[TenTec] Lightning Strike Update

[Jack Emerson]

Several on this list asked me for an update when I had more to report on the damage to the Orion. I will very reluctantly now give my updated report. I say "reluctantly", because if you will read on, you'll find out just how stupid I am.
Yesterday I called Ten Tec and told them about the problem. They asked me to troubleshoot it more before sending it to them, so that they would have more info to go on. Since I already had the radio in my car, I told them I didn't want to troubleshoot it anymore, and that I would just bring it to them on Tuesday morning if that was all right with them. 
So I left the house just after 0500 today and dropped it off just after 0830. Paul came out and told me he had other equipment to be repaired, but said he would put it on his bench for a quick go through. I asked him to re-load the software in it as well, because the previous weekend for the first time ever, I had significant problems loading the new software into the radio. 
Paul came out about 20 minutes later with a funny look on his face and said the radio was working fine, that he could find no problems with it. He said the software re-load had been performed as well. He assured me that he could find nothing wrong with it. Before leaving, he told me to check the radio very carefully as I re-connected each piece of auxillary equipment to it when I got home.
This afternoon, as I re-connected everything, as soon as I connected the tnc cable to the auxiallry I/O port, the radio went back into transmit. Everything else worked as it should. So that was it. Had I broken the radio down myself and performed proper troubleshooting, my face would not be covered in egg right now. I disconnected the tnc cable and went back on air.
I haven't yet checked to see if the problem is in the tnc, cable, or the I/O port of the radio. But either way, I'm not concerned about it at the moment. I'm just tickled to death to be back on air. I still have the damaged rotor to contend with, but this problem has been solved.
Here's a couple of points. First, service. Over the years, there have been 3 occasions now when I have had to send equipment in to Ten Tec for service/repair. The longest turn-around time for me has been only 2 weeks. Their service continues to be top notch. Second, courtesy. When I walked in this morning, Scott greeted me by name, and Stan said hello, too.That was a great feeling. And even though Paul had other equipment ahead of mine, he did agree to spend a few minutes on it in case it was a simple fix, which it was. And after he found the radio to be working fine, he managed to keep a straight face while talking to me, though he surely must have thought I was a dummy (or words to that effect). Third, I could have saved myself a lot of gas money today had I just done the basic troubleshooting steps myself, steps which we all learned as novices, but I managed to forget in my haste this past weekend.
So there you have it. If any of you on this reflector work me on air and call me "dummy" or "appliance operator", you will qualify for the JAD (Jack's A Dummy) special event award.
73 de Jack W4TJE in Fancy Gap

Jack Emerson
w4tje at earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.