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[TenTec] Astron

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: [TenTec] Astron
From: "Thomas Tow" <ttow1@charter.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:44:29 -0600
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
While discussing Astron. Last night I thought my 50M was biting the
dust..every couple of minutes it would hum and literally vibrate the entire
console. After 5 years with it...well...it's time.  NOT...I had plugged in a
Pelonis ceramic furnace heater for my cold feet (bad circulation I
guess)..and every time the Pelonis kicked on, obvious voltage drop and major
hum and groaning agony from the Astron..Just FYI in case anyone decides to
share an outlet/same circuit with a demanding load. The Pelonis is a
fabulous product..just not in tandem with the Astron. 73, Tommy WD4K

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of tentec-request@contesting.com
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 7:00 PM
To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: TenTec Digest, Vol 37, Issue 46

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: O2 Keyer (W3WW)
   2. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (K4IA@aol.com)
   3. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (bruce bennett)
   4. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
      (Robert & Linda McGraw K4TAX)
   5. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (Duane A Calvin)
   6. Re: O2 Keyer (Duane A Calvin)
   7. FS: Corsair II, etc. (Ronald Hands)
   8. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (Joseph Trombino Jr)
   9. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (Ralph Matheny)
  10. Re: O2 Keyer (Grant Youngman)
  11. Re: Paragon RTTY Alingment (ve1bn@ns.sympatico.ca)
  12. Re: Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron (RaySoifer@cs.com)
  13. 02 keyer (Ken Waites)


----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:30:28 -0500
From: "W3WW" <w3ww@adelphia.net>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] O2 Keyer
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <007d01c61867$0c531f30$640fa8c0@DonMohney>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
        reply-type=original

One more item about keying and I'll keep quiet. !!!!!!

Keyer mode A and B reflect the Curtis Keyer A and Curtis Keyer B timing 
patterns. There is, or should be, quite a bit of difference in keying 
characteristics. If it changes modes on its own, you  MAY  have a problem.

I think Ten Tec's choice of Curtis Keying was an excellent move as it's one 
of the most user friendly modes available. The Curtis A timing (in the 
Orion) is slightly superior to  Logikey's VZero timing. Now please 
understand, this is only my opinion as I'm sure others would prefer the 
Logikey over anything. The Logikey is an excellent keyer, I just like the 
Orion's better.

73,

Don   W3WW




------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:53:43 EST
From: K4IA@aol.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <196.4f3148bc.30f94327@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I have heard advice to ground the negative pin - never did it.
 
Mine is on the floor -- under the desk -- and I leave it on all the  time. 
After three years, it is still happy.
 
If you power on your radio by leaving it's switch "on" and turning your  
power supply on and off, you may be getting a surge the radio is not
liking.  Try 
turning on the power supply first, then the radio.
 
k4ia
Craig  "Buck"
Fredericksburg, Virginia USA


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 10:14:04 -0800 (PST)
From: bruce bennett <k2pdj2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <20060113181404.64487.qmail@web36712.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

My RS35M will trip a my ups when powering up on
occasion. Not a big deal, but does make me wonder what
it going on with it.
Bruce Bennett

--- Don Rasmussen <wb8yqj@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Anyone have power up issues with the Astron (mine is
> a
> RS35A) on power up with the SDR radios and find away
> around it?
> 
> The new Argo V is an absolute treat but I have to
> turn
> it on twice (no receive on first power up) if the
> power supply has been off overnight it seems. 
> 
> Paul Clinton has suggested grounding the negative
> terminal inside the power supply and I do have a
> second RS35 to try. I imagine there are others on
> the
> list that have been through this, what has been your
> experience?
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> 


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------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:10:48 -0600
From: Robert & Linda McGraw K4TAX <RMcGraw@Blomand.Net>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <01a901c6186c$ae51aa40$c1b34ace@FAMILY>
Content-Type: text/plain; reply-type=original; charset=iso-8859-1;
        format=flowed

Most power supplies today have excellent regulation and to accomplish such, 
provide for the voltage to ramp up from zero to the operating value over a 
period of time.  Now this time period may a 0.1 sec or so, but it is not 
instant.  Some actually use longer ramp times in the order of 1 to 2 
seconds.  I really don't think today's regulated power supplies "surge on" 
or provide a surge at power on.  At least I don't want one that does.

With that said, equally, the microprocessor MP circuits require the voltage 
Vcc stable before initialization of operating parameters occur.  They too 
have timing circuits which delay the initialization until the power Vcc has 
settled.  These timing values are established by the circuit design often by

external components as simple as a series RC circuit.

Take a situation where the MP circuit begins it initialization in 0.5 sec 
and the power supply ramps up in 0.8 secs. overall.  Certainly viewed as a 
situation that will not be happy with the MP and the operating instruction 
will most likely mis-load due to the power supply changing voltage over a 
0.8 sec interval and the MP ready to load at the 0.5 sec mark.

