FT-101 -- which ones?

[W1FRM]

I have decided to go shopping for and FT-101 to be
used at my Studio A on AM.  Are certain of the many
models (B, D, E, EE, Z, ZD ..... etc.), better than
others for this purpose?

Also, do all of them have the separate "AM board" where
most of AM mods are done?

All opinions and suggestions will be read ....... Thanks

[WA3VJB]

http://www.amwindow.org/tech/htm/ft101.htm

http://www.qsl.net/nw2m/

The earliest FT-101 had receiver overload problems that were solved by the FT-101E series.
You might save some money buying an EE or an EX which are stripped down versions of the E.

Most important is the condition of the specific example you are looking at. Many have had a hard life.

[kc2ifr]

Most important is the condition of the specific example you are looking at. Many have had a hard life.

Hi Guy,
Very true.....many have been on the chicken band and are in very bad shape. They suffer form the "golden screwdriver"
syndrome amoung other things.

[K1JJ]

Hi Guy,

Consider upgrading to an FT-102.

The receiver of the FT-102 is really the same design from the FT-1000D, which is  possibly the most sought after radio of the last 20 years.  I've used a number of FT-101's and felt they were lacking in the overload dept, as Paul said.

Consider paying a couple hundred more and get a 102. The AM mods are available and you do NOT need the am board in it if you do the NE-602 board mod. Without the stock AM board option, you can find some real bargins, since everyone thinks they are useless on AM/CB, etc. They go much cheaper.  I've bought them for $250-$350 max. DC-Light modified AM audio with a wonderful reciever and long lasting value.

73,
T

[k4kyv]

The FT-101ZD is a totally different rig from the FT-101E series.  The older E series has a lousy receiver that goes belly-up from strong nearby signals, even when they are at the other end of the band.  It is basically a solid state design based on the tuneable i.f. concept used in receivers like the 75A  series and R-390 series, with several mixer stages and solid-state rf amplifiers ahead of the first selectivity filter.

Another notorious weakness of the original FT-101 series is that it generates spurious image signals when used on 160, especially if you attempt to run it at full power.

The 101ZD is a stripped down FT-901.  It uses only one mixer ahead of the i.f. selectivity, and is less prone to intermod and overload.  The down side of the 101ZD is the lack of an AM filter or place to install one.  The rig was designed to run AM using the slopbucket receiving filter.  I'm sure it could be modified. This series has one of the earliest solid state receivers with design to overcome the shortfall in dynamic range.

For a period of time, receiver performance was compromised to allow the use of solid state circuitry.  The older tube type receivers were enormously better.  I suspect that solid state receivers are just now catching up and surpassing vacuum tube design.

[KL7OF]

I have 2 ft-101E's....Bought one new....in the 70's ....it still has the original finals... I have replaced the driver tube twice and the power supply filters twice and I blew a fet in the rx front end once.... It has seen a lot of use... I used it on AM a lot and was always careful not to exceed the recommend plate current on AM..It is still in use at the Alaska QTH.  The receiver is not the best but it isn't that bad either..The 101E was the do it all rig of the day...It has AM, 160 meters,mobile power supply,tube finals with a final tank that will tune on marginal  antennas. There are a lot of accessories around like digital readout, 2 and 6 meter converters,  linear amplifier, monitor scope, external vfo...I haven't operated mine on 160 very much..It seemed  expensive at the time, I paid over $700 in the mid 70's.  I got a rebuilt FT 102 a couple yrs ago... What a difference!.. The RX is really superior and I can feed the rack audio into the Phone patch input for AM....You really won't go wrong with either rig if you get one that has been  maintained...

[k4kyv]

The FT-101E probably has the best positive peak capability of any ricebox ever.  Some were better than others.  I remember one in particular that would make 150% positive.  It all depended on the "modulator" board, as I belive it was called.  Timtron published a series of mods for the rigs to increase fidelity on  both transmit and  receive.