I just totally parted an Orion so I know it pretty well.
By “hinges” I meant that the front panel flops open easily once the four flat
head screws that hold the plastic panel to the chassis are removed. It took me
about 30 minutes to change the battery in mine, 20 of which were spent removing
the outer covers and putting them back on.
> On Nov 13, 2015, at 3:07 AM, Barry N1EU <barry.n1eu@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> "The front panel hinges open with the removal of four flat head screws
> inside." I've pulled the Orion front panel about 20 times and had to
> remove about 12 small flat head screws holding the front panel to the
> chassis each time. And there was no hinge involved.
>
> Considering recent reports on slow turn-around at factory service, I would
> send any rig in for repair only as a last resort. This is a fairly easy
> job if you have any experience at all poking around inside a radio.
>
> 73, Barry N1EU
>
> On Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 4:24 AM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi <
> dukeshifi@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Well, the hardest part of replacing the battery is removing all of the
>> cabinet screws.
>>
>> The front panel hinges open with the removal of four flat head screws
>> inside.
>>
>> The battery will be in plain site once the panel is hinged open. Just make
>> sure you mark the orientation as the board has no markings to help you.
>> Reverse installation could be bad for your health, or at least that of your
>> radio.
>>
>> As far as “other issues” go, it would seem that Ten Tec had some supplier
>> problems with the electrolytics on the power distribution board because
>> every time you call them with a problem, they always tell you to install
>> the capacitor replacement kit.
>>
>> That WOULD be an easy repair but for the fact that the board has so much
>> Copper on it that it draws your soldering iron heat away from the thru
>> holes, making removal of the old ones a challenge unless you have a BIG
>> soldering iron. Then you need to clear the holes for reinstallation, a job
>> best accomplished by heating a piece of sacrificial wire of smaller gauge
>> than the capacitors with soldering iron and forcing the wire through the
>> melted solder to open up the holes. Pull the wire through the other side to
>> draw the solder out of the way.
>>
>> I tried Solderwick but that was useless as I could not get it hot enough
>> to draw solder like it is intended to do.
>>
>>
>> I don’t know if TT used Lead free solder on this board but it sure seems
>> so as this stuff is really hard to melt, especially against the ground
>> plane. Nonetheless, it is still technically an easy repair, just tedious.
>>
>> A tightly focused heat gun works well too, you just need to contain the
>> heat to the area of interest and not overheat. I found that I could get the
>> solder on both pins to melt at the same time, and then I could snap the
>> board against my wood bench top and the cap and solder would fly freely
>> from the board leaving the holes clean.
>>
>> If the solder is indeed Lead free, it is not a great idea to use
>> Lead-bearing solders for repairs since this will form a brittle
>> intermatellic which will be more fragile than it should be. A cold solder
>> joint may even form as the melt cools and crystalizes as the inter metallic
>> compound.
>>
>> I would like it if Ten Tec would tell us what solder they used…
>>
>> This would be true with any ROHS compliant piece of electronics, since
>> Lead free solder is a requirement for ROHS compliance.
>>
>> Gary
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Nov 12, 2015, at 10:01 PM, John Bescher via TenTec <
>> tentec@contesting.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I have the same problem and called Ten Tec. They advised:
>>>
>>>
>>> 1: The battery change is not straightforward, it can be done in the
>> field but apparently a few owners had difficulties.
>>>
>>>
>>> 2: There may be other problems that caused the battery to fail.
>> Changing the battery may not be the entire solution. They advised having
>> the O2 checked out, especially the power system.
>>>
>>>
>>> 3: They recommended sending the O2 to Ten Tec service and sent me a
>> "Return Authorization".
>>>
>>>
>>> I will be sending my O2 to Ten Tec, if nothing else to have it checked
>> out. This is the only problem I ever had with the unit and am pleased with
>> its performance. I want to keep it 100 percent functional for many years.
>>>
>>>
>>> 73...John, N4DXI
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Gary J FollettDukes HiFi <dukeshifi@comcast.net>
>>> To: Walt <waltk8cv@wowway.com>; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <
>> tentec@contesting.com>
>>> Sent: Thu, Nov 12, 2015 10:44 pm
>>> Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II master resetting each turn on
>>>
>>>
>>> Like most repairs on Orion’s, the is REALLY easy to do!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Nov 12, 2015, at
>>> 9:34 PM, Walt <waltk8cv@wowway.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Yep, it is about a $20 including
>>> postage from RCR or whom ever now owns TENTEC! Check the wicki as it has
>> info on
>>> how to do it. It is behind the front panel and has 4 pins and mounts on
>> an IC.
>>>
>>>>
>>>> Walt K8CV
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: DieselCar--- via
>>> TenTec
>>>> Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 4:17 PM
>>>> To: tentec@contesting.com
>>>
>>>> Cc: DieselCar@aol.com
>>>> Subject: [TenTec] Orion II master resetting each
>>> turn on
>>>>
>>>> Hi All,
>>>>
>>>> My Orion II have been running flawless since February
>>> 2006. But now after
>>>> it has had a good nights rest and it is turned on the
>>> next day, the MASTER
>>>> RESET COMPLETE appears in the bootup window. Now I
>>> have to reset all my
>>>> preferred parameters.
>>>>
>>>> I believe that there is a
>>> lithium battery that holds its setting. This
>>>> maybe the culprit.
>>>>
>>>> Has
>>> anyone else has had the problem. And if it is the lithium battery
>>>> then
>>> where is it located.
>>>>
>>>> Please advise and thanking you in advance.
>>>>
>>>> 73 de
>>> Rick W4UEF
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> TenTec mailing
>>> list
>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> TenTec mailing list
>>>>
>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/tentec
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> mailing
>>> list
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>>>
>>>
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>>
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