[TenTec] Intermittent loss of sensitivity on Orion 566 upon PTT switching

[Mike Schatzberg]

Hello Ten Tec Fans:

My normally reliable O2, sometimes returns from transmit to receive with a lower sensitivity.  Switching back to transmit, and again to receive, the normal sensitivity returns.

It appears as if I have a dirty contact on a relay, and have to exercise it for better contact.

Looking at the schematics, I see there is a reed relay, K6, which appears to perhaps be the most likely candidate to be at fault.  This relay is on the A1 board, the low pass filter board.

Before I take everything apart, and start looking (there are no pictorials for component placement information), has anyone had a similar problem with their O2?  Any information as to board location, and degree of difficulty in removing this relay, if indeed it was your issue, would be appreciated.

I guess since this radio is circa 2006, and I use QSK switching, and always use VOX, I can’t be too surprised that this high speed relay might need replacement by now.

Thank you for any possible input.

73,

Mike
W2AJI