#58 Flea Market find Yaesu FT-101 repair series - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 12:44:29 am
content: #58 Flea Market find Yaesu FT-101 repair seriesIn this video we have a look at a 101 purchased from a local flea market.I have a few of these rigs and may start a repair series on them.Click here for full 33MB service manualhttp://www.foxtango.org/Manuals/FT-101_SVC_Manual.pdfFoxtangohttp://foxtango.org/

author: cncjerry
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 07:30:39 am
content: Nice find. I forgot how cool looking those radioes were. I was always a Swan guy, had a few, still have a 750CW in a box, but had a few friends that were really into those FT101s.

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 11:39:11 am
content: Quote from: cncjerry on July 02, 2016, 07:30:39 amYes the 101 is a cool looking old piece of nostalgia. I have always liked the way they looked all lined up on a bench with it's add on pieces.Swan eh? I was going to do a series on that radio also. I have three, 350, 500, and a 500CX. I also have 4 of the Siltronix 1011C and D. One day I like to add more of the Swans to my collection.

author: cncjerry
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 02, 2016, 05:56:53 pm
content: I had a 700, 700cx and the 750CW. I regret selling the 700cx. I think that had a 16 pole filter, no? I still have the dual 3-500z amp, can't remember the number, which continues to be a beast. I put the graphite tubes in it after one of the originals popped and it will easily do 1850w out into a dummy load with 125 in. It looks like the aurora borealis landed in my office when I use it though, sparks everywhere coming off my tuner. I still have one of the original 3-500z tubes and often thought of building a small single tube amp using the Swan power supply.I went looking for an Ft101 last night and there aren't as many as I thought on eBay. I noticed there are a lot off the VFO drives for sale for $45. Maybe I should use one in my transmitter project and not use a DDS.How many Ft101s do you have?

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2016, 01:52:29 am
content: Those 700 and 750 are pretty nice.I never run an amplifier here. Had a SB-200 and sold it. Should have hung on to it and converted it to 6 meters. I do not do contest so am amp is not really needed.I have 5 101's. Need two more to complete the set. Then I will have all American models.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2016, 10:49:12 am
content: The FT-101E was the second ham radio transceiver that I ever saw, probably sometime back in 1976 or 1977. Before that it was the KW-2000, both of them club rigs.http://www.rigpix.com/kw/2000a.htmhttp://www.rigpix.com/yaesu/ft101e.htmThere's also this interesting fake, a dual VFO version of the FT-101http://foxtango.org/ft101tt/graphics/Resizsd%20Prototype%20101tt.gif

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 03, 2016, 06:39:00 pm
content: Looking forward to watching that video, fixed a couple of FT-101s back in the day.Well back to what I was doing.....

author: 4cx10000
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 03, 2016, 08:47:05 pm
content: Had both FT-101E and FT-277 but sold them for years back which I sincerely regret. Luckily, still got my line FR-101 and FL-101 in my schackLooking forward watching your repair videos

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 04, 2016, 08:20:50 pm
content: One other point of interest. F.G. Rayer G3OGR who many will remember as a frequent contributor to Practical Wireless (plus many books) was an FT101 owner. He died years ago but his son, Bill, still has his father's equipment arranged along one wall of his office. Many of us, including me, owe F.G. Rayer a tremendous debt as it was his work that got me started in electronics.

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2016, 12:50:36 am
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 03, 2016, 10:49:12 amThat KW-2000 is a very interesting looking bit of gear. It is a rig I have never seen before.The fake is a mean looking radio lol. I seen that picture before. Be cool to see a real radio like that.Quote from: AF6LJ on July 03, 2016, 06:39:00 pmGreat Sue. It will be a lot of work. I did get started on the summary of the repair today. Found some interesting stuff.The one board that was missing in the 10 dollar radio was the RF board (PB-1181).I installed one, a relay, and the tubes. After making many checks and cleaning the pots I have a bit of receive. Now it is way down but a start. RF board is known good.Not going to give too many spoilers, But the AF gain had no effect on receive. According to the SM the E/EE/EX should have a 1315B audio board. This radio has a 1315A. The PB-1315B is not compatible with the EE without modification. This is due to a installed jumper on the board.

