The ALC control on the Orion works by reducing the drive to maintain the
desired output. This means that when you set ALC to 50 watts, the drive is
cut in half. This also means that you may not have to reduce mic gain at
all when you go from 100 watts to 50 watts. Notice I said might. You
should always check to make sure the ALC light is just flickering on voice
peaks and never on solid.
So, assume you are running with no amplifier on SSB at 100 watts. You turn
on your amplifier, go to CW mode, and set your power level to provide the
correct drive for your amplifier. You find this setting is 50 watts output
for the ALC control. Now without changing your mic gain, you speak normally
just to make sure you don't have to change your mic gain. I find even when
I go down to 5 watts to drive my 6 meter transverter, I don't have to change
the mic gain setting from the 100 watt level, just the power output ALC
control.
So the bottom line is because the ALC works by reducing drive to the final
stages, the mic gain can be usually be left in the same position all the
time for a given mic.
Carl Moreschi N4PY
121 Little Bell Drive
Bell Mountain
Hays, NC 28635
----- Original Message -----
From: <K4IA@aol.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 29, 2006 11:07 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] ALC action on Orion
> Yes, that is correct - with the Orion, the lower power setting makes the
ALC
> much more sensitive. Since the ALC has some lag and overshoot, you can't
> rely on the ALC alone to keep you from splattering. You have to adjust
your
> audio drive (mic gain or PSK input level).
>
> Here's the part I don't get:
>
> No one has suggested you back down the SSB mic gain to reduce the drive on
> your Orion to an amplifier. Say I only need 50 watts drive - Am I
supposed to
> reduce my mic gain to get there? Seems to me that would leave me with a
> thin under-driven sounding audio similar to someone who talks too quietly
or too
> far from the microphone. I would think you would drive the audio fully
and
> reduce the PWR control down to 50 watts. If I remember correctly, the
> instructions say the ALC should just flicker on voice peaks. That would
never
> happen if you reduced the mic gain to lower your output.
>
> And yet, some say to lower the power output with PSK, you should leave the
> PWR setting on 100w and reduce the mic gain to your target output.
>
> I am away from home and don't have my Orion in front of me to try this out
> but it is making me very curious.
>
> k4ia
> Craig "Buck"
> Fredericksburg, Virginia USA
>
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