[TenTec] Orion II 2.033 AM Transmit Output

[John Buck]

Put me in the I love my Orion camp because it has the best receiver I 
can get.

I never thought I would get sucked into the AM discussion.  But I hooked 
up the dummy load, 2 different power meters in series on my Orion 
(original) with 2.056 software.
AM mode.  My data is not the same as Grant showed (quoted below my data).

My meters are not accurately calibrated per a standard but are in the 
ballpark perhaps as much as 20 % low.  Carrier power AM mode, 99W output 
setting, no modulation.  Auto Tuner disabled.

My data shows there is up to about a 4 second convergence time for the 
power to slew to the proper level after a band change.   The fall time 
constant of  my analog meter is less than 1 second.  There is a problem 
(see *** below) as the power can be way too high for a significant time 
on the initial ptt after a band change.  This behavior might be hard on 
some amplifiers.


KH7T data
Meter 1 is LDG DWM4 digital,  Meter 2 is analog.
Band   Meter 1   Meter 2
160M   15W      20W  *** note below.  Do not trust meter 1 on 160.
75M     19W      20W  ***
40M     20W      18W  ***
20M     19W      19W  ***
15M     18W      16W  * 
10M     19W      17W  *

***  If the 160 meter test is done after the 10 meter test, the Reading 
starts at 61 watts and moves gradually down to the value shown above in 
about 4 seconds.  If the 80 meter test follows the 10 meter test the 
initial value is 80 watts.   This is not just an instantaneous 
millisecond pulse.  Similar results 10 or 15 meters to 40 or 20 meters.
I can avoid the excessive power startup if I tune the auto tuner after 
band change.  I would not want do that if I had resonant antennas (or no 
auto tuner).


* There is a 4 second rise from 7 watts on the first Ptt after band 
change moving up the bands from 160 to 10.

Aloha,
John KH7T

>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject:
> [TenTec] Orion II 2.033 AM Transmit Output
> From:
> "Grant Youngman" <nq5t at comcast.net>
> Date:
> Mon, 1 May 2006 09:18:27 -0500
> To:
> "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec at contesting.com>
>
> To:
> "'Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment'" <tentec at contesting.com>
>
>
>I rechecked the carrier level output on several bands this morning on AM.
>
>It should automatically set to approximately 25 watts (or about 1/4 of the
>power at full output).  This is what it is doing:
>
>160M		30+ W (too high to achieve 100% modulation)
>80M		10 W
>40M		5 W
>20M		2-3 W
>15,10M	2 W
>
>Some have reported output as high as 50 watts -- maybe that is a reference
>to peak output with modulation?  The carrier output level on 160M is too
>high to be able to achieve 100% modulation given the output capability of
>the Orion II.
>
>Grant/NQ5T
>
>
>
>  
>
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