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 05, 2016, 12:55:34 am
content: Quote from: 4cx10000 on July 03, 2016, 08:47:05 pmI hear that a lot from folks. Seems it is a love/hate relationship with the 101'sVideos coming soon. Spent 2 days shooting now.Quote from: German_EE on July 04, 2016, 08:20:50 pmI remember this name also and have read a bit of his material. Wrote a beginners guide to amateur radio.Also don't forget about the fictional books he wrote. Thanks for sharing.

author: AF6LJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 05, 2016, 08:54:34 pm
content: I've only worked on FT-101, B and E.Never worked on an EE EX or an F.These radios came at a critical time in American amateur radio. Companies like Swan, Drake Heath and National, to name a few were resting on their laurels, they had gear that worked and a price point they wanted to keep...Yaesu and Trio (Kenwood among others like JRC) wanted to get into the American amateur radio market, many of their offerings were marginal, but today are sought after by collectors.Yaesu in cooperation with Henry Radio made inroads into the American amateur radio market. The first FT-101s came over with 11 meters pre-installed this made for lots of sales to CB'ers (mainly the SSB types) soon the American CB market was flooded with FT-101s. This started something that couldn't be stopped in the very early seventies.After Yaesu made their splash with the FT-101 (no A E etc) Swan jumped on the band wagon and offered up the Swan 1011 today it is a very rare radio it was like someone at swan arranged a collision between a 270 and a 500C The radio looks like a Swan 500 series radio but has the guts of a Cygnet 270. Swan caught a lot of heat for this move from the ARRL there was a rather nasty editorial in QST, and because of this Swan formed a new company just for it's illegal CB products called Siltronix. Swan said they would no longer produce the 1011 under the Swan name. You are not likely to ever find a swan 1011 they made less than a hundred. Siltronix 1011Bs are rare for some reason and they made hundreds of those. (they were the best of the 1011 series)Yaesu wasn't the only manufacturer from Japan who made 11 meter capable radios. Kenwood did also My R-599A came with 11 meters and all you had to do was cut a wire in the T-599A to make it transmit on 11 meters. Heathkit in a backhanded sort of way was already on the bandwagon If you had any HW or SB series radio all you needed to do was order up a 404-313 crystal this was used in the SB-310 short wave receiver, that rock would put any piece of HW or SB series ham gear on 11 meters.Henry radio was also on the CB bandwagon; The Tempo-0ne could be converted to CB and all you had to do was ask the guy at Henry Radio to install the CB crystal.I bought two T/O parts radios to make a good one, the second one came with not just one but the whole set of 26-28MHZ crystals.As the seventies progressed you couldn't find a piece of ham gear that wasn't modifiable for 11 meters, many of the manufacturers depended on this to sell radios.There are three things that seemed to kill the market.1. the sun spot cycle2. cheap imports like the Palomar 2400, Cobra DX, Superstar 360 and many more.3. The No Code License.All those people who were buying modified ham gear just went and got their ham licenses. In spite of how easy it was to modify a more modern Icom or Kenwood radio.There is one thing I have noticed you don't have from that day Radio Tech...A Jonson Messenger 350.There is a radio that makes the best 10 meter QRP radio with only a little helpIf you have them go to Sams Photofact CB series #14.I have one in that garage that is stock, untouched (except for the coax that went to an HP 8640 sig gen to be used as a VFO.).

author: Radio Tech
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 01:12:46 pm
content: I have never seen the Swan 1011 or the Siltronics 1011B in real life. Heard of them but like you said, very rare to find.I agree with what you said about the things that killed the market. Worked at a cb shop part time and got a good look at those crappy radios that you mentioned. Those Cobra DX and superstar/Galaxy seemed to overrun the market. But were the worse design I have ever seen. Very poorly design PLL circuit with adder chips made the thing impossible to produce a clean signal. They will splash harmonics all up and down the band while viewing on a SA. I hated them and refused to work on them.When the President Lincon (Uniden) brought out the HR2510 my first thoughts were this is a new generation of radio. Very well designed and had a clean signal. I was looking forward to these being the normal future design. But we know these were black listed so we got stuck with the overseas crap here in the US splattering from one end of the band to the other.I gave up on cb many years ago. Although I probably have over a hundred or so cb radios along with ham radios. I know I have mentioned this before but I still have the first Base cb radio I ever purchased when I was 14 years old. A Midland 13-898B. Works like a charm the last time I tried it. To date I have 5 FT-101’s, 5 mix of 1011C and D’s (Siltronix)As you have seen most of my collection you are correct. I have sought after a Messenger 350 many times but come back empty handed. I do have a 250 which is a AM only radio. In pretty bad shape but it does work. Will restore it one day. I also have one of the first solid state base radios they produced. Got it while I was working for EF Johnson, cannot remember the model number but will have to look.I do have the complete set of samsThanks for that nice educational post Sue.