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[TenTec] Orion and MIKEs

To: tentec@contesting.com
Subject: [TenTec] Orion and MIKEs
From: JULIUS JONES <w2ihy@prodigy.net>
Reply-to: tentec@contesting.com
Date: Mon, 10 Nov 2003 20:34:55 -0800 (PST)
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
I recently sold an 8 Band EQ to a customer for use with the ORION. Having sold 
hundreds of EQ's for use with other TenTec radios we shipped the customer one 
of our TenTec 4 to 8 pin mic adapters along with a cable to go between the EQ 
and the Orion. This was the first ORION, that I knew about, that the 8 Band  EQ 
had been connected to. The customer was using a Studio 1 Heil Mic. To my 
surprise the hardware shipped would not key his radio. The customer was shipped 
another EQ and cables. This did not work also. I downloaded the Orion operating 
manual and looked at it.  Before the Orion prior Ten Tec radio's had 4 pins mic 
configurations where the audio ground and the PTT grounds were shared on pin 2 
of the 4 pin mic connector, + audio was connected to pin 1, PTT was connected 
on pin 3 and +9 volts DC was connected on pin 4.  Figure 2-4 on page 10, of the 
Orion manual ,is not the configuration of the 4 pin male connector of the ORION 
but a configuration of a mic output without a
 connecting cable.  Figure  2-5 , I believe  was meant to represent the cable 
that connects between the mic in figure 2-4 and the Orion input shown in figure 
2-3 shown on page 9 of the manual.  The key thing to understand is that the 
ground return for the PTT instead of being shared with pin 2 is connected to 
the shell of the connector. Using the shell connection of the 4 pin mic 
connector  makes it possible to provide a 5-th signal for mic control (+ Audio, 
Audio gnd, PTT, + 9 VDC and PTT gnd)  We experienced RFI in the audio when 
using a linear amplifier when the  PTT and Audio shared a ground. When the PTT 
and audio grounds were isolated (the  EQ utilizes an audio transformer)  the 
audio was clean. I have not talked to Ten Tec but I would have to believe that 
having to use the  shell of the connector  was probably something that they 
found was needed after the radio was designed. Those of you that have mic's 
that share PTT grounds and audio grounds beware. You will likely have an
 RFI problem when using a linear. I hope this explains what is going on. I hope 
my explaination helps.  Thanks to N4VB for making me aware of postings on this 
subject   Julius (W2IHY)

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