[Orion] Adjusting Orion STEP's

[john, ke5c]

Page 16 of the Orion manual (September 2003) states "STEP size is adjusted
per receiver depending on which of the MAIN RX or SUB RX buttons located
between the two main tuning knobs is lit", but that is not what happens
with my Orion. Rather STEP size is adjusted *per VFO* depending on whether
the MAIN RX or SUB RX buttons is active (led is lit). If MAIN RX is
active, STEP size is adjusted for VFO A irrespective of whether VFO A is
connected to TX, RX, SUB RX, or isn't connected to anything. If SUB RX is
lit, STEP size is adjusted for VFO B irrespective of whether VFO B is
connected to TX, RX, SUB RX, or isn't connected to anything at all.

Thus, STEP size is a property of each VFO, not of each receiver. The STEP
size is adjusted per VFO depending on whether the RX or the SUB RX button
is selected (led is lit). If RX is selected, STEP size for VFO A is
adjusted.  If SUB RX is selected, STEP size for VFO B is adjusted.

Why mention this? I listened to short wave using SUB RX connected to VFO
B, and I had set STEP to 1K Hz.  Then I returned to 40 meters with TX and
RX connected to VFO A.  To work a split, I dumped VFO A into VFO B (A>B)
and connected VFO B to RX in place of VFO A.  When I went to tune VFO B,
the RX frequency changed in 1K Hz STEP's even though when just tuned with
VFO A it had been changing in 10 Hz STEP's! The MAIN RX button was active
with led lit; the displayed STEP was 10 Hz (VFO A); and I was tuning the
main receiver using VFO B but moving in 1K Hz steps instead.  So I checked
the manual, and that's not what I would expect if the STEP's were truly
adjusted *per receiver*.  If that were the case, it shouldn't matter which
VFO is connected to the receiver, the VFO should inherit the STEP assigned
to the receiver.  VFO B should have inherited a step of 10 Hz when
connected to the main receiver.  Instead, it retained it's prior STEP of
1K Hz.

At least on my Orion .

73, John