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write your own review of the Yaesu FT-107.
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PE1GUR
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Rating: 3/5
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Oct 2, 2011 14:21
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Rugged design
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bougth some years ago for portable work a FT107M. I completed it with the missing AM filter. I collected also the FTV107R (6m./2m./70cm modules and FP107(Extra Powersuply).I notist soon that the rig needed a full and carefull realignment. Including the frequence stability. Afther this exercise the FT107M impoved, but the RX sensivity on the higher bands was still bad. On 15m.-5db, 12m.-10db and 10m. -20db compared to my old and favoured FT901DM. My FT107M is a grey one ánd one of the latest versions. Is saw that the front-end selectivity was improved by extra coils. Thats nice and needed on HF. I myself use always a antenna tuner for extra filtering anyway. But in theory the 3SK51 pré-amp can't compensate the huges losses in line untill the next If-amp beyond the cristal-filter matchingcoils (30db loss). I think they have used lossy coils/bad tabs in the frond-end. Finally after carefully réaligning the RX stages a couple of times I added on 10m. a BF981 pré-amp. Now the sensivity is like the FT901DM and I can use the FTV107R transverter modules.
In the IF-inrad filters there is some tolerance in shapefactor. Its than very difficult to match the main SSB filter, IF-shift and RF-clipper filters on SSB with the BFO offset:LSB USB. Neverless the inrad-filters are all 8-pole,exept the CW filter wich is a 6-pole, but controls with the 8-pole IF-shift.
After the exercise of realignment the RF-clipper runs the rig as a 500W amplifier with a good mic.and 20db of RF-clipping!
The PA of the FT107M is rugged and can hande a 50% duty cycle, even in the field at summer. RF out in SBB: 160m. 160W and on 10m. 100W. It can handle without problems a mischmatch of VSWR 1:2.
The coolingfan is noisy and there is no tube built in. Just transistors, hi... therefore the heart of the FT107M can be modified an repeared.
The FT107M has no FM mode! Nice together with his sidebrother FTV107R (has switches for repeatershifts build in!). FM is widely used on 10m. and all the VHF and UHF bands.
The IF-shift works nice and together with the APF/NOTCH its effective and simple to use for all modes exept "Antique Modulation".
The Noiseblanker works good, is adustable and blanksout most of the ignition peaks and staticnoise.
The FT107M has a second digital 100Hz step-VFO, with 12 memories. The only advantage I could see is that you can go up and down some 400Kc outside the analoge VFO range and scannig the 500Khz. What to do with this 12 memories channels on 9 HF bands?
Last but not least: With the switches CW wide and narrow and other futures, the FT107M perform as a "dx-er" CW/SSB TRX. Unfortunatly The FT107M has no built in (Curtis)keyer! But with my old German Junkerkey(1944)habe ich wieder dat fingerspitzen gefuhl bei CW, so back to basics and strait keying.
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M6SPW
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 14, 2010 12:41
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Best vintage HF transceiver i have had the pleasure to own :O)
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Im not going to go into great detail about this brilliant old transceiver as many of the previous posters have covered what i was going to say anyway.
I own a cream fronted version which are quite rare here in the U.K,as the grey fronted ones are more common over here.
Mine has both the 600hz CW filter which also works on FSK,and it also has the memory unit in it,but thats seldom used by myself,but still its a usefull feature and ahead of its time for a transceiver of its era.
One thing I must state is that i just love the superb rx audio quality this old set puts out,a sheer pleasure to listen to and the tx audio even sounds good with the supplied standard microphone on it,although i use an Astatic 1104C base mike (same as teardrop) and I always get complemented on my tx audio.
Another thing i like is the silky smooth rotation of the VFO dial,just feels quality and easy to turn.
Most people like to praise the good old reliable 101zd,which is also a very nice retro transceiver (aslong as you don't mind plate and load),but to me the FT-107M has the edge,both in performance,reliabilty & more aesthetically pleasing to look at (in my opinion).
If you can pick one of these up for under £200 (as i did) snap it up,you will not regret it,as the previous poster said. this will also be going to the grave with me,if only Yaesu still made this classic again,i would be at my local radio emporium at the speed of light,im giving it a 5/5 reason being it would not make sense to judge it against modern transceivers,so im judging it as being one of the best retro sets i have owned and had the pleasure to operate.Anyway enjoy the hobby,best 73's,Shaun M6SPW :o)
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W4OP
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Rating: 5/5
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May 18, 2010 17:49
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Excellent Vintage Rig
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I have the FT-107M, Power supply/speaker, antenna tuner and remote VFO. Perhaps the best looking gear Yaesu has ever produced. The VFO's are very stable and smooth tuning at the classic 25KHz/revolution. The combination digital and analog readout is simply beautiful. NB is as good as my IC-7700 as are the notch and peaking filters. I use the broadband IF out with my SDR-IQ for an excellent panadapter and 2nd RX.
