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Re: [TenTec] ORION Synthesizer problem at 18 MHz

To: John Sheeley <wb4qda@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] ORION Synthesizer problem at 18 MHz
From: Ulrich Hilsinger <dh0ghu@dh0ghu.de>
Reply-to: dh0ghu@dh0ghu.de, tentec@contesting.com
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 21:49:29 +0200
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Hello John,

thank you for the additional informations & hints.

Well, I only forgot to mention the RAM clear in my message. I of course tried this, too.
Obviously, the problem is a hardware problem which is temperature-depending. I was able to reproduce the failure several times yesterday evening:
The first time, all works fine. If the ORION works for a while, 17m fails (wrong frequency). After switching it of for a while , it works well agian, until it's warmed up... So I think it's a hardware failure which is unique for my ORION. Probably a bad IC.


Regarding the flash update, I unmarked the "stop on errors", but after around 1200 lines, the update almost stopped, it took about 2 minutes for 10 lines.. after a while, I stopped it. I'll try this again, using an other computer, probably it's a PC problem...


73 Ulrich dh0ghu


John Sheeley schrieb:


Ulrich

There is another reset you can try that might help .It
is called called Ram -clear. It is in software version
1.363 so if you have that version or later versions
of the update software as shown below ) it will work
.
on updating your Orion in the flash update program
under settings and setup Take the check mark out of
stop on errors. Then flash your Orion . This works for
me .
73 John WB4QDA a very happy first production run Orion owner.


10/06/03 Version 1.363
- Added Clear function to master reset of USER
storage.
- Fixed code in the highlight that was causing
overwriting of TX MENU
- Fixed bug in mode-associated BW array index that
caused USER recall crashes.
- Added RAM-CLEAR sequence (hold down VFOB LCK button
at power-up)
- Added @A/@B prefix to 4-byte frequency query
response.
- Now restoring VOX state after TUNE operation with
internal tuner installed.
- Corrected XM indicator in STEP display. Now updated
when changing receivers.
- Corrected typo in ?KV parser where main rx always
indicated VFOA associated.
- Fixed bug in RX menu's HW NB display routine.


--- Ulrich Hilsinger <dh0ghu@dh0ghu.de> wrote:


Hello,

I found a severe problem with my ORION on 17m
yesterday evening.

Instead of being tuned to the displayed frequency,
the synthesizer for VFO A often locks around 560-580 kHz higher
(measured with a tektronix counter). I.e., instead of 18100 kHz, I operate on
18.660 kHz, while 18.100 is displayed on the screen.
My first strategy was to make sure that this is not
due to a software problem:
- I recalled user settings. It helped once, but not
at other times.
- I made a recall. No help.
- I made a master reset. Several times. No help.
- I tried to re-install the firmware. Firmware
update software braught an error message; communication error... Not shure
if that has something to do with "my" problem. Could be a PC problem.


After trying this for several hours yesterday
evening, I switched the rig of. After about 30min, I switched it on again -
and the frequency was ok.
So, this evening I made some further investigations
on this problem:
When I first switched the radio on, all was fine.
When I had 18.074 on the display, I really have been at 18.074 MHz. I let
the radio in standby mode for about 2 hours. When I came back to
the shack right now, it has been around 560 kHz too high again. Reset
braught no help. I cycled it off/on, no help. I switched it off, on
again after 15min and it was back at 18.1 MHz. After some minutes, it
failed again, back at +560 or +570 kHz.
The same procedure seems to repeat every time I try
it. Actually, it's back at the "right" frequency, but no idea for how
long time...
There is absolutely NO error indication, and all
other bands seem to be clear. The faulty carrier at, f.ex., 18.660 kHz, is
as stable as all "good" signals are.


Did anybody else had this problem ? Obviously it
only occurs on 17m, so I never remarked a problem during normal contest
operation.
My guess is that this is a thermal problem, and
probably it is a unique failure on my ORION only. It might have been there
since ever, due to the fact of coming home late (around or after
sunset) in the evenings, I only operated 17m directly after starting the rig
during the last months, never after a longer warmup period.


It's somehow frustrating, as 17m is in fine
conditions right now (and I still need many DXCC entities on that band which I
ignored for a loooong time..), and I really do *NOT* feel any motivation
at all to switch back to my old Kenwood TS850 :-(.


Every help is very appreciated.

73,
Ulrich, DH0GHU


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