[TenTec] ORION II and FSK

[David W LeJeune, Sr]

This morning I decided to work RTTY and set up the Orion to Mode FSK as
normal and fired it up.  I use MMTTY and key the FSK line via the EXTFSK
1.05 MMTTY plugin and a Rigblaster Pro interface.  Worked fine, but no one
was answering.  Thought that was strange, so I fired up an aux receiver to
make sure everything was keying fine.  I Normally use a bandwidth setting of
about 750 hz.  When I first got the Orion II, in the FSK mode, the bandwidth
was centered on 2125/2295 as displayed in the MMTTY waterfall display.
Keying sounded OK on the aux receiver.

 

Since I wasn't getting any answers, I changed the bandwidth to 1200 hz and
fired off a CQ - and sure enough someone answered, but they were 170 hz off
frequency.  I use the RIT to bring them on freq and had a nice QSO.  Found
that was normal - everyone else I contacted was 170 hz off, and lo and
behold, the bandwidth was also off 170 hz - I corrected it in the display
with the PBT and 170 brought it right back into center with the bandwidth
narrowed again to 750.

 

The manual says that in the FSK mode, the FSK signal is centered in the
filter bandwidth.  Certainly not the case today, but I know it was
previously.  What could have changed.  I was able to set things up properly
with RIT at +170 and PBT at +170, and I saved it as USER 1 profile.  So easy
enough to reset it.

 

Anyone else had this experience?  When I first got the Orion II about 2
years ago, both the RIT and the PBT were at 0, and the waterfall display was
perfectly aligned for 2125/2295 tones when I worked RTTY.  Note that this
was with FSK keying with the MODE switch set to FSK, not AFSK with mode
switch set to USB.

 

Just curious.

 

Dave WN5V