[TenTec] [Orion] Orion no Tx, no main Rx,

[Merle Bone]

Marten (AA6E)  wrote:

-No main Rx signal (normal noise, however).  Sub Rx is fine on same VFO 
and same antenna input.  No change in main Rx noise with preamp or 
attenuator settings.  Main Rx hears nothing on either antenna input or 
on Rx ant.

-No Tx level. (normal CW sidetone, however)  When you key the rig, the 
Amp Key output is asserted and the panel meter goes to zero.  There is 
no RF out.
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This is a "normal sign" of the Orion V1.373bX firmware failing in a "lock-up" mode. There are a number of actions that can get you into this state.  As indicated earlier, using the spectrum display can create the conditions that lead to the failure of the Orion in this mode (Often other
functions of the radio do work - like tuning the VFO and seeing the dial change). Another cause can be from using a logging program, or other programs, that "poll" the Orion for frequency. Even polling the Orion slowly can create the conditions for this failure. Another cause, one that happens to me occasionally, is the use of the digital voice recorder.  I use it in chasing DX and sometimes it "locks up" the firmware - preventing both receive and transmit. You can sometimes "fiddle the knobs" and get the functions to resume - but it is "hit and miss." Usually you have to power off and back on to get things working.

V1.373b5 has great radio functionality - filters really remove the unwanted signal from the IF bandpass so the AGC isn't affected by them,
has maybe the best speech processing of any radio commercially built, has very good NR functions with different filters for different receive situations, has excellent monitor audio that appears to really reproduce the audio as heard on the air,  has AM receive that works correctly with the right IF bandpass, has great audio equalization - much different then V2 where the equalization seems to change with the mode, etc. 

V2 has been reported to be stable. And although apparently the ARRL tripped over some stability bugs in their test of the Orion II, it is preferred by many Orion users that prefer stability to some of the above radio performance features. Too bad we have to choose between DSP functionality and stability.
73,
Merle - W0EWM