Help - Orion 280GX

mitchyz250f · 20th August 2011, 10:36 PM

I have an Old Black Orion 280GX with a mono circuit (ala Perry Babin) used to run one midbass. Recently the speaker started making a sound like I had blown it. I switched speaker wires and the other speaker made the same sound, so it has to be the amp. The amp is under my front seat and is real tough to pull out because of the way I have it wired up.

When I turn up the gain it is anything but linear and I know that the old Orion’s have issues with the gain POTs. Anyway, waiting for suggestions.

I will get things started.
1-Don't be a baby, pull the amp.

Perry Babin · 20th August 2011, 11:44 PM

Try connecting the signal via the RCA jacks and connect a speaker to one channel at a time to see if if one channel is defective.

mitchyz250f · 22nd August 2011, 12:52 AM

i can not do that without taking the amp out of the car because the amp only has two speaker wires coming out of it because I thought I would always use this amp in mono. I will take the amp out this week and do that test.

Perry Babin · 22nd August 2011, 12:58 AM

If it has the small black wire coming out of it with the main power/ground wires, you can use that as a neutral speaker wire (negative for the test speaker) and use either of the ones coming out of the plug as the positive for the test speaker.

mitchyz250f · 17th September 2011, 03:58 PM

I tested the amp in stereo mode with the same 80Hz test tone into both channels and found that one channel looked clean while the other had an odd waveform, see picture. Increasing/Decreasing the gain did not seem to have a large affect on the waveform.

A secondary issue I found with the amp was the RCA connector on the other channel. When the cord was wiggled the signal seemed to go in and out. I switched cables to verify it was not the external cord itself. When looking inside at the RCA connector and surrounding components I did not see any bad solder joints.

Perry Babin · 17th September 2011, 04:15 PM

Which channel (yellow or orange) was distorted?

mitchyz250f · 17th September 2011, 09:40 PM

The amp is at work and I am at home, but I will be at work tomorrow. Can you tell me what to do if it is the orange or yellow wire?

Perry Babin · 17th September 2011, 10:05 PM

I need to know which one to tell you what to check next.

mitchyz250f · 18th September 2011, 12:49 AM

I believe it was the right side.

Perry Babin · 18th September 2011, 01:15 AM

Wait until you're sure and give me the color of the speaker wire for the channel.

20th August 2011, 10:36 PM	#1
mitchyz250f diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: ga	Help - Orion 280GX I have an Old Black Orion 280GX with a mono circuit (ala Perry Babin) used to run one midbass. Recently the speaker started making a sound like I had blown it. I switched speaker wires and the other speaker made the same sound, so it has to be the amp. The amp is under my front seat and is real tough to pull out because of the way I have it wired up. When I turn up the gain it is anything but linear and I know that the old Orion’s have issues with the gain POTs. Anyway, waiting for suggestions. I will get things started. 1-Don't be a baby, pull the amp.

20th August 2011, 11:44 PM	#2
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	Try connecting the signal via the RCA jacks and connect a speaker to one channel at a time to see if if one channel is defective. __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links

22nd August 2011, 12:58 AM	#4
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	If it has the small black wire coming out of it with the main power/ground wires, you can use that as a neutral speaker wire (negative for the test speaker) and use either of the ones coming out of the plug as the positive for the test speaker. __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links

17th September 2011, 04:15 PM	#6
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	Which channel (yellow or orange) was distorted? __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links

17th September 2011, 10:05 PM	#8
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	I need to know which one to tell you what to check next. __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links


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22nd August 2011, 12:52 AM	#3
mitchyz250f diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: ga	i can not do that without taking the amp out of the car because the amp only has two speaker wires coming out of it because I thought I would always use this amp in mono. I will take the amp out this week and do that test.

17th September 2011, 09:40 PM	#7
mitchyz250f diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: ga	The amp is at work and I am at home, but I will be at work tomorrow. Can you tell me what to do if it is the orange or yellow wire?

18th September 2011, 12:49 AM	#9
mitchyz250f diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: ga	I believe it was the right side.

18th September 2011, 01:15 AM	#10
Perry Babin diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Louisiana	Wait until you're sure and give me the color of the speaker wire for the channel. __________________ Links >> Basic Car Audio Amp Repair --- Basic Car Audio Electronics --- Basic Transistor Testing --- Basic Switching Power Supply Design --- Basic Computer Skills << Links

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