[TenTec] Head-Phone volume in Orion2

[Dr. Gerald N. Johnson]

On Sun, 2009-08-30 at 12:23 -0700, Jim Brown K9YC wrote:
> On Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:58:55 -0600, Dr. Gerald N. Johnson wrote:
> 
> >There is 
> >> no good reason the existing output stage shouldn't work just fine 
> >> with enough GAIN in the audio chain and headphones of reasonable 
> >> sensitivity.  
> >> 
> >> 73,
> >> 
> >> Jim K9YC
> >> 
> >> 
> >True. But in the absence of a firmware fix, a $30 amplifier can solve
> >the problem in a couple days.
> 
> Lemme see if I understand this. I should spend a week finding and 
> buying parts, making a circuit board, putting it into some kind of 
> reasonable package, designing and testing it, all because the 
> manufacturer of a $4,600 radio can't do the simple calculations to get 
> the gain right in the audio chain?  Ya gotta be kidding! If I had spent 
> that money with that result, you can bet I'd be on the phone to Ten Tec 
> management DAILY, and if there was no quick and GOOD fix in my hands, 
> I'd be making a very public stink. 
> 
> 73,
> 
> Jim K9YC
> 
Naw, its not that hard. Go to the RS page on line, search for a head
phone amplifier and pick from those numbers I gave for a module ready to
plug into the head phone jack and ready for the head phones. Might need
a couple AA batteries or a wall wart. No significant assembly required,
includes a gain control and equalization if you pick that module. No
soldering needed unless you go with the first number that's monaural and
then you'd need a pair to separate the two audio channels, and a bit of
a pair of split cables. And that would give you independent gain control
on the two channels.

True enough a $4600 radio should NOT need such a patch.

73, Jerry, K0CQ