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Re: [TenTec] Orion II master resetting each turn on

To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Orion II master resetting each turn on
From: Gary J FollettDukes HiFi <dukeshifi@comcast.net>
Reply-to: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment <tentec@contesting.com>
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 2015 09:57:57 -0600
List-post: <tentec@contesting.com">mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
Sorry, you I was thinking about the IC-756, which I have also disassembled many 
times.

Nonetheless, the 8 screws take an additional 2 minutes to remove. correct about 
the screw count.

It is still reality that removing the covers is the most time consuming part of 
the process of replacing the battery!



> On Nov 13, 2015, at 9:50 AM, Barry N1EU <barry.n1eu@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> But it's not four flat head screws holding the plastic front panel to the
> chassis.  There are two on each side and four each on top and bottom.  The
> front panel is NOT coming off unless ALL these screws are removed.  You can
> clearly see this on page 3 of this document:
> http://www.tentecwiki.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=orion_v2_logic_mod.pdf
> "Remove the 12 screws holding the front panel molding to the chassis"
> 
> Barry N1EU
> 
> On Fri, Nov 13, 2015 at 10:34 AM, Gary J FollettDukes HiFi <
> dukeshifi@comcast.net> wrote:
> 
>> 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
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>>>>>> TenTec@contesting.com
>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> TenTec mailing list
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>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> 
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