[Yaesu] Marginally On Topic Discussions? This is On Topic!

[Roger Shultz]

I have to agree with Rob. We are intimidated too often by the complexity of today's radios. They are more difficult to work on but it can be done. We need to use our skills and common sense to get schematics, take the time to understand the circuitry, and figure out what might be causing the problem. This requires readings taken using test equipment readily available for little cost these days.

A real world example is that about 18 months ago, I purchased a broken Yaesu VX-7r said to have a blown fuse because it would not turn on. I doubted the story that there was an internal fuse based on common sense and looking at the schematic. Though I have excellent test equipment I was intimidated by age and eyesight so because Yaesu would only charge $35 for an evaluation and repair plus parts, I sent it in. Their response was that the main control board had been destroyed because someone had gotten inside with a BIG soldering iron. The cost would be over $250. I could not refute this because I had not opened it up. I did know that the jumpers to open it up for MARS had been removed but they were neatly done by the previous owner.

When I got it back, I opened it up and there was no damage at all to the control board. It was like new. I studied the schematic to understand how the unit was powered and what might be the cause of not powering up. I was surprised to see a simple circuit initiated by the power on push button that toggled a transistor state. I wondered it this was happening so I set up a meter to check the state when the button was depressed. Because the radio was open, I had to simulate the button action and when I did, the radio just powered on for the first time since I bought it! 

That lead to looking at the "button" which is a rubbery material with a metalized coating on the back which bridged two pc board pads. It looked thin and worn out which made sense since it was likely the most used button on the radio. To make this story end, all I did was order a new front panel with integral membrane switches for $40 from Yaesu and all functions were operational. 

Why Yaesu told me the control board was bad I will not speculate but had I just done the sensible thing as a ham for many years, used my test equipment and common sense. I could have saved myself lots of anguish. I learned a valuable lesson. 

73, Roger, NJ2R


May 30, 2010 10:25:25 AM, robk5uj at gmail.com wrote:

===========================================

Shipping as a topic flourishes because there is no "shipping reflector."
The extent to which it is tolerated depends on the moderator.

There is a silver lining in everything and here it is that these disaster
stories should motivate hams to revert back to what almost all hams did 40
years ago, which was have a fully equipped running work bench in their
shacks and make their own repairs.  I got sick and tired of sending things
out for repair.  What a way to live for a ham.  this is one of the things
that drove me into vintage gear, AM and CW.  Half of ham radio is learning
about electronics, homebrewing, modifying and restoring and fixing.   I am
in the process of setting up a bench and going back to hand wired vacuum
tube gear.

Instead of shipping, discuss repair of Yaesu gear.  That will be on-topic
and productive.

73

Rob
K5UJ
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