I had the same problem. Nothing in the manual (if you can call it that).
No schematics.
However by tinkering I found that:
1. If I DID NOT have an amplifier connected the amp TR relay does did not
click.
2. The TR relay you are talking about is very noisey, worse than my 756P2.
3. In full QSK mode, if you can get the TR relay to not function, the radio
is really
fun to operate! [oh, so that's why Tentec has such a following, duh!]
4. You can program the radio to delay the TR relay so it only switches at
the end of your
transmission, which is similar to semi-breakin. The % markings in the
delay mean nothing
and whatever they meant to whoever decided to put them there isn't
documented either.
Initially I thought the TR relay that makes the noise was due to the
internal tuner. I tried putting my antenna on ANT 2 and suddenly the TR
noise was gone. Of course when I went to use the amplifier, it was still
connected to the output for ANT 1, so it wouldn't key! After putting it
over to ANT 2, the TR relay started to clack again! GREAT NEWS, IT WASN'T
DUE TO THE TUNER!
In a normal radio (everyone except Tentec) one would be able to disable the
TR relay, and it's obvioius people have been searching for this non-existant
function. This is for those times you just want to enjoy some QSK and know
you don't need QRO.
After playing with the setup, I decided that barefoot I'd probably like the
internal tuner, so I put the amp keying line on ANT 2, added an external
antenna switch, and now I have the best of all worlds. I do believe you can
do the same thing however by switching your amplifiers keying circuit on and
off. This is an open collector circuit (if you can believe the manual) and
if you put voltage on it, the TR relay will cycle as you transmit.
Unfortunately, my keying circuit has 12V on it all the time, even when the
amp is off.
THIS MEANS THE TR RELAY NEVER STOPS CLACKING!
I therefore conclude:
1. Those people who report NOISEY ORION QSK have amplifier keying circuits
that are
energized all the time, as mine is.
2. You can get rid of the TR relay noise by opening your amplifier
switching line so the
Orion does not see voltage when you do not need your amp OR
3. You can connect an external 2 position antenna switch. On the switch,
run 1 cable to ANT 1, and the
other to ANT 2. Key your amp with the ANT 2 keying interface. The
common port on the switch
should go to your amplifier input. Then you operate as follows:
FULL QSK 100 WATTS OR LESS, INTERNAL TUNER AVAILABLE, QUIET
OPERATION (a joy)
ANT SWITCH TO POSITION 1 (connects amp input to to ANT 1)
AMP OFF (signal passes through)
FULL POWER QSK or SEMI BREAK IN, NO INTERNAL TUNER, NOISEY (big
signal mode)
ANT SWITCH TO POSITION 2 (connects amp to ANT 2) AMP ON
(orion drives amp)
In this position the keying circuit of the amplifer causes
the internal TR relay to
cycle with each char unless delayed by some "%".
The real question is, if the TR of the Orion is being done with the silent
reed relays, and if the TR ouput is in fact open collector, what is the
noisey TR relay really doing? My guess is that it's related to the keying
Loop function, but why? If the keying loop is off (in the TX menu) this
relay should not be needed, however there may be no way to disable it from
the micropocessor.
On the other hand, it's a simple matter to redesign the amplifier keying
circuit so that it shuts down when the amp is off. This will by my goal
eventually. For now the switch works.
BOTTOM LINE
If your TR relay is making noise it's because there's voltage on your
amplifier keying line. Remove it and the problem goes away. (note you can
also unplug the keying line when not in use if that is possible, for me it's
not)
73,
Len
WT6G
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