

Yaesu FT-101 Repair
-Nothing but Yaesu FT-101 radios serviced here-
What to Expect
You should enjoy the fact that your 45 year old FT-101 is undergoing a factory alignment process to the greatest extent practicable. While no one has a crystal-ball, you should enjoy years of service knowing that it has been properly maintained.
Before and After
Note- The very first FT-101s did not have the
protective faces at all! It was thru a suggestion in one of the Fox-Tango Newsletters that
the factory responded. In fact, the original suggestion were clear circular plastic discs
behind the most-used controls, not the entire faceplate. No other radio had this before,
and no radio had it since! You own a classic piece of radio history!
Donations
Please let me address your questions and concerns before you engage any alignment
or repair service. Your FT-101 will be subjected to the same factory specifications
it had the day it left the Yaesu factory back in the early 1970s. After 45 years, some
radios will perform better then others. My shop has the calibrated equipment to make
these adjustments.
Your receiver is fine. In fact, it is better! I have tested it and
shared with you the Minimum Discernable Signal (MDS) and the S-Meter curve.
Your S-meter setting was simply too high before the alignment. All of the major
radio manufacturers have weighed in (including Yaesu since 1970) with a consensus that
50uV should represent a S9 indication on the S-meter. Your S-meter now provides you
with valuable information. Now you know where a 50uV signal falls and every dB
up and down on your S-meter.
The FT-101 S-meter movement during transmit was simply a "relative" power output indicator
into a perfect 50 ohm resistive load. It has no real meaning. The circuit only has 3 components!
The factory set this to 3/4 scale at full output into a dummy load. It was so "relative" there is
a volume control pot on the rear panel for users to adjust. You can increase or decrease this setting
without affecting any of the radio's settings. It is 100% a personal preference.
Feel free to customize- but understand that this was the intended factory setting.
Yes! The US Post Office (USPS) has a Flat-Rate "If it fits, it ships" program!
Send me the problematic board(s) for a checkout. I can re-cap any board, tune it,
and return it. Especially the Regulator Board where all of your voltages and frequency
markers reside. I can also check your tubes. You will be surprised how much will fit
inside the Flat-Rate box! Still- the preferred way is to have all of the boards and the
chassis in front of me for a complete test, tune, and alignment. If you are comfortable
with the FT-101 alignment procedures, working with mains (120V) and high voltages (+750V),
this may be a cost-effective solution for you. I can only measure and tune what you give me.
Not yet! I am working on finding the correct plastic and a fab shop to run a batch.
The FT-101 community has been in-need of these for the past 25 years. Stay tuned!
I will offer this as a mail-order part and include it as a new service.
No, not always. Your RF power meter measure RMS power. This is 0.707 of the Peak Envelope
Power (PEP). Your 90 watts RMS is actually 127 watts PEP. Well within the 130 watt advertised
output for the FT-101. Additionally, without calibrated power meters, there is a ±10% advertised
error. This leads to over-driven radios, shortened tube life, and poor transmitted signals.
So do not exceed 90-100 watts on an RF meter with no more than 25 watts on AM. This is the
absolute maximum working capacity of the power supply. The 6SJ6C Power Amplifier tubes can
only dissipate 30 watts each! Let me put calibrated equiment on the problem and advise you.
I am sorry, but no. There is just too much that could have gone wrong. Each board
would have to be installed into a working radio- with a possible risk to the good radio!
Please consider a donation (see below) so I can use the non-electrical parts for
others that may need a one-of-a-kind part in their FT-101 restoration project.
Warranty
I provide a 90-day warranty for all work that I perform and parts that I install. Since
these radios are almost 45 years old, I cannot provide a warrantee for necessary repairs
and replacement parts that you decline. I cannot warrantee radios not properly packed
for shipping. If your outside shipping box (original Yaesu boxes or double-box highly
recommended) is smaller than 18"x18"x16"... it was not properly packed for safe transit.
A Loved-One's Radio
Nothing is more sentimental nor nostalgic than "Dad's old radio." You may not
even be a licensed radio operator. You may have held onto it for years not
knowing what to do. No worries. I will gladly check it out. Please contact me. If the
radio has been sitting for years (or a decade!) please do not power it up!
Send it to me for a "soft start". I have the proper tools to do this.
Yes, I need old radios to help with hard-to-find parts. Before you consider
parting-out that classic FT-101, please consider a donation or a dollar-a-pound.
I'll cover all shipping costs. Please contact me. Once they are gone. They are gone.