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Show all reviews of the Yaesu FT-707
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of the Yaesu FT-707.
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AC5XP
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Rating: 4/5
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Jan 27, 2002 21:47
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Nice little radio
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I owned one of these when it just came out (late seventies I think it was). It was my first Yaesu radio (and first HF radio), have owned many more Yaesu radios since then because I did like this one a lot.
It had a very nice continuously variable bandwidth adjustment, with a low-cut and high-cut using two "sliding" xtal filters (thus NOT just an IF shift, or some kind of AF filter!) This concept was very advanced for its days. Later Yaesu refrained from this concept on more recent models because I think it got them into trouble with some existing patent on this design.
The only problem I ever had was that the T/R relay got stuck during AMTOR operation. I read from another FT-707 reviewer that he had the same thing, and that Yaesu had told him that there is nothing that can be done about it.
Actually not true, the problem was that a large capacitor rapidly got discharged through the relay during transmit, which caused a chance of "welding" the contacts together. I lowered the value of that cap to a much smaller one, cleaned the relay and the problem never came back any more!
But what it DID prove to me is that the radio is quite difficult to service, it is a real "spagetti bowl" from the inside (all radios of those pre-SMT days had that problem)
I actually owned the FT-707(S) version, not the FT-707 version. The "S" version was equipped with a 20 watt PA instead of the 100 watt (and was therefore milder on the wallet). But I think that "S" version was never sold here in the US.
The radio is built very rugged (has a die-cast front panel, I love those!) and the receiver works quite well, actually much better than the FT757 and FT767 that I owned later!
If you can snap one up at a flea market for $250 or so, don't hesitate!
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