[TenTec] Orion Display and Power Distribution Board

[Barry N1EU]

A power transistor failed after 5-6 years of use and Heinz did a great job
of troubleshooting and repair.  There was a parts shortage at time of mfr
and factory made a slightly inelegant substitution.  No big deal.  That's
how I read it.

73, Barry N1EU

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 10:57 PM, <kc9cdt at aol.com> wrote:

> I would call Paul Clinton TT service mgr and ak about this..or complain
> about this????
> That shoud not happen. I wander how many tey had go out that way>???
> 73,
> Lee, KC9CDT
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Heinz Dietmar Karl <h-d.karl at t-online.de>
> To: tentec <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wed, Jan 12, 2011 4:48 pm
> Subject: [TenTec] Orion Display and Power Distribution Board
>
>
> Hallo Orion users,
> 2 weeks ago I`ve got an Orion1. It was announced to be full ok.
> But as I switched it on , I saw the display was a little dark in the
> upper left corner
> and was flickering during transmission.
> After a discussion with the former owner i was looking for the reason.
>
> After studying the schematics and some measurements I found the reason .
> The +5volts- voltage on the power distribution board A9 is unstable.
> During transmission and by changing the power voltage e.g. the
> 5V-voltage alternates between 5 and 4,4 volts.
>
> At first I tried to get an new board . But it was not on stock at Ten
> Tec.
> Then I found this forum here and could learn what has happend before
> with some failures around the unstable 5 volts.
>
> But changing the recommended board-capacitors brought no better
> results..
> Then I saw a difference between the board schematic and the circuitry
> on
> my A9 board:
> On my board the upper PNP -transistor was not the original type TO220P
> NTE 378.
> Ten Tec had used -how long?- another type BD246C .
>
> Because this one is a TO3P Type and not fittable onto the bord , it was
> mounted very carefully-like production people do it-
> via 8cm long wires beside the A9 board on the al -case.
>
> I am very sure this outsourced transistor has worked in my Orion since
> it has left the production.
> ( Serial Nr. 10C 10584  in 2005)
>
> I ordered- over night- the the original NTE 378 from a semiconductor
> dristributor, placed it next morning
> within 15 minutes directly onto the board and it worked perfectly.
>
> see http://www.qrz.com/db/DJ8LX
>
> The +5volts are stable under all conditions .
> Now I am very happy with my Orion.
>
> best 73
> Heinz , DJ8LX
>
>
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