Orion Battery Replacement

(info provided by Russ K3RH to the Orion reflector, 2/13/2012)

I just had to replace my 565 battery. In case you need to replace yours here's some helpful information and photos.

The yellow rectangle on the left of the inside front panel is the battery. Ten Tec said battery colors could vary so yours may be different.

I found it helpful to use an IC extractor to remove the old battery; the replacement battery snaps in with just a little pressure. Observe battery orientation prior to removal and insert the replacement accordingly.

My suggestion is to lay the rig on something soft, remove top and bottom covers, set the radio upside down, remove half the screws holding front panel. Then turn radio right side up and elevate the sides about ¾ inch to give room for the front panel to swing downward and outward. You do not want to move the radio after the front panel has been removed.

Then remove the remaining front panel screws and pull the front panel out carefully.

Observe the yellow battery on the left, it is not necessary to unplug any front panel connections.

Needless to say all your menu settings will be gone, so write them down before battery replacement as necessary.

Upon initial restart I had no audio output until I did a ram and master reset at least twice (possibly three times) before the radio would function normally. I nearly put my finger thru the speaker cone while turning the radio over so be careful handling the radio.

The battery cost was $9.00 plus $3.00 shipping, your mileage may vary, comes to about a dollar a year for memory retention.

(click on any image to see high resolution)