I have several amps that require very high current at 14 volts. I selected a power supply that is rated at 120 amps - yes they are available. I imported mine from ML&S in London. It is made by MyDEL and is model number MP-9626. It cost 306.00 UK Pounds.
Yes - at 120 amps it is way overkill, but it is the way it accomplishes it's task that is beautiful. It is big, but silent. It delivers without missing a beat, and runs very cool. Here is the link - go down to where you see the 120 amp model.

http://www.hamradio.co.uk/acatalog/Accs_PowerSupplies.html

73
John,  ZS5J

@ K7ZRZ

Hi

If I remember right, turn the rig upside down, and take the bottom cover off. With the front of the FT-1000D facing you, the IF board is right in front with the filters in. The resistors are on the under-side of the IF board. I took a digital picture of the board before removing the connectors, so I could refer back to it if I was unsure which cable went where. Remove the plugs and cables that would restrict the board from flipping over. Remove the board screws and flip the board over. If I remember correctly the resistors are labeled. It is a very easy and quick mod. I used a small loop of insulated hook-up wire to short the resistors. The whole procedure took no more than 15 minutes. I didn't need to refer to the digital picture when assembling, it was quite easy.

I didn't do the complete mod as described in the link, all I did was short the resistors, and the improvement is incredible.

73

John ZS5J  and  C91J

Hi, ZS5J here...

No, when I got the distorted audio on receive, the NB was OFF. If I ever hear distortion on receive this is the first thing I look for - however, the distortion sounded very similar to the distortion you would get if the NB was on and you were listening to a strong station with the NB level opened right up.

I was very disheartened with this distortion - it seemed to be worse if the other guy would say "ahhhhhh", there would be crackling and crunching.
Anyway, I searched high and low, and found someone else with the same problem - it appears to affect the early FT-1000D's. His cure was very simple and extremely effective. Shorting out a SMD resist

or resulted in crystal clear audio. I just shorted the one that works with slow AGC. I could have done the other two resistors - for med and fast AGC, but haven't as yet. The difference is astounding......when I switch between slow AGC (modd'ed) and med AGC (un-mod) the difference is stunning how much clearer slow AGC is now.

Here is the link to the guy's blog and his notes with regard to this mod

http://k6jca.blogspot.com/2009/10/yaesu-ft-1000d-agc-mods.html

73

John, ZS5J and C91J

Thanks for the info Tom. I crimped those connectors, reinstalled and put the covers back on. My audio on TX is now clear as a bell again.....the hum has gone entirely.

When I was fiddling with the DC output wires on the output of the transformer - where they are plugged into the 4 pin connector, one of the wires  made a small spark while I was moving them - this indicated to me that it was arcing as it was not making good contact inside the connector  (when it made the small spark, the hum disappeared).

In fact, on close inspection, the place where that wire entered the connector was slightly brown - indicating that it had been arcing in the past, due to a poor connection.

I'm a happy camper now :-)

William, thanks for the info, and hope you get that Dear Johnny tractor up and running again :-)

73

John, ZS5J

It looks like i have found the problem !!!!!

I took the covers off the rig, and powered her up. The hum coming from the transformer is still there when I transmit. So next, I transmitted, while moving the DC cables from the transformer around.

I found the cables that were responsible for the hum - they are 2 white and 2 grey ones coming from the output of the transformer, terminating in a plug (probably 48 volt DC wires). The plug is obviously making poor connectivity where it plugs into its mating connector, as the hum disappears entirely when I fiddle with this plug. I suspect a poor ground connection on this plug is causing a loop, and grounding via another route. I just need to pull the plug out, crimp the terminals a bit - so they make better contact, and reinsert.

Thanks again for all the replies

73

John, ZS5J

Hi Lyle

Thanks for the info about the transformer - I was hoping it was not a faulty PSU, as this rig has been out of production for a few years, and the manufacturers are notorious for not keeping a big inventory of parts after manufacturing stops on a model.

Thanks again

John, ZS5J

Hi Tom

The hum happens even with the mic disconnected - so it doesn't seem to be mic related. I can put the rig in RTTY mode and push the MOX button to key up, so that there is a constant carrier, and it happens. Yes, the hum is evident on all of my transmissions - CW or SSB.

73
John, ZS5J

Hi William

Thanks for the quick reply. This hum happens on all modes, but is more noticeable (louder) according to the current draw ie. in SSB the hum is not as bad when keeping quite, but the moment I speak the hum appears and is louder on voice peaks. It happened last week, I took the covers off and removed and reinstalled DC plugs, closed it up, and the hum had gone, but it has now returned. I spent a good 2 hours this morning tightening down all ground screws that I could get to, even tilting down the front panel to get to all the ground screws behind the front panel.

I think my next step will be to take the covers off, and power the rig up with the covers off, and then try moving transformer cables, while transmitting, to see if the hum changes in frequency or loudness when I touch any of the cables, to see which cable is the guilty one. (obviously using a non metallic prodder)

The AC cable is fine - I can try changing cables though. And my mains, plug-point etc should be fine, as I run various equipment off it - even HF solidstate amps - IC-2KL and FL-7000 with no problems. The problem happens with the FT-1000 D running "barefoot"

73 William

John, ZS5J

I purchased a very nice condition FT-1000 D 2 weeks ago. It performed well when I first installed it in my shack. Now it has developed a hum when I transmit. It seems to me like a ground loop problem, so I took the covers off, and went about tightening all ground earthing screws, paying particular attention around the transformer. I also put a snap-on ferrite around the long wires going to the on/off switch. I put it all back together, but the loud hum is still there. It is not there on receive - only when I transmit, and when the built-in power supply is under load. The hum is loud externally, and also gets transmitted with the output signal. The more power I run, the louder the hum becomes. No external equipment is connected, just the power cord, antenna and a very good earth cable going to the ground lug. Any advice please ?

