[Fox_Tango] FT-101E Speech Processor

[R_Davis]

Hi Kevin,

The INRAD WARC kit has been around for a while, probably since the days of
the Fox-Tango club.  It has written instructions for modifying the rig for
30 meters, a 12 meter crystal which, as you did, is substituted for the 11
meter crystal.  For 17 meters, the crystal is placed in the "extra", unused
socket on the crystal holder. A small relay, toggle switch, wire, solder,
etc is provided along with instructions for wiring up the relay and switch
to switch between 15 meters and 17 meters. The switch can be placed most
anywhere.  The INRAD istructions say to enlarge one of the screw-holes on
the back of the radio to 1/4 inch for the switch.  That would be okay, but I
just put the switch inside on the side of the High Frequency IF can with
doublesided tape. Not the most convenient, but that is how I did it.

I have 3 filters in mine, the normal SSB, CW, and AM.  I copied the diode
switching circuit and made my own board with the same footprint as the AM
filter. Back in the Fox-Tango Club days, before INRAD assumed it, Milt
Lowens had offered a diode switching board, but INRAD doesn't carry it any
more. So I just made my own. Used RG178 for the IF, stuck it to the top of
the HF IF can, rewired the Mode switch to select the AM  filter, and VOILA!
By the way, my AM filter is a Fox-Tango filter which INRAD still sells.  I
also have a couple of their filters in my FR-101D, so I recommend them
highly. You can catch AM and CW filters on EBay, but be careful - I have
seen people pay more on EBay for them than what they can be bought for new.
In my case, I spotted an IF board for sale, advertised to have the SSB and
CW filter.  But I could read the number of the filter in the photo and knew
it was the Fox-Tango AM filter.  I got the whole board with both filters for
$45.00.  The AM filters usually go for around $100, more or less.

What do you want to know about the RF Processor?

The original FT-101 and FT-101B did not have a speech processor.  The
FT-101E came out in 1975, and incorporated a speech processor - PB-1494. You
can tell these early FT-101E, EE, EX's by the lack of a LEVEL control on the
front panel. (The EE and EX did not come with the processor, but had the
wiring in place so it could be added as an option.)  Since the processor
level was frequency dependent, the cover had to be raised and a pot on the
board adjusted whenever you changed bands. Seeing this as a deficiency, and
most likely due to the attention by the Fox-Tango group, Yaesu redesigned
the board slightly as the PB-1534 and moved the LEVEL control to the front
panel, concentric with the CLARIFIER, in 1976.
My 'EX did not have the LEVEL control on the front, so I got the dual
control and knobs and replaced my CLARIFIER with the dual CLARIFIER/LEVEL
pot.

Hope that answers your question.

73 and God Bless,
Rick, WD8JJA.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kevin J Ward" <kevin_ward@juno.com>
To: <WD8JJA@arrl.net>
Sent: Monday, May 05, 2003 8:15 AM
Subject: Re: [Fox_Tango] FT-101E Speech Processor


> Rick -
>
> I am not familiar with the WARC kit from INRAD.  Could you please tell me
> more about it?  Someone sent me a pencil copy of a mod to activate the
> WWV bandswitch position on my FT-101E for transmit (haven't done it yet),
> and I have long since swapped out the 11-meter crystal for a 12-meter
> crystal, and have temporarily substituted 17-meters for 15-meters.  Is
> there a mod that allows all bands without drilling holes or giving up a
> band?
>
> I'd also like to know more about the processor with the front panel
> control.
>
> One more thing; do you remember an after-market board that allowed
> installation of three crystal filters (in an FT-101E), instead of the
> stock two filter arrangement?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Kevin  N2IE
>
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