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[merlin]

I have 4 Orion radios, 3 control heads, 2 sets of rear mount cables, a known good speaker.
All known to be good hardware.
So just what are the odds of any combination of the above has the same identical problem.
The problem is no sound at all save for a faint click between TX and RX. No alert tones, no monitor noise, nothing.
Something is muting the audio before it leaves the bricks but I sure can't find it.
3 radios already programmed and working before, same problem.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Have you disabled Channel Guard?

 

[merlin]

Yes, No CG on anything, these are more for monitoring/scanning for time being.
3 of these worked fine before boxed up. the 4th worked also. Like something went click and now this.
Later I had mind on full ham conversion and maybe get rid of some of these radios.
Now for me, when it rains, it pours, last 24 hours, my watt meter croaked and then for some odd reason,
RadioMaintenance lost its license key and won't start. (lord knows where that is buried.)

 

[TDR-94]

Did you apply any of your firmware or software modifications to these?

Seems odd all 3 would suffer from the same issue all of the sudden.

 

[radiotech33]

I would look close at the option cable.....

 

[merlin]

Did you apply any of your firmware or software modifications to these?

Seems odd all 3 would suffer from the same issue all of the sudden.

Just the low band writing with an SC4 file and that failed. the other 3, (a UHF and 2 VHF)
no changes at all.
All 4 worked fine the other day, zero issues.
I can pipe audio to the cable DB37 ,18, 19 and get audio from the speaker.
The one common factor here is software/firmware. That is what I am looking into.
Odd is an understatement.

 

[merlin]

I would look close at the option cable.....

2 of them checks good, just basic option cables.

 

[merlin]

Basic troublshooting, first thing check voltages assuring everything has what it needs.
5 volt, good. 9 volt, good. 12 volt, good.
Well tracing back to the LM7805, yep, 5 volt out but 21 volt in, ???? there are no boost converters in these like the Uniden scanners. Bench supply, I ignored that after 40 years of faithful service, Naw, can't be the supply.
"THAT" was the culprit. went to a smaller supply, and everything back to normal.
Seems these Orion's go into protect mode above 16 volts.
Ironic I am building up some supplies. A 65 amp SMPS to replace the Aerotron and a couple 45 amp for individual radios.
Sort of back in the running so want to express gratitude to those who helped
Many thanks
73s

 

[merlin]

The new supply in operation.
Yea, that little box has twice the punch over that old doorstop.