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Re: [TenTec] OMNI-VI problem

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] OMNI-VI problem
From: Ken Brown <ken.d.brown@hawaiiantel.net>
Reply-to: ken.d.brown@hawaiiantel.net, Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:31:50 -1000
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Hi Joe,

I have not seen the problem you describe. I have perused the local oscillator scheme of the Omni VI enough that I think I can make some good guesses about what is happening. The Omni VI has a 5.0 - 5.5 MHz synthesizer (actually it goes from about 4.97 to 5.53 MHz) which is heterodyne converted, mixing with the band select crystal oscillator, to become the local oscillator. The frequency readout is not based on a frequency count of any of the components that produce the LO, but rather is a based what the synthesizer is being told to generate by the microprocessor, along with some arithmetic which includes the crystal oscillator frequency and the BFO frequency. The synthesizer does not actually have to be generating a signal in order for the microprocessor to have a number to use in the equation that calculates the displayed frequency. Since changing bands does change what you actually receive, I am guessing that the band selecting crystal oscillator is working. My guess is that the 5.0 - 5.5 MHz synthesizer is either not putting out, or it is not making it to the XTAL OSC, LO MIXER BOARD. This could be caused by a loose or dirty connection at connector 85 on either the 81599 or 81595 board. Without the 5.0 - 5.5 MHz synthesizer, your LO is effectively just the XTAL OSC leaking through the balanced mixer U1 on the LO MIXER BOARD (balance is not perfect). My guess is that the signal you are hearing when set to 160 meters is at either 7.300 MHz (or close to there) or it is some harmonic of a signal that ends up near 7.300 MHz, such as 1460 kHz. There are other IMD products possible, and if your mixer is under driven by lack of proper LO power, the unwanted mixer products are probably worse than usual. What test equipment do you have available? Can you look for the 5.0 - 5.5 MHz synthesizer output with a high impedance probe and a frequency counter or an oldsillyscope at various places on the 81595 and 81599 boards? Or look for the final LO output from the 81595 board and see what frequency it is or whether it changes.

Good luck and have fun,

73 DE N6KB

    K8mp@aol.com wrote:
Anyone seen an OMNI-VI do this? Symptoms: The rig appears to be stuck on the same QRG all the time. The freq display changes when you crank the tuning knob, but it's not actually changing the RX freq and I suspect it's the same with the TX freq. Changing the RIT has no effect either. If I change bands, the RX freq does change. For example, if I switch to 160, I hear what I believe is an AM broadcast station. However, the tuning knob still has no effect. I'd like to be able to ID that station, to find out its freq. That might give me a hint as to what has failed. Its audio is unintelligible because I can't tune to zero-beat. By the way, 160 is the only band that I can hear a signal. I suspect the other bands must be stuck on obscure frequencies. Master reset didn't help. Thanks, Joe, K8MP

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