SOLUTION: Be sure the radio is off, turn the power supply on and allow it to

settle for some 1 to 5 sec and then turn the radio on.  All will be happy.

73
Bob, K4TAX






------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:42:14 -0600
From: Duane A Calvin <ac5aa@juno.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <20060113.124311.3964.2.ac5aa@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Or just leave the supply on (and turn the rig on/off when needed).  I
left my RS35M on 24/7 unless I was going on vacation and going to be away
from the house for a long period of time.  Never had a hiccup.

        73, Duane

On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:53:43 EST K4IA@aol.com writes:
> I have heard advice to ground the negative pin - never did it.
>  
> Mine is on the floor -- under the desk -- and I leave it on all the  
> time. 
> After three years, it is still happy.
>  
> If you power on your radio by leaving it's switch "on" and turning 
> your  
> power supply on and off, you may be getting a surge the radio is not 
>  liking.  Try 
> turning on the power supply first, then the radio.
>  
> k4ia
> Craig  "Buck"
> Fredericksburg, Virginia USA
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> 
> 


Duane Calvin, AC5AA
Austin, Texas


------------------------------

Message: 6
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:40:42 -0600
From: Duane A Calvin <ac5aa@juno.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] O2 Keyer
To: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <20060113.124311.3964.1.ac5aa@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

You've got me intrigued now, Don - I may plug my paddles into the Orion
this weekend (in between bouts in the BARTS contest) and try that keying
out for myself.  

        73,  Duane


On Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:30:28 -0500 "W3WW" <w3ww@adelphia.net> writes:
> . . . snip . . . 

The Curtis A timing (in 
> the 
> Orion) is slightly superior to  Logikey's VZero timing. Now please 
> understand, this is only my opinion as I'm sure others would prefer 
> the 
> Logikey over anything. The Logikey is an excellent keyer, I just 
> like the 
> Orion's better.
> 
> 73,
> 
> Don   W3WW
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> 
> 


Duane Calvin, AC5AA
Austin, Texas


------------------------------

Message: 7
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:48:14 -0500
From: Ronald Hands <rhands@mountaincable.net>
Subject: [TenTec] FS: Corsair II, etc.
To: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <43C803FE.1030401@mountaincable.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252; format=flowed

After 54 years at it, I?ve decided I?m tired of ham radio.

As a result, I?ve decided to offer for sale my Corsair II, which 
is very clean and  from a non-smoking environment, and has all 
three extra filters (1.8, 500 and 250).   I?ve changed the 
bandswitch knob to one that has a brass sleeve (the original 
cracked and became unusable) and as far as I know there are no 
other mods to the rig.  I bought the Corsair from a ham in New 
Brunswick in 1997 and sent it to TenTec to be checked out (one 
loose connection) shortly thereafter.  It?s worked well, both on 
QRP cw and full-power SSB, ever since.

Also have a clean 961 power supply.

And the third item is an MFJ 784b DSP unit, which makes a 
terrific addition to a Corsair station since it smoothes out the 
cw sidetone and provides significant noise reduction, nulling of 
unwanted carriers on both cw (manual) and phone (automatic), and 
an almost infinite choice of bandwidth selections.

Asking $525 U.S. plus shipping for the Corsair II and $140 U.S. 
plus shipping for the 961 supply.  These are offered as a package 
unless someone just wants the Corsair II.  I don?t wish to sell 
the 961 supply separately unless the transceiver goes first. 
Asking $150 U.S. plus shipping for the DSP unit.

Manuals supplied for all items.

Pictures can be seen at:

Corsair II
http://www.mountaincable.net/~rhands/allcorsair.jpg

961 supply
http://www.mountaincable.net/~rhands/all961.jpg

DSP unit
http://www.mountaincable.net/~rhands/alldsp.jpg

Tell me your zip code and I?ll provide shipping costs, via Canada 
Post Expedited Parcel, from Hamilton, ON.  I can take PayPal or 
International Money Order (obtainable from U.S. post office).

Thanks for the bandwidth,

? Ron VE3SP




------------------------------

Message: 8
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:00:45 -0500
From: "Joseph Trombino Jr" <w2kj@bellsouth.net>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: <k2pdj2000@yahoo.com>
Cc: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <003601c61884$6c8eb7c0$0301a8c0@Y4M7M0>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
        reply-type=original


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "bruce bennett" <k2pdj2000@yahoo.com>
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 1:14 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron


> My RS35M will trip a my ups when powering up on
> occasion. Not a big deal, but does make me wonder what
> it going on with it.
> Bruce Bennett

Howdy Bruce:

I had the same kind of problem with my Astron RS50M when I would power it 
up......I would trip the breaker in my house power panel most times.

I called a tech at Astron and they said installing an MOV would solve the 
problem.  I don't recall if the MOV went across the transformer primary 
winding or not...just can't remember.

