[TenTec] Lubricating Orion II Heat Sink Fan

[Kim Elmore]

Perhaps it’s a commentary on our society. But in this case it may be that our time is worth more than our gadgets. I guess there was a time when our devices were more precious than the time it took us to fix them. Nowadays, it’s our time that’s most precious. Which is why I decided fixing the fan was costing more than I was willing to pay...

Kim N5OP

"People that make music together cannot be enemies, at least as long as the music lasts." -- Paul Hindemith

> On Jul 14, 2019, at 4:51 PM, Bernie Skoch via TenTec <tentec at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks, Kim.  I’m glad you got it fixed.
> 
> You tried!  But what a sad commentary on our disposable society.
> 
> 73,
> Bernie 
> 
>> On Jul 14, 2019, at 16:35, Kim Elmore <cw_de_n5op at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Although lots of time has passed, I wanted to let everyone know that I had no luck lubricating the old PA muffin fan on my Orion II. I tried everything everyone suggested and it simply got worse. It squealed quite loudly in the end.
>> 
>> These are 60 mm x 25 mm x 60 mm muffin fans and common as dirt. I had three in my one of my parts boxes, so I slapped in an old one and -- Lo! And behold! -- it was quiet. This one turns in the opposite direction, but that doesn't matter. I looked it up and, not only does it have ball bearings, but it moves even more air (27 cfm vs 25 cfm) and uses less current (0.14 A instead of 0.23 A). If yours wakes you up with a surprising squeal, get anything of the stated size with ball bearings and replace the old one! It's not worth your time to keep trying to resurrect the original one.
>> 
>> Kim N5OP
>> 
>> 
>>> On 5/13/2019 2:01 PM, Stuart Rohre wrote:
>>> Kim had a great suggestion, which eases the application of new lubricant to heat sink fans.?? Tilt the radio such that the central fan bearing is pointing UP, before you heat up the fan to suck in new lubricant on the cool down step.
>>> 
>>> The Fans at Mouser are so good and reasonably priced, that getting a new fan overnight is a most time saving step. Match the overall dimensions with the old fan.?? The new fans have a ball bearing model.
>>> 
>>> I have done the fan rejuvenation a number of times but last few timees, I bouight new fans, and also rejuvenated the old one. That way, I have plenty of spares for future use.
>>> 
>>> Stuart Rohre
>>> K5KVH
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>>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> Kim Elmore, Ph.D. (Adj. Assoc. Prof., OU School of Meteorology, CCM, PP SEL/MEL/Glider, N5OP, 2nd Class Radiotelegraph, GROL)
>> 
>> /"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. But, in practice, there is." //??? Attributed to many people; it???s so true that it doesn???t matter who said it./
>> 
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