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Yaesu 101E Receive Problem

Rudes

Member
Dec 20, 2008
52
0
16
My radio was working fine up until recently. My transmit is fine but the audio on my receive is very low and the meter does not move at all in the receive mode. We've had some lightning storms recently. Don't know if that could have damaged the radio? I hooked another radio up to the antenna and it is fine. Anyone know where I should look for the problem? Come to think of it...isn't there an IC thats used for the audio? Could it be that?
 

First thing to do is check the bulb that is located on the rear panel of the radio.
That bulb is used as a fuse in case of severe overload from a very strong signal.

73
Jeff
 
Another place to look is the big multi-gang relay (RL-1) located on the top side of the radio. The contacts are known to get dirty after a while and need to be burnished clean with a relay file, or some paper bag with contact cleaner on it. That relay is the cause of 90% of the radio problems. Another item may be an electrolytic cap in the receiver section. The radio is over 30 years old.

Maybe we should get together. Mine receives but has no TX audio. Hi, Hi.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. Bulb is good and last year I gave the radio the once over and replaced the old caps and cleaned the relay. I'll check the relay again and check the audio board.
 
If the bulb is good and this was a result of an electrical storm, 99% chance you have lost the first RF amp in the receiver. As I recall this radio uses a MOSFET front end, perhaps a 3SK40 or 3SK45. Very susceptible to static discharge and a common failure in these circumstances. In any event the transistor you are looking for has 4 wires and plugs into a green socket on one of the smallest plug in boards on top of the radio. No soldering required as the part plugs in for easy replacement. The bad news is this part is out of production but still available from some suppliers like RF parts. Many other transistors work well here too. Yeasu switched over to the 3SK51 in the later 101ZD series. I even remember stealing the mixer transistor out of an old Cobra 148GTL back in the day to get my 101E back up after a storm.
 
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Transistor

Hey Shockwave...thanks so much! That transistor was the culprit. I guess even with the antenna and radio both grounded things like this still happen. I will be sure to disconnect my antenna whenever possible during thunder storms.
 
Take off the top and look for a small vertical curcit board just to the right of the large metal box to the middle front of the radio. Unplug this board. Replace the four leged fet. I think it's 2SK30. It's the only one that has a socket and is easily removed. Becareful to replace the four legs of the new fet, just as the old one came out. Good Luck.
 

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