHARC DSP processors, up to seven crystal roofing filters cascadable with 590 IF-DSP bandwidth filters per receiver, and a low-phase-noise synthesizer give very high close-in dynamic range (IP3 around +5 dBm). It adds a color spectrum scope, three antenna ports, an internal ATU (566AT), voice and CW recorders, separate TX/RX equalizers and a line-level output, all hand-built in the USA.
It is discontinued, with service uncertain since Ten-Tec's assets changed hands in 2015-2016, and it has known power-distribution-board capacitor failures (symptoms include a dark screen and dim lamps). It needs an external power supply, and the interface is conventional - no touchscreen or waterfall, and RS-232 rather than USB.
The Orion II was Ten-Tec's flagship, built around a top-tier receiver: full dual receive, up to seven cascadable crystal roofing filters, and 590 IF-DSP bandwidth filters per receiver in 10 Hz steps, with very high close-in dynamic range and a low-phase-noise synthesizer. That combination gave unusually fine selectivity control and made it a favorite of serious contesters and DXers. It remains one of the most respected American transceivers of its era - just budget for the known power-distribution-board capacitor issue.
The Ten-Tec Orion II (Model 566) was Ten-Tec's flagship HF transceiver, a contest-and-DX-grade radio announced in 2005 and built around full dual-receive capability, with a main receiver covering the amateur bands from 160 through 10 meters and an independent sub-receiver tuning 500 kHz to 30 MHz. It delivers 100 watts and operates SSB, CW, AM, FM, and FSK.
Its strength was the receiver. Two 32-bit floating-point Analog Devices SHARC DSP processors, paired with a dedicated control processor, drove software-defined filtering renowned for outstanding close-in dynamic range, the ability to dig a weak signal out from beside a strong one that defines a top-tier contest radio. Hand-built in Tennessee and continuously improved through firmware, the Orion II earned a passionate following among serious operators, and it remains one of the most respected American transceivers of its generation.
It is a discontinued flagship. Compare it with the Omni VI and the compact Eagle.