Tuesday night, Dec. 8, 2020
I got up to Studio C early this evening and decided before my CW net that I would pull the covers from the Yaesu FT-77 and check it out, and apply some Deoxit to the controls, which were scratchy.
I inspected the rig for some overheated or scorched components but found nothing out of the ordinary. The rig’s internals actually looked quite nice.
While inspecting the rig, I ran across a slide switch that was accessible through a small cutout on the rear cover for the PA section. I couldn’t find anything in the manual on this switch, but I exercised it and I think I left it in the opposite position from where I found it. I powered up the rig and attached a key — and lo and behold, I had more than 100 watts output!
What?? Yes, its true! Full output! I strongly suspect it was a switch to cut back the power for use with an inverter (or something along those lines). But I found nothing in the owner’s manual about it.
I quickly put the covers back on the rig and got it back together in time to try the rig out with my CW traffic net. The rig doesn’t have a built-in keyer, so I used my 1936A Mac-Key. The rig worked well, though I sure as hell need the CW filter on this rig, too.
On CW, the rig has a CW narrow switch position (just like the FT-757GX), but the filter was an option. Tonight, I had a CW signal above and below the net frequency. I wasn’t counting on a crowded band tonight, and I didn’t have any of my audio filters ready to roll. I was left to depend on my brain filter to focus on the correct signal in the passband.
The rig has a little drift; of course, I didn’t have it on very long before I checked in. One thing I find — and maybe its just my aging, “old school” ears — is that the FT-77 received audio is really pleasant to listen to. I attribute it to the fact that the rig is an old school one using discrete components (for the most part). And when I compare the FT-77 received signals to my venerable Tempo 2020, the FT-77 wins.
Another old rig that I find very pleasant to listen to is the Kenwood TS-520SE. I have a new set of finals to go in that rig, just haven’t gotten around to doing it.
Maybe tomorrow evening I can check out the SSB transmit signal on the FT-77. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy using the rig on CW — and I’ll have a audio filter hooked up next time!
73 es CUL … de KY4Z … SK … SK …. (dit dit) …