[Yaesu] Yaesu FT-980 issues

[Edward Swynar]

Hi Brian,

Most interesting notes...!

I'll wager that you haven't received anything back from anyone, either,
however---the FT-980 seems to have become one of Yaesu's "...forgotten
rigs", for whatever reason(s).

I've had mine here since brand new, in 1984. I'll do my best to respond to
your queries, based upon personal experience...to whit:

> Problem #1 - Lately, more often than not, when I turn the rig off and let
it sit for awhile before turning it back on, it will come on in the General
Coverage mode rather than the Amateur Mode, when the rig was in the Amateur
Mode when it was turned off. Perhaps there is a battery backed up RAM that's
losing its memory due to a worn out battery? To my knowledge, if there is a
backup battery in the rig, it has never been changed.

ANSWER #1: Brian, flip the rig over to see its underbelly, & you'll discover
a small "trap door" secured to the panel with a black plastic snap. Open up
the door: there are two "AA" (I believe that's the size) batteries in there
that doubtlessly need replacing after all these years! Failure to do so
makes the '980 initially "forget" its memory pre-set frequencies, &
finally---as the batteries wear even older---display a jumble of
hieroglyphics on the digital read-out dial...and the rig won't work. So
replace those batteries ASAP, & be done with it!

> Problem #2 - Once in awhile, when I have turned the rig on from being
cold, after a few minutes I will hear a wandering birdie sweep through the
IF passband. This usually happens only once and this happens with and
without an antenna connected, so it's not coming in from the outside world.
While this birdie is not a shop stopper, I would like to correct it if
possible.


ANSWER #2: Brian, I call this phenomenon "The Creeping Phantom"...! I NEVER
had this issue, until such time as I installed the optional Yaesu general
coverage kit (QUESTION: does yours have this kit installed?). I thought at
first that it was some VFO "swisher" on the band, but like you, I discovered
the birdies would show up with, or without, an antenna. To this day I have
no idea as to any cure---however, the occurances of the birdies are so
infrequent as to not be a contentious issue with me (NOTE: the "speed" of
their swooshing can vary from "moderate", to very slow, too, in my rig).

"And that's all I have to say about that!" to quote Forrest Gump, Hi Hi...

~73!~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