[TenTec] Orion 565 Main Receiver Issue

Thu Mar 20 17:54:18 EDT 2014

Thanks Bob, you are absolutely right. I guess I should have stated that my first step in chasing this problem was going to be a thorough mate/demate and cleaning of all connectors.  
Having been in the business of designing cable harnesses for rocket ships for 40 years I agree with everything you say. Every now and then I see the same problems occur in connectors that cost upwards of $5000.  I'm afraid that connectors will remain a necessary evil until we at least learn how to distribute power by RF instead of wires. So I think my choice of careers will remain secure at least for one more generation! 

Maybe it's time for someone to build a better mousetrap!

73, Art   

> From: RMcGraw at Blomand.net
> To: n4py3 at earthlink.net; tentec at contesting.com
> Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:08:32 -0500
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion 565 Main Receiver Issue
> 
> It's not only related to Tentec products or Orion radios.  For years I've 
> dealt with service and maintenance on products costing  5X to 10X or more of 
> what the Orion's. cost.  These products have been found to have the same 
> issues.   Some interconnection methods are better or worse than others.  It 
> is a matter of cost vs. space along with a few other factors.
> 
> Just exercise the connectors, clean the pins and apply a very small amount 
> of contact cleaner.  It will serve you well until next time.
> 
> 73
> Bob, K4TAX
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Carl Moreschi" <n4py3 at earthlink.net>
> To: "Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment" <tentec at contesting.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2014 3:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion 565 Main Receiver Issue
> 
> 
> > The Orion and Orion II have shown a history of problems related to 
> > corrosion building up on the cable connections in the radio.   These 
> > connections should have been gold plated but they are not.  In particular, 
> > the cable connections behind the front panel have over 100 connections. 
> > Many times the solution is to remove the front panel, which is not at all 
> > difficult, and unplug the cables, spray them with a contact cleaner, and 
> > then while they are still wet, plug them in and out 10 times or more to 
> > clean them.  This fixed all the intermittent problems on my Orion.  And 
> > with so many connections, almost any symptom is possible.
> >
> > Carl Moreschi N4PY
> > 58 Hogwood Rd
> > Louisburg, NC 27549
> > www.n4py.com
> >
> > On 3/19/2014 3:38 PM, art N4UC wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Here's a brain teaser for all you Orion experts. My 565 running ver 3.032 
> >> has developed a couple of problems that I was hoping would be a firmware 
> >> issue but it's looking more and more like a hardware problem. I'm looking 
> >> for some ideas about where to start troubleshooting.
> >>
> >> In a nutshell the two problems (which may just be different symptoms of 
> >> one problem) are these:
> >>
> >> 1. All signals received by the main rcvr on 20M only are extremely 
> >> garbled and distorted. This condition is not dependent on mode and all 
> >> other receiver functions such as S-meter operation, AGC, BW and PBT 
> >> functions seem to be unaffected. Operation of the sub-receiver is normal. 
> >> One interesting note is that a signal disappears when I engage the 
> >> hardware NB, which is probably just an indicator that the NB thinks it's 
> >> seeing noise and just doing its job.
> >>
> >> 2. When both VFO's display the same frequency, there is a difference in 
> >> received frequency between the two receivers. This is present regardless 
> >> of band, but the difference is not the same from band to band. The worst 
> >> I've noticed is 200 hz offset on 20M, but other bands exhibit 50-100 hz 
> >> delta between the receivers in spite of displaying the same  frequencies. 
> >> It doesn't matter how the two receivers arrive at the same frequency, 
> >> either by pressing the A>B button or configuring both Main and Sub recvrs 
> >> to be controlled by VFO-A.
> >>
> >>
> >> This all came on as an intermittent condition. I would notice that during 
> >> operation on 20M, received signals would suddenly jump by 100-200 hz and 
> >> I would have to re-tune to get back on frequency. I was assuming that the 
> >> transmitted frequency was jumping as well, but I haven't verified that as 
> >> yet. Anyway, after the "jump" occurred, the signals would sound warbly 
> >> and quivery (technical terms for "trashy"). No matter their signal 
> >> strength they sounded watery like they were coming from over the North 
> >> Pole. If I were to select a different band and then return , the receiver 
> >> would "slide" a few hertz back onto frequency before settling.
> >>
> >> I have
> >> sometimes noticed that just before this would happen there would be a 
> >> rise in noise
> >>   level, like precipitation static. While the rcvr  is off-frequency, 
> >> there is a
> >>   lot of 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.
> >>
> >> I have re-flashed the firmware and performed a few master-resets, etc... 
> >> with no change. The problem is no longer intermittent and I'm looking for 
> >> ideas while I decide how much $$$ I want to put into repairing a really 
> >> fine, but old, radio.
> >>
> >> 73, Art/N4UC
> >>
> >>
> >>
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> >>
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> 
> 
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