Thanks and 73

John, ZS5J

I use my TS-2000S for packet, works great. Just turn on the tnc with the appropriate menu #, and allocate it to the correct band (main band or sub band - also using the menu). I have no problems using winpack (free software available on the web). I have no experience using your software. However, with rig control programmes - I use the Kenwood programme, the tnc must be turned off, for proper rig control. So you might have to use a separate tnc programme, as I do. 73 ZS5J

Thanks for all your replies. I ended up purchasing an ATAS 120 while on vacation in the USA. I installed it on my rental car, together with a new FT 100D. Drove with it from Chicago west thru to Los Angeles, then turned around and drove back to Chicago (big road trip in 2 weeks). I worked lots of dx on 20 - regularly had a QSO with friends back in South Africa on 20 and 15 meters. I now have it installed on my new BMW X5 SUV, and it works great, had many QSO's with friends in California while mobile here in S. Africa. My BB3 screwdriver outperforms it on the lower bands, but the ATAS sure looks better. I since found that my older ATAS 100 was not faulty, it was the Diamond mount that was. So I have both the ATAS 100 and ATAS 120 in service. To sum up...the ATAS is a great looking antenna that works well on 20 meters and up, and works marginally on 40. My only gripe is that I can't run my Ameritron ALS-500 amp into it (to make up for the poor performance on 40). It receives as well as other full size screwdrivers - it just doesn't get out as well....due to the power being lost as heat in the small wire coil.
73 John
ZS5J

I just read in the review section about a ham that has a Kenwood TS 950 SD with a noisy ATU. He reported a squeak/squeal type noise in the ATU whenever he changes bands(when the ATU retunes). Well, I have exacly the same problem with my TS 850. The 850 is an outstanding radio, but I neglected use of it, due to getting a TS 870 and IC 746. The 850 wasn't used for about 2 years, and when I tried it out, it gave this same noise in the ATU. I put it down to lack of use and perhaps dust in the mechanical part of the atu. I tried spraying a lubricant from a spray can thru a straw into the mechanical components of the ATU, but this has not helped. Has this happened to anyone else, and does anyone have a cure ?
Thanks and 73
John ZS5J

I see Yaesu has brought out a new mobile HF/VHF/UHF
antenna - the ATAS-120 to replace the ATAS-100.
That figures why the ATAS-100 has been selling cheaply
lately.
Question: Anyone bought/seen/used one of these new
antenna's ? I believe they have done away with the rubber boot on top, in place of a plastic pipe that is
bigger in circumference than the lower section (so no
water gets in). Does anyone know of any other changes ? I am thinking of getting one next month, when I am in USA on vacation - my ATAS-100 died on me after 4 months use.
I have been scanning the net for pictures of the new one, but only came up with a couple of distant pictures of it. Perhaps someone could post some pics on the net for us to see. Im in Africa, so I cannot go down to the local ham shop to see one.
73
John  ZS5J  also  C91JK

I was in Orlando, Florida on vacation in January 2002, and bought, among other equipment, a Yaesu FT 100D and a matching Yaesu ATAS-100 antenna from AES.
I set it up in my rental Chevy Blazer, and used it for a week while I was on vacation in Florida - it worked great. I then got back to South Africa, and installed it into my Toyota SUV. The antenna is mounted right at the top of the vehicle whith a Diamond K400 mount. I had seen other users report problems with getting a decent ground for this antenna, so I earthed the antenna to the extreme. I have thick earthing straps for the mount and the radio.
This setup worked great for the first 3 months - in fact I was so happy with this antenna, I was ready to sing its praises wherever and whenever I could.
Then about 3 weeks back the antenna developed a fault... It seems like there is a short within the antenna - to explain fully, if I screw the antenna securely into the mount, the FT-100D dies on receive, a station that was 59+ is unhearable......and if I lossen the antenna off the mount so its not making good contact with the earth, my FT-100D comes alive.
Because there is no Yaesu backup in this country, I decided to strip the antenna to see if I could see an rf short inside the antenna.
Well....I think you need a degree in electronics to fault-find this baby. It has a circuit board inside the antenna with surface mount components,2 IC's, and a transistor etc. I tried to track the path of the rf..but it seems the rf goes via the shield of the coax up the tubing, onto the coil and up the whip - there is no continuity, as checked with a meter, on the centre pin of the antenna at the base up through to the whip.
I'm confused and frustrated with this antenna. Like I said, when it works, it works great. But now I'm 9000 miles from Yaesu help, don't have a scematic diagram, so I dont know if I should purchase annother, and hope for the best, or to go back to using my Outbacker.
Ps. The mount and coax to the rig are perfect - if I put the outbacker onto the same mount, I have no problems with the outbacker.
Can anyone help.
Thanks
John ZS5J in Richards Bay, South Africa