[1000mp] Yaesu service backlog; symptoms

[Pete Smith]

My Mark 5 has developed a couple of problems, and I'm wondering about the
current backlog at Yaesu, because it is still well under warranty.  I'll be
calling them later today, but figured a cross-check wouldn't hurt.  My
radio has the INRAD IF mod in it -- do I need to take it out for a warranty
repair?  I presume they would not object to an INRAD CW filter, but the IF
mod might be a different matter. 

The principal symptom is what sounds like RF in the Monitor output,
particularly on 15m but this weekend heard on all bands.  It comes and
goes, kinda in waves, but in no discernable pattern.  Sometimes the signal
has a real rasp, while at others it sounds completely clean.  The
transmitted note seems to be clean on a second radio.  It does NOT seem to
be RF in the shack, either, because it doesn't change if I switch off the
amplifier, and one time this weekend I even turned the RF PWR control down
to under 20 watts, and I could still hear the raspiness.  Anyone else ever
experienced this?

I also noticed when using the clarifier that occasionally I would suddenly
find myself at + 1-1.5 kHz.  I couldn't reliably reproduce this, but it
always seemed to be on the plus side, and a couple of times I caused it
(while I was paying attention) by quickly moving the knob an amount that
should only have produced .1-.2 kHz change (I use a slow tuning rate on the
clarifier).  My guess is an optical encoder problem, but I don't know
whether to think adjustment or a component failure.

73, Pete N4ZR

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