[Orion] Orion SWR readout

[Martin AA6E]

The power jitter is a known problem. (To some of us users - I don't
know what Ten-Tec knows!)  It's mostly (entirely?) a measurement
problem in the Orion.  See info & videos at
http://www.aa6e.net/aa6e/orion_pwr.html .  The effect is larger at some
power levels than at others.

The Orion VSWR "meter" has jitter, too, possibly related to the first
item.  It's useful to know if you're in the ballpark, but you need an
external meter if you want a critical measurement.

There are certainly some rough edges on this rig's controller.  Maybe v
2.0 will be a big step forward -- maybe.  Personally, I would have
preferred a bulletproof firmware controller. Still, the "challenge" is
bearable.

I am sure I wouldn't feel that way if the rig went off into the blue as
often as it seems to for some folks.

73, Martin AA6E

--- HENRY PFIZENMAYER <pfizenmayer at worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> The SWR readout on my Orion jumps around between 1:1 up to as much as
> 1.4
> :1 (usually jumps between 1:1 and 1.2:1 while I am transmitting on CW
> - at
> first I thought I had an antenna problem - but watching the SWR meter
> on my
> external antenna tuner shows no funny business and - last night when
> I saw
> it pop up to 1.4:1 is the worst I have seen. I can run this antenna
> at a KW
> with no problem so I am pretty sure there is no funny business at 100
> watts.
>  (40 meters but much the same on 80 )
> 
> Possibly related to all this see below -
> 
> Now if you have read this far - I just tried changing from my Drake
> MN2700
> ant tuner to the TT 238B  tuner  before I hooked up the Centurion.
> 
> First , at 20 watts , you cannot set senstivity high enough to read
> SWR.
> Takes 30 to 40 watts to get to SET. And feeding a dipole that is
> about
>  2 to 1 at 3501 khz , the whole setup is so numb that I cannot detect
>  any difference between 1:4 to 1 down to 1:1.
> The SWR bridge goes to zero and stays there over this range
> 
> Second , the SET  or SWR readings are chattering around
> - never noticed that with the MN2700 and its better
> damped metering.
> 
> Finally , when I look at the "power out" on the Orion I see the meter
> chattering about one small division on the meter. This is either in
> TUNE or key down with power set anywhere up to fiull power.
>  Also happens on every band. Also see it direct into dummy
>  load with nothing else  connected. At about 55 on ten
> meters  it jumps about two divisions into the dummy load.
> 
>  Is this normal ?????
> 
> Is this another DSP artifact???
> 
> Or is it time to send this thing back ????
> 
> 
> RGds- Hank K7HP
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Orion mailing list
> Orion at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/orion
>