Yaesu FT-301 - a really great XCVR

[w1vtp]

I have the FT-301S with the FL110 100 watt brick.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6PlyOPbaoc

It is a beautiful machine.  I forgot how smooth the AGC is on this machine.  It has a slow, medium and fast response.  Gotta get that machine back on a table so I can use it.  I have both the 500 ~ and 6 K~ filters in it.

This one's right out of it's box - like new

Al

[The Slab Bacon]

I have the analog 2-meter all mode version from that series. (FT-221 IIRC)
I love that radio to death. I've had it for many, many years. It works well, performs well and is quite reliable. The only problem I ever have with it is every 5 or so years, I have to pull the cards out of the mainframe and give the card-edge connectors a little kiss with an eraser.

[WA1GFZ]

Frank, eraser is the worst thing to use on card edge connectors. it rubs the plating off then you will need to do it a lot more often.

[w1vtp]

Yup!  Got that FR-221R also.  Isn't that a great machine?  I have a picture somewhere of my 1970's station where those "twins" were sitting next to each other.  The 221 fed a SS 70 watt linear brick which, in turn, fed the old Cushcraft 20 element colinear. I worked many states out to the mid and southwest with that combo.

I took the FT-301 off the shelf last night and it is still working.  Does anyone have a LED replacement for those grain-of-wheat lights for the analog dials?  I'm getting tired of replacing them and you really cannot read the orange side of the dial without them.  Those rigs are so sweet.  Still like my Flexers but that unit may end up at my chairside just for show            Don't remember what the board contacts were plated with but I do remember having to gently reseating them once in a blue moon.  My policy is to not to move those boards unless absolutely necesssary.  I used to have the extenders but lost them in the move to the new shack - they are around somewhere  

Thanks for the memories!

Al