Greetings:
This is my first posting to this list though I've been
subscribed for a little while. Please let me know if
this is a good place to post/discuss these kinds of
issues.
I've had my Orion for some time now (I was the lucky
winner of the YCCC raffle last year). The rig is
currently setup at a friend's QTH where it can take
advantage of his wide range of antennas, amps and
other periphery.
Got on SSB with it for the first time this last weekend
in the CQ 160 metre contest - and had a blast.
We did run into a couple of quirks or oddities ...
and figured I'd post them here. (I'll also send the
info to TenTec as well; not sure if they read this list.)
We utilised the three DV memories, programming as follows:
#1 - call
#2 - report
#3 - CQ message
We didn't use memories 1 or 2 very much - but made extensive
use of memory #3, which was approximately 5 seconds in length
(more or less depending on which op recorded it).
At some points when we pressed the send 3 button (DV #3)
the Orion would go into transmit (as evident by seeing
SWR 1.0:1 on the display) - but the recorded audio would
not play.
What was worse was that there was a slight popping sound;
hard to describe - but maybe something like a motorboating?
You could hear it in the headphones ... and there was
around 500 watts out on the AL1200 amp. The Orion's ALC
light would also occasionally blink as well.
One time it did this I actually let it continue ...
and it went past the normal 5 seconds the DV memory
had in it.
In all cases - pressing the send button again would cause
the errant transmission to cease ... and pressing it a
third time would usually cause the memory to properly
transmit. (And on most occasions - the successful transmission
of the DV memory after the problem would usually be preceded
by two quick pops of the same sound heard when the problem occurs.)
We don't believe the problem to be RF related; things are quite
well isolated ... the shack is actually over 400 feet from the
antennas and in a basement. Plenty of ferrite chokes, etc.
We didn't notice any problem ever with non-DV transmissions;
all were made using a foot pedal switch.
Mic is a Heil Pro Set Plus with the appropriate TenTec adapter.
Orion software version 1.371
Best 73
Bob W1QA
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