I ordered the MOV from Astron and after installing it my RS50M never tripped

the breaker again.......problem solved.

Call Astron and describe your problem and ask them if an MOV is required.

                                    73, Joe W2KJ 




------------------------------

Message: 9
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 16:21:27 -0500 (EST)
From: Ralph Matheny <mathenyr@marietta.edu>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0601131617500.11732@mcnet.marietta.edu>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

I use the Astron 35 amp here and never turn it off.  I've never had a
problem of any kind.  I use the on-off switch on the radio  (Orion) and
all boxes are grounded together on strap.  Ona very few occassions I have
come home and found that a nearby lightning hit has tripped the overvolt-
protection in the Astron, but other than that since 1985 that ole beast
has been hummin along.  There may be some revisions in the supply since
then which may change the picture.

Ralph Matheny
K8RYU
207 Gibbons Place
Marietta Ohio  45750







------------------------------

Message: 10
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 15:53:56 -0600
From: "Grant Youngman" <nq5t@comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] O2 Keyer
To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <20060113215422.7C85F3194DA@dayton.akorn.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

> You've got me intrigued now, Don - I may plug my paddles into 
> the Orion this weekend (in between bouts in the BARTS 
> contest) and try that keying out for myself. 

I've found a lot of this O-2 keyer discussion interesting.

My take on it is that it doesn't take but a very small change in keyer
timing requirements to throw things off.  We're creatures of habit if
nothing else -- I suspect like a pianist plays Czerny's "The School of
Velocity", we send CW out of very low levels of the brain, and perhaps lower
than that.  There are no "fore-brain" functions involved once we get past
language and down to the level of finger twitch on the paddles.

Until a few years ago, I'd been using a WB4VVF Accu-Keyer with auto
character spacing that I built back in the 70's after the first article
appeared in QST.  Although I tried to update several times, everthing else I
tried "had timing problems".  I finally bought a K4, and even though it has
an "accu-keyer" emulation mode, it still just wasn't quite the same as the
original.  I almost went back to my little homebrew box.

Ultimately, I bit the bullet and spent enough time with the K-4 to retrain
myself.  So, although it was slightly broken when I got it, it magically
works fine now :-)

Don't really know if there's actually an issue with the keyer code in the
Orion/II or not, 'cuz I don't use it.  But perhaps it just requires
"familiarity" to fix whatever bug seems to be there ....

Grant/NQ5T





------------------------------

Message: 11
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:38:34 -0400
From: <ve1bn@ns.sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Paragon RTTY Alingment
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <001001c61892$17140e40$9910fea9@DJQ2BX41>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
        reply-type=original

Bruce -

I used the shift info in the manual to set "things on the nose" in my 
Paragon.

You have to use an external voltage source, say plus 9 V, to have shift high

and
-9V to shift low.  The manual will set you straight if you keep this in 
mind.

I used 9V because I made a small battery changeover circuit with a slide 
switch
in an Altoids box to have +9V or -9V as selected to a RCA connector which
fesds the Paragon.  Its a Paragon 2 in my case.  Same thing for the original
rig.

Hope this will help out, OM.

73 -  Don

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Lanning" <blanning@acadia.net>
To: <TenTec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 11:24 AM
Subject: [TenTec] Paragon RTTY Alingment


>I have a Paragon with the Giehl chip installed. The alignment of the BFO
> xtals in the Transmit Audio/ BFO Board (81339) on Page 6-65 with regard to
> the 170 Hz shift in the RTTY transmit mode, of the Manual is very unclear 
> to
> me. The statement that says; RTTY(shift CW) transmit, with MARK/SPACE low,
> adjust C6 for 9.000875 Mhz. The next statement says the same, except
> MARK/SPACE high..........My question is: how do I shift the MARK/SPACE 
> from
> high to low while in transmit? I have a very high resolution frequency
> counter calibrated to GPS, so no problem in that area.
> Any help would be appreciated.
> Bruce W1GBS
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> TenTec mailing list
> TenTec@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
> 



------------------------------

Message: 12
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:33:35 EST
From: RaySoifer@cs.com
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion, Argo V, Jupiter and Astron
To: tentec@contesting.com
Message-ID: <203.107b7fbc.30f992cf@cs.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

I run my Argo V off the TT 937 supply, which I leave on all the time and
turn 
the radio on and off.  Never a problem, and the 937 is completely quiet.

73,

Ray W2RS


------------------------------

Message: 13
Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:59:40 -0600
From: "Ken Waites" <BARBIEKENW@peoplepc.com>
Subject: [TenTec] 02 keyer
To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Message-ID: <000601c618a5$cd437b20$3503a8c0@RVHP>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="iso-8859-1"

"The School of Velocity"?  I was going to say that !


I am wondering if the RF gain control affects the AGC threshold on the O2.
I suspect it does.

------------------------------

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