[TenTec] O2 Sidetone...RST 599C

[Vince Bond]

I have noted a somewhat similar sidetone issue with the original Orion using 2.059d. I've successfully loaded and used 2.059d three times and each time I eventually start experiencing clicks and a somewhat less than pure sounding sidetone. I finally tracked down the cause, at least in my circumstance. 
     I always have VFO A assigned to my main receiver and VFO B to the sub-receiver. I usually employ the sub-receiver for SWL broadcast listening and tend to use LSB or USB with a wider bandwidth for near synchronous-detector quality fade-free listening. If my sub-receiver is in the LSB or USB mode, the sidetone problem will exist. If the sub-receiver is in a CW mode or AM, the sidetone is pure with no clicks, raspy sound or other oddities. Of course, a well known bug is the fact that allowing the sub-receiver to be in the AM mode and pressing the tune button will mute the main receiver and will not recover until the sub-receiver is placed into a mode other than AM. So, my work around, even though I mostly use my sub-receiver for SWL broadcast listening, is to make sure it is in the LCW or UCW mode while working CW on the main receiver. 
    Not sure if this will be an issue with the O2, but thought I would share it. Perhaps this bug is common knowledge or just an odd occurance here but I have not seen any reference to it being caused by the sub-receiver being in the LSB/USB modes. Just a thought.

Vince K7NA

Original message:

Date: Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:00:32 +0000
From: "John B. Egger" <john_egger at comcast.net>
Subject: [TenTec] O2 sidetone... RST 599C
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec at contesting.com>
Message-ID: <451F2140.9050504 at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

On occasion (like tonight) my sidetone seems to have a bit of a chirp. A 
few days ago I fired up the old Century 21 (no antenna connected) as a 
monitor and the signal sounded perfect, much better than the sidetone 
coming from the O2' s speaker. At other times the O2's sidetone is clear 
as a bell.

I've had this rig just a bit over a week and really like it, but I'm 
still way down low on the learning curve. Has anyone else noticed this 
sidetone? A search of the archive shows clicks as an occasional 
problem... but my sidetone is 599C, not 599K.

--John K3GHH
Registered Linux User #291592