Orion Fan Cooling

(comments posted to the Ten-Tec reflector 1/29/2013 in response to the suggested mod of replacing the Orion speaker with an internal fan)

I have received several emails on the fan mod. Do we condone it? Do we advise against it?

We at TEN-TEC have not tested this yet, so we can't make a specific yes or no comment yet. But I will try to provide a bit more information, and then you as a consumer can decide if you want to make the change or not.

There is a metal plate mounted to the bottom of the speaker. It is there because in certain instances the vibration and the magnetic of the speaker affected two coils below it that could affect sensitivity.

Granted, going from the size/type of magnet that is in the speaker, to what is in a fan, the amount of loop effect should be less. But, it is continually changing since it is mechanical and moving. Haven't tested it yet, so can't comment if it would have a negative effect or not.

Regarding heat. Of course, as we all know, the MAIN contributor to heat in the Orion(s) is the Finals/PA, and of course during transmit. The absolute best way to help reduce this effect is to get the 310 fan kit.

The location of the proposed internal fan. In theory, yes, it should keep the internal main four compartments cooler, as there are cable and connector access holes in the chassis and a gap between the top of the chassis and the top/bottom cover that will permit air to flow through and around them. Placing a fan would pull air from the top four sections and parts of the bottom four, and parts of the front panel area.

After the finals/PA, the main contributor to heat is the front panel LCD and CPUs and Codecs. For the front panel, heat is dissipated through the vent holes above and below the front panel that runs the entire width of the front panel. Mounting a fan in the location of the speaker, theoretically will pull some heat from the top of the vent holes above the front panel, and cool air from below the front panel. Improvement in cooling? Theoretically, but would have to test to see how many degrees it improves.

In TX, the best bet is the external 310 fan kit on the PA, because that is what gets the hottest. For RX, this mod may help, but then it may be just as good to use strategically placed mini CPU fans mounted somewhere in the LCD panel area, but, I don't advise it because of how much room is there with the circuit boards that close to the chassis, let alone I'm not sure what you could mount it to to stay fixed.

TEN-TEC's inputs on this change? If you think it will help your situation, using this modification is up to you. If you have issues with receiver sensitivity or sound, then remove it. Totally each Orion owners decision to make.

Thanks, and 73, John Henry, KI4JPL TEN-TEC Engineering


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