ARS NB9M Gallery Images

Gallery: Yaesu FR-101 Repair Process by Jeff, WA8SAJ

Jeff Covelli, WA8SAJ, is a well-known expert in amateur radio manufacturers and their products.   He is the "go-to" Drake resource, and knows as much about Swans, Heathkits and Collins as nearly any other resource in existence today.  As an employee of Amateur Electronics Supply (Cleveland Store)  when the Yaesu FT-101 series hit the market, Jeff was involved in the repair of these innovative products from the beginning.   He has a dwindling inventory of NOS Yaesu parts for the series, including the sought-after AM filter.

Jeff reports that the relatively scarce Yaesu twins, the FR-101 receiver and FL-101 transmitter, had some unique design elements, as well as some undocumented variations. 

The pictures in this gallery reveal the attention that Jeff gives to the radios placed on his well-equipped bench.  I received this early FR-101 analog receiver and quickly sent it to Jeff to go through.  He traced the receiver to November 1974.  The front-end is different from the one described in the known operation manuals in existence, but fortunately this one is very sensitive and did not require front-end alignment.  Jeff swept the filters, checked the crystals and much more.

When Jeff was first licensed in 1965, he was a running Knight-Kit T-60 & National NC-303 with Ameco CN-50 6-meter converter for 6 meter operation.   Today he can be found mostly on AM and SSB, running a broad range of vintage radios from his Willoughby, Ohio QTH.  He has authored several articles for Electric Radio magazine.