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Re: [TenTec] Orion and Heath SB-1000

To: "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion and Heath SB-1000
From: "Rick, NJ0IP / DJ0IP" <Rick@DJ0IP.de>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2007 07:50:14 +0200
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Dalton,

This is in additon to what others have written so far.

Although it initially works, you may run into problems in a couple of
months, especially on CW.  The T/R relay inside the SB-1000 is a bit slow in
keying and when keying at the switching speed of most QSK transceivers, its
relay contacts arc and over time build up enough crud on the contacts that
you get problems.  These typically show up on RX first.  The RX seems to
have lost its sensitivity.  Well actually it's not getting the full signal
from the antenna because of the dirty contacts of the Amp's T/R relay.

I would say I had to clean the relay on my ALS-80A (same build as the
SB-1000) ever 2 or 3 months.  In SSB it is probably no problem but I ran a
lot of CW contests and had this problem all the time.

I described the fix just ten minutes ago in my reply to the problem with
keying the ALS-600.  I will paste the text here (again) in case you didn't
read the other post.

Here the PASTE:

I ran my OMNI VI+ with an ALS 600 for several years.
I initially had problems with arcing on the T/R relay of the amp, and had to
clean the contacts with a burnishing tool from time to time.

So I quit using the internal keyer in the Omni and connected up a home brew
device which had its own keyer, and a time sequencing circuit for keying the
amp before the transmitter was keyed.

When you hit the first dit, it immediately triggers the circuit to close the
relay on the amp (i.e., ALS 600) and then 10 mS later it passes the
beginning of the dit to the key jack of the TX (Omni VI).  This gives the
amp's relay ample time to switch and settle.  The sequencing device also has
an adjustable end of transmission delay which enables you to adjust how long
the amp's T/R relay stays keyed after the end of the last dit.

After that I was able to run trouble free for years.

With the Orion, you have the possibility to adjust these two timings
manually in the software menu.  Each is separately adjustable.

END of PASTE

So, I recommend you add some initial delay in the Orion's S.W. MENU.  Unless
you absolutely need full QSK, then add a bit of delay to the end of the
relay keying to prevent the Amp's relay from having to follow your keying
(which it was not designed to do).  Then you should have trouble-free
operations.

73
Rick 

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of JD & KK McCrary
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2007 6:18 AM
To: 'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion and Heath SB-1000

Thanks for all the replies and information.  Problem solved for me.

73 to all,
Dalton
W4WUQ

-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of Mike Bryce
Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 7:07 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion and Heath SB-1000

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