[TenTec] FW: Orion 565 Main Receiver

[art N4UC]

Problem resolved! As time went on, the problem grew in scope to include all bands. So I put the radio on the workbench for several weeks while I tinkered with it and thought about it some more. I was all prepared to carry it to TT for service. But in playing with it one more time, I happened to bump the BW/PBT encoder and the receiver came alive and sounded beautiful. No more frequency offset between main and sub rcvrs, no more raspy audio, etc.. I thought  I had exercised all the controls multiple times over the course of this fiasco, but maybe ignored the BW/PBT encoder thinking surely it wouldn't...

Anyway, the problem is resolved for now and the radio has resumed it's place on the table. It worked flawlessly throughout the AL qso party so I'm closing the book on this issue. It's amazing how many issues were created by a hiccup in this one encoder. If it re-occurs, I'll probably replace the encoder, maybe all the encoders, but for now we're happy, happy, happy! 

Now if TT were to order a new run of LCD displays before this one is completely gone, I'd feel like I had a new radio!

73, Art
N4UC

From: n4uc at hotmail.com
To: service at tentec.com
Subject: Orion 565 Main Receiver
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 13:58:03 -0500







Hello from North Alabama!

For several weeks I have experienced a problem with the main rcvr on my 565 and want to run it by you before I brought it up to Sevierville just in case it had an easy fix. It started out as just a rare annoyance and has progressively developed into a major issue which is keeping me from using the radio at all. 

This situation seems to be confined to 20M and is intermittent in nature. The symptoms are confined to the main rcvr (VFO-A)

Problem: 
>From time to time the received signals on VFO-A will jump (not drift) about 150 hz (more or less) and then jump back a few minutes later. A few minutes later it will jump again, always by the same 150 hz. The displayed freq of the VFO-A doesn't change when this happens, but apparently the transmitted frequency changes as well because sometimes the other station will lose me between transmissions. 

**When I push the A>B button to put both receivers on the same 
frequency, each VFO displays the same frequency, but there is about 150 
hz difference between the received signals on each VFO.**

I have sometimes noticed that just before this happens there is a rise in noise level , like rain static. While the rcvr  is off-frequency,  there is a lot of phase noise/hash that is in sync with other signals some as far away as 50 khz. It resembles being at field day in close proximity to several
 transmitters. Even though they are way out of the bandpass of the filters and too far away to hear a cw tone, I 
can copy them by listening to the hash. 

Also during this time off in the weeds, any signals that are within the passband  are trashy and sound like they are coming over the North Pole, real quivery with a watery tone, regardless of signal strength.  .

Finally, when I go to 20M from another band, the rcvr "slides" a few hertz before coming to rest. 
  
Any suggestions?




Also, do you have any replacement LCD displays for the 565 in stock? Price? This one is about shot!




Thanks,

Art Davis/N4UC
Huntsville, AL