[TenTec] TT Orion 1 flakey sub receiver { possible power conenction issue }

[denton sprague]

I got the decent caps for the power distribution board rebuild…..I will make the rig a nice project for next winter…..pulling, cleaning all internal connectors with dexoit, checking continuity, and wiring in a new power pigtail with fuse holder in the B+ line…will jumper the little mini fuse in the rig as I dont really like it too much.

I did the triple reboot as per N4PY’s instruction, and that did last about an hour….did ok until I rebooted the rig to see if the sub receiver still worked, but no go. 

I will also probably install a new lcd illumination strip later on as the display is getting dim..if determine all the voltages getting to the front end of the rig are up to snuff.

If can’t get the rig to working to my satisfaction, oh well….they are not worth too much these days and I have my Omni 7 that I got new some time back and a little icom 7300…which I consider a marvel to use. 

> On Feb 26, 2017, at 12:28 PM, K7TXO Radio <k7txoradio at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Denton,
> I would definitely power off, unplug the DC power cord at the rear of the Orion and take a good look at the contacts.  There is a very good chance that display and your sub receiver issues are being affected by insufficient current flow from the power supply, at this connector.
> 
> The molex-type connector pins were in my opinion, a bit light-duty for the application.  On the other hand many Orion radios have run for years without issues but it is very common in recent years to have all sorts of issues because the pins have gotten weak and are not making good contact.  
> 
> Unplug, clean and if the female pins in the cable connector appear to be slightly enlarged, you can carefully try to slightly reduce their circumference.  You can easily make them worse so be very careful. Nothing much you can do or even should try on the male pins on the radio side.  Maybe lightly scratch their surface with the very small tip of a jeweler screwdriver is about the best you can do.
> 
> I do not even bother servicing these connector pins myself.   I remove the connector mounted on the radio and install a pigtail with fuse holders on both leads and add power pole connectors.  This is not an easy task to do on the radio side because the inside of the radio back in this corner has very little room to work in.  For most people I think the best choice is to leave the radio alone and simply put together a new power cable with brand new connector pins and shell.  And go up one size in wire size will not hurt, especially if you need some length to reach the power supply terminals.  But if you can, keep as short as you can. Orion’s are sensitive to the range of voltage supplied to them.  Keeping the voltage in the factory spec range and allowing full current demand to flow through clean and good fitting connectors is paramount.  
> 
> You do not need a fan inside the Orion at all by the way.  The radio is large enough that in my opinion, it does not have any heat issues.   The LCD puts off the most heat, at least all the time and it is not that bad.  The power regulation PCB board that feeds the display can require new capacitors over time.  If you do put new caps on this board, get quality capacitors. I cannot confirm that the quality of the ones sold at Radio Shack (if they still do) are good enough but just order some decent ones from Mouser, Allied, etc. and wait for their delivery. 
> 
> I would not open up the radio just yet- look at and service the power connector pins first and check operation again.  It may not cost you anything and if it helps without diving into the radio itself, your done.  And you continue with an utterly quiet radio instead of another whirring fan in the shack, hi hi.
> 
> Gene / K7TXO
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