Yaesu hit a home run here. The only part not working is the memory module and I have made an extender card to assist in fixing it.
Audio, both RX and TX is excellent. Just cannot say enough positives about this rig and its accessories.
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AP2KD
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Rating: 5/5
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May 12, 2009 12:36
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The best transciever
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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FT-107 is the best Transceiver among all that I have seen until now. The circuit design of FT-107 is the best and only a Telecommunication Engineer can recognize this fact.
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GW1HIN
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 28, 2009 08:29
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By Far The Best Of The Older Rigs.
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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This gem of a transceiver came my way as a part exchange deal. I am sooooo glad I now have it. It works 100% as it should. No idiotic bells and whistles or multiple menus to plough through. Just good solid radio engineering. If it ever goes wrong in the future, the circuit does not involve loads of digital chips etc to puzzle over. If all radios where made like this, the amateur woul;d not have to keep sending their rigs away for expensive repairs
I have a TS-850S tx/rx that is a joy to use, but when it goes wrong will be a devil to repair compared to the FT-107. This is a 'keeper'.
Have asked my kids to bury me with the FT-107 alongside me, just in case there is a radio club up there in heaven .hi hi.
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N5YRJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 23, 2008 04:10
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Great used Rig.........
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I owned this rig from 1999 to 2004. Good transmit audio, combined with a great receiver. It provided me with hours of reliable contacts local and DX. No complaints.
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DG7JX
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 17, 2008 12:36
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Good, not great
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I got mine from ebay in very good condition. I tested it in an A/B comparison against my FT-897D. To make it short, the rx of the FT-107 was slightly WORSE than my FT-897D. Also, the VFO was not very stable.
So, all in all a nice rig, but not a great one. Slightly worse than a modern day entry-level TRX. Seems to me, that the FT-107 is overrated.
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CT2IPG
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 13, 2008 14:56
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combat radio!!!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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i have my 107m since 2004 and so far, i like it very much and it will die in my hands. it was my second hf rig and i have some thing to say about it...the best modulation we can get with the original mic, very sensitive receiving and a very strong radio,combat technology from 1982!!!! so, i will give it a 5!!!
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AD7NV
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 25, 2008 22:55
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Best kept secret in town!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I guess it's about what you want in a radio. My first requirement is a great receiver. This is where the whole game happens. Can't hear them can't call them back! It has just that. It has a great noise blanker and rit is great too not to mention roofing. The memory is an interesting little item on these babies. Stock they come with 12 memory slots. They have address space for 144 slots with an easy mod giving 12 channels per band. It's a versatile radio. Do I need to upgrade to another radio? Yes, to another Ft-107m. Mine has a few of the aging problems dirty switchs and alike. I could use another one while the first is down for normal maintenance. They aren't a new radio but they are world class performers competing and holding there own against radios that cost thousands of dollars more. I think This little $225.00 wonder is the best bargain I ever got.
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5P1CC
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 22, 2008 06:23
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This is a radio, not a computergizmo.:-)
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I bought this rig used last spring, with all the extra options available to assemble the full ft107m line, all in mint condition. Added the 500hz cw-filter from inrad, a k-5 keyer and a Bencher and there you have it:
A great looking, great sounding easy to operate base rig, built to last for many years.
I can only compare it to what i have owned before, that being the Fr50/Fl50, Ft101EE and Ft901 and to me the 107 is the better of them.
So far there hasnt been any real issues, had to replace an electrolytic cap, and another one is up for it when i get the time.
Worked a lot of dx on most of the bands (CW only) and so far only 5X9 reports.
Ill keep this rig for sure, i like the old analog solid state circuits, the simple but effective design and the fairly low price for a rig of this class.
And im looking for a Frg7700 to complete the line..:-)
Its beyond me why radios arent built like this little beauty anymore, and i really wonder how a brand new 3000$ radio can have any issues at all..?
For as long as i can keep my 107 alive, im not going to spend my money to be a betatester for yaesu or any other company selling gizmoes with issues..:-)
73 de Claus
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