[TenTec] Orion got noisy

[K4IA at aol.com]

I noticed my Orion 1 (latest firmware) was sounding awful noisy - lots of  
band noise in the form of static and low frequency growling.  The S  meter was 
always reading high from the noise.  Reducing the RF gain did not  improve the 
audible S/N ratio.  The NR has been broken since ver 1.371 of  the software so 
that is no help at all.  
 
I tried playing with the AUDIO>RX EQ setting to see if it would make a  
difference.    It sure did but in a way I did not expect.   Setting it to -6db made 
the background noise go way down.  What I didn't  expect was that resetting 
it back to zero the background noise was still  way down.  Now my radio sounds 
like I think it should even with the EQ set  to zero.  The S meter is reading 
as I think it should instead of S9 noise  all the time.
 
Anyone else noticed this or have a comment?  

k4ia
Craig  "Buck"
Fredericksburg, Virginia USA