FT-101ZD Transmit problem ??

[K4SKA]

My Dad N3AVW became a SK in 2001 and he owned this FT-101ZD that I now have.  I am not familiar with this radio.  I have just started back into ham radio again after not being active for many years.  I want to get this rig working in memory of Dad.
I am trying to get it on-line and am having a problem.  Here is what I see when I try to tune it up on 20M.
I am using an MFJ-941E tuner into a 80-10 coax fed dipole.

When I tune it up ( using the FT-101ZD users manual instructions) into the dummy load, it all seems to work fine and I see the tuner meter deflection indicating power going out to the dummy load.  The meter appears to function normally in the IC and PO positions.
But when I switch the mode switch to USB, I see no deflection of power out on the tuner meter.  The same thing happens in 40M for LSB.

[KE3WD]

SingleSideband has no carrier. 

Speak into the mic and the power out meter should deflect in response to that. 

[N4NYY]

I have done this many times because of brain farts. Just put in a 1 KHz tone into the mic, either thru a speaker or buzzer. If you do not have a freq generator, you can build a tone generator fairly cheaply, from parts at radios shack.

Also, those radios are approaching 30 years of age. If you start seeing 1 or 2 electrolytics caps go bad, then replace them all. There are kits for those, and run like $30.

That is a nice radio and I have been interested in getting one for a project. The problem is that even scrap units go for $200. Since that is your father's, I would keep it and refurb it, as you have been doing. The biggest problem with these restores is, who has had their hands in them, and what have they hacked. Since this is your father's rig, at least you know where it came from. That is half the battle.

Good luck.

[K4SKA]

I was whistling into the mic and watching the meter.  No deflection.
Should I see deflection when the mode switch is still in TUNE or only after I switch it to USB?

[WB2WIK]

I was whistling into the mic and watching the meter.  No deflection.
Should I see deflection when the mode switch is still in TUNE or only after I switch it to USB?

In TUNE, the mike isn't even connected, so you can whistle quite a lot and nothing will happen.

If you TUNE up properly, there is no reason to whistle into the microphone once switched to USB (or LSB).  Just talk normally and adjust the MIC  gain for proper ALC reading on the ALC scale of the meter. Whistling is very "liddish," and will identify you very quickly as someone who doesn't know what they're doing.  Don't do that.

[K4SKA]

Thank you for the comment.  I will not "whistle".
I also tried just calling "CQ TEST" a few times, but I get no deflection in ALC.
I tried a D-104 and an old Yaesu YD-148 MIC but neither shows any deflection on the ALC.

I downloaded a manual so I can find some testpoints that I can check with a meter.  I don't own a freq counter or O'scope.  I may have to check my local club and see if anyone has some test equipment I can borrow.