[ct-user] New kid on the block

[Dick White]

Hello to all of you. I just found out about this reflector and this is my
first post. I have had a Paragon problem for six months and have been unable
to get a fix for it. Maybe someone can help me. This first happened on
December 30, 2001.

Problem:  When doing RTTY in the LSB setting, the Paragon will "lock up" on
me when doing a qso as it goes from transmit to receive. . By "lock up" I
mean - all the button lights come on, the frequency changes and cannot be
changed, nothing works and the rig will not respond to any command. The only
solution is to turn it off - turn on again and hit the "reset" button. This
puts it back in the default settings and I have to reset everything ( time,
date, frequencies, memories) so I can continue to operate. Needless to say,
the person I was in qso with is either confused / gone  or both.  I usually
run about 25 watts of power (and the amp if I need more ). This problem
happens no matter what power setting I use. But, I can run a RTTY contest
ok. It has locked up on me only once in a contest when I called CQ several
times in a row. The short contest exchange does not cause this to happen. It
happens when I am in transmitt too long.

Note: This does not happen when working CW. I can run long winded CW qso's
all day and this never happens.  I do not have a Mic as the Paragon has
never been use for phone in USB or LSB. I started working RTTY about five
years ago and had no problem until last December.

What I have done:  The Paragon was sent tp Ten Tec last January. They
returned it and said there was nothing wrong with it when they tested it. I
never found out how they tested it when it was in the shop ( in rtty  lsb
???).  Long telephone convrsations with Don did not produce a cure. He said
the Paragon is very sensitive to RF and I could have a ground loop.  I have
added more rods and wire to my ground system and put torroids on everything.
No change. The Paragon has been set up at a  friends house and it "locked
up" when we went to RTTY on LSB. I have a back up rig, IC-735, and it works
rtty without this problem in this location.
My tower is about 120 ft. from the shack. I have a 4 element Mosley Tri
bander and a G5RV on it and use a remote switch to change antennas.

Comments and questions will be appreciated. Maybe someone has run into this
or a simolar problem.  Thanks for letting me in. I have had my Paragon since
Dayto 1999 and I want to keep it. If all else fails, I will have to dedicate
my IC-735 to rtty and continue using the Paragon for CW only.

73.....Dick - KS0M

Richard C. "Dick" White           ks0m@ktis.net
Fulton, MO. 65251-2215

Amateur Radio Station - KS0M    (ex WB0WLX  -  KC0MY)
ARRL DXCC Honor Roll / CW  -  5BDXCC #3295 / CW
Life Member,  American Radio Relay  League