[TenTec] Orion II Transmit Audio issue(s)

[Richard Bell]

Bill,

Using an Orion 2 (recently acquired) with a Heil Proset 6 and having a mix issue. I’m about 2.25 miles from where a number of commercial FM and TV stations are located. 

While the mix audio is very low level, it is a minor nuisance while in receive mode.  It has not produced any adverse transmit issues here.  I had not paid it any attention until I was working some CW recently. 

No problem when using the same headset on my Omni VII. 

Temporary fix for me has been coiling up a portion of the headset cable. Seems to have pretty much eliminated the issue until I can get a permanent solution in place. 

Thanks for sharing your experience. 

73 W5BXE Richard 

> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2021 17:48:10 -0500
> From: "Bob, W3IDT" <w3idt at comcast.net>
> To: Bill Akins <norumbegan at gmail.com>, w4ag at mindspring.com
> Cc: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec at contesting.com>
> Subject: [TenTec] Orion II Transmit Audio issue(s)...
> 
> Smart persons...p
> 
> Now that I have the Master Reset issue under control with the 
> installation of a fresh battery (and the earlier A9 board capacitor 
> upgrades), I still have two, possibly related, transmit audio issues.
> 
> One of them I think I know how to fix, for the other I have no clue. And 
> I wouldn't dismiss that the issues are related.
> 
> 1. Though the first issue may appear to be RFI related, a) this radio 
> used to sit next to an Alpha something amp with 1500W going to low 
> dipoles very near the shack without any RFI problems, and 2) the radio 
> now works fine on CW and FSK/RTTY at full 100w without any RFI problems.
> 
> Transmitting in any audio mode, whether SSB/FM/AM via the front panel 
> mic input or FT8 via the rear panel input, any transmission above about 
> 5 - 10w power kills the receiver. Cycling the main power on/off brings 
> the receiver back to life. Sometimes, though, on an immediate power 
> cycle the receiver is still dead; waiting a minute or so allows the 
> receiver to wake up.
> 
> This suggests to me that some component is heating up beyond its 
> specifications... but a transmit component affecting the receiver?
> 
> I have no clue.
> 
> 
> 2. I have a 35KW AM BC station on 1260KHz 1KM (3500') feet away, and I 
> have a custom BC filter with an 85+dB notch at 1260; Its 3rd harmonic at 
> 3780 KHz is barely perceptible. I don't hear the station when receiving.
> 
> However, when I go to transmit in SSB/FM/AM (that is engage PTT) I don't 
> hear it either unless I have the signal monitor function engaged even 
> with only a Heil adapter plugged into the front panel input.
> 
> With a Heil headset mic plugged in to the adapter, the BC signal is 
> strong enough to modulate the transmission, often high enough to trigger 
> problem (1) above.
> 
> To me this suggests that the BC station is being rectified even in the 
> short length of the Heil adapter cable, and even more so in a normal 
> length mic cable. But, strangely, not in the earphone part of the Heil 
> headset cable.
> 
> The solution would seem to be to create a custom mic adapter wound 
> around a special low frequency toroid (type 77).
> 
> Opinions?
> 
> 
> Bob, w3idt
> .......
> . Robert F. Teitel, W3IDT
> .
> . w3idt at comcast.net
> . w3idt at arrl.net
> ..