A good quality barrell connector (Amphenol for example) will have NO practical loss at VHF and acceptable loss at UHF in a typical FM mobile environment.  An exception may be weak signal work at UHF, but you don't do that with FM in a vehicle.

Use a good quality barrell connector to extend the length of your coax and enjoy your 8800.  

Dick  AD4U

Maybe I confused my reply above with how to hook up a Heathkit SB-650 digital display to a SB-102 transceiver.  I posted from memory.  I am not in my shop and I do not have a FT-101E to look at.

I indicated that there were "phono jacks" on the rear of the FT-101E where one connects the FC-601 digital display.  There MAY indeed be phono jacks on SOME later FT-101E rigs, however in earlier rigs the signals appear at an 8 or 9 pin round jack on the rear panel.

Either way you will need a cable with the proper "ends" to connect the YC-601 to the FT-101 series of transceivers.  In all FT-101 rigs I have seen, the necessary outputs to drive the YC-601 appear at some place on the rear of the rig (phono jacks or 8-9 pin round jack). 

All you have to do is to make or find the proper cable to connect the two devices together.

Dick  AD4U

Ditto on Scott.  I sent him two ICOM radios in the past year.  One was an R71A HF receiver which is 20? years old.  The other one was an R7000 DC-Daylight receiver which is around 30 years old.  Both were repaired and updated and perform as new (or better).

Dick  AD4U

Yaesu made two models of this digital display.  The earlier one had red LEDs and the later one had green LEDs.  Internally where was little if any difference. 

As I remember the display required 3 (?) signals provided by the FT-101 transceiver.  The signal jacks are already on the rear panel of most (if not all) of the transceivers.  I have a FT-101E in my boatanchor collection that has the required jacks on the rear panel.  I am not sure if the earlier transceivers in the FT-101 series had them or not.

In order to connect the digital display all you do is connect the three cables to the corresponding phono jacks on the rear of the transceiver.  Small coax with phono plugs on each end will do nicely.

My FT-101E and every one I have worked on for other hams, had a very accurate VFO readout.  When you change from USB to LSB you have to recalibrate the main dial via the internal crystal calibrator.  Ditto when you change bands.  Are you doing this?


Dick  AD4U

No offense intended but have you called Mosley?  I recently bought a used Mosley Classic 33 tri-band yagi that was in pieces and without the manual.  When I called Mosley they were very helpful and answered all my questions.

Dick  AD4U

I guess that is what I get from repeating what I have read on the internet! 

Like the TV ad says, "He is a French model.  I met him on the internet.  We all know that if it appears on the internet, it must be accurate."

My error and I am glad the MRF454 is still with us.

Dick  AD4U

I only recommended that you be very careful using this amp on the WARC bands because if you blow the finals, you may as well use the amp literally as a boat anchor.  The finals are not available at any price.

I had a Metron amp for around 15 years and it never missed a beat.  Used properly a Metorn will last forever.  Still wish I had it.

Dick  AD4U

If this it the Metron solid state amp made in the 1970's I would be very careful about trying the WARC bands.  This amp was made before the WARC bands were available.  In this amp there are separate and specific band pass filters for each band (160-10M) and operating it outside of this region MAY burn "something" up.

I hope somebody else can give you better info.

Dick  AD4U

I have never owned a hybrid so take what I am saying accordingly. 

Most every hybrid battery is around 300V to operate the motor.  The 300V produced by the battery must be reduced to 13.8V (nominaly) to operate certain accessories that come with the vehicle and outboard accessories installed by the owner.

What you need to determine is how much extra 13.8V capacity the vehicle provides and whether or not it is enough to operate a typical HF rig.

Dick  AD4U

Oil?  Not familiar with this amp, but since there is "oil" inside, you may have blown a filter cap.  By changing out the tubes and still having the problem, you can eliminate an internal tube short.  That is unless both sets of tubes are bad.

Dick  AD4U

I also restore old tube gear.  First since none of us can see the rig, we will assume that nobody has been "messing with or modifying" the basic design.  Since you have eliminated a bad tube being the problem, this is what I would do if it were mine

1.  Visually inspect each component for signs of over heating etc.  Resistors will buble or crack or look burned and SOME bad capacitors MAY start to bulge or leak out goo.

2.  Clean and then exercise all switches, pots, and tube sockets (remove tubes and then replace them and wiggle them while the tube socket is still wet) with DeOxit.

3.  Check all voltages at tube sockets against the voltage chart in the manual.  I would start at the power supply rectifier tube (6X4 or maybe the 2C uses silicon diodes) and go from there.  I have a set of tube "extenders" with numbered pins that enable one to check tube socket voltages on top of the chassis.  That make this process SO MUCH simpler.

I will bet this will bring the rig back to life at least a little.

4.  Perform a complete alignment per the manual.

5.  If the rig still is not up to specs, you will have to go stage to stage in typical trouble shooting manner until you find the problem.  "Bad" coupling capacitors usually will not cause improper DC voltage readings at test points.  They have to be located by trouble shooting stage to stage.

Good Luck

Dick  AD4U

I think I understood your post.

I have a Yaesu FT 817 and a homebrew 10 watt 40 M transceiver.  I often use one of the $21.95 Tractor Supply 12V 7A/Hr rechargeable gel-cell batteries to run them, which it will do for days.  Only down side is the Tractor Supply batteries are kinda heavy for back packing - around 5 pounds I would guess.

Dick  AD4U

Tractor Supply Company (not sure if this is a national chain) has 12V 7AHr rechargeable gel-cell batteries for $21.95. 

I did just the opposite of what you did.  I bought 4 of these $21.95 gel-cell batteries to power my Stealth Cams.  For the price of 8 each "D" DuraCell batteries that last no more than 4 weeks in the winter, I can buy one of these rechargeable batteries that will run the Stealth Cam several months.  When it "dies" just bring it home, recharge it, and put it back in the field.

Dick  AD4U

In a mag mount there is significant capacitance between the 4 inch or so diameter magnet base and the car body.  At RF a capacitor acts ALMOST like (almost as good as) a direct hard connection to the auto body (in most cases).

If given a choice I would always opt for a permanent mount VS a magnetic mount.

Dick AD4U

Most every (if not EVERY) HT has a a power outupt adjustment in the menu system.  Why not just run the HT on LOW or MID power and drive the amp directly.

Dick  AD4U