Kicking Yourself?
Did you previously own a FT-101 and then sold it or gave it away? Do you regret that day? The good news is that FT-101s are plentiful these days all over the web at affordable prices- and that repair shops are still available to handle all of your service and repair needs.

Before and After
Please let me address your questions and concerns before you engage any alignment or repair service. Your FT-101 will be returned to the same factory specifications it had the day it left the Yaesu factory back in the early 1970s. My shop has the calibrated equipment to make these adjustments.

• My friend was an S9+10. How he is a S9. What happened to my receiver?
  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- you now know where a 50uV signal falls and every dB up and down on your S-meter.
• My meter used to deflect more on modulation peaks during transmit. What has changed?
  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 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.
• Do you offer Single-Board checkout and repair?
  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 (+600V), this may be a cost-effective solution for you. I can only measure and tune what you give me.
• The FT-101s have a plastic protective face. Do you have replacements?
  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.
  
  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!
• My FT-101 puts out 90 watts. Do I need new tubes?
  No. 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 ±5% 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!
• The chassis covers looks so clean- what did you use?
  As with any painted surface, oxidation and discoloration can occur. The color is simply hidden. Every radio is different. I follow what detail shops do/use on your car. This removes all of the oxidation and the cumulative effects of smoking. A top-coat of wax seals in the shine.
• Do you service Lightning-Strike or Basket-Case radio service?
  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.