[TenTec] Orion PA

[Ten-Tec Inc. Amateur Radio Sales]

A little clarification here:

This is text as written about the Orion:

"Virtually indestructable 100-watt PA. Run the ORION into any SWR at 100 
watts output with no risk of damage to the final amplifier. Over-voltage 
protection, current protection for final transistors and thermal shutdown 
are built-in. Rated 100% duty cycle, 100 watts output, no time limit (with 
user added cooling fan)."

I think the problem interpreting this is that we've connected two final 
amplifier-
related items into consecutive sentences and confused the issue.

The final amplifier can be run into a high SWR at 100 watts without 
damaging the PA.
What can't be done is running 100 watts into a high SWR load, 100% duty cycle,
no time limit.  That simply isn't going to be possible.  Of course, when 
you read those
two sentences together, it could be read that way and I suppose I am going 
to have to
change it because obviously there is a misunderstanding of what it means.

In the actual specs themselves, we've spec'd the final amplifier a lot more
conservatively than we've described it in the text above.

The issue of what the radio will sound like vis a vis distortion products
at a high SWR is a whole separate issue - I am sure we haven't measured
it nor do we provide a spec.

Scott Robbins, W4PA


At 03:46 PM 8/13/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I agree, Paul, and the issue is almost academic since most finals are
>operated at very nearly 1:1 SWR loads. What I am questioning is the broad
>claim that the Orion can deliver 100 watts to ANY SWR and not melt, without
>saying something about the quality of the signal.
>
>I don't doubt that the final devices can dissipate 100 watts - with that
>optional fan only?? - but if Joe Ham decides to operate with a 10:1 SWR on
>40 SSB (using his 10-meter dipole) what will he sound like? After all, the
>specs say that he can operate into any SWR . . .
>
>I agree, Lee, that unless TT has done an exceptional design, unlike other
>12-volt finals, the overall performance must be similar. However, there
>must be limits to the load mismatch for the distortion products to remain
>within limits.
>
>I have measured just about everything under the Sun on my Icom 756 PRO but
>I haven't looked at output distortion vs load mismatch. Guess that will be
>the next project . . .
>
>73/72/oo, George W5YR - the Yellow Rose of Texas
>Fairview, TX 30 mi NE of Dallas in Collin county EM13qe
>Amateur Radio W5YR, in the 56th year and it just keeps getting better!
>QRP-L 1373 NETXQRP 6 SOC 262 COG 8 FPQRP 404 TEN-X 11771 I-LINK 11735
>Icom IC-756PRO #02121  Kachina 505 DSP  #91900556  Icom IC-765 #02437


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