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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-102

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-102
Reviews: 64MSRP: 1150 (When new per Oct '83 QST)
Description:
Multi-Mode Hybrid HF Tranceiver with WARC Bands
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.geocities.com/eb5agv/ft102.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00644.6
KE4AMQ Rating: 2023-10-22
A great ol radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had one many years ago, picked one up today that is really clean and its a keeper. Paired it up with my kenwood tl922a on the low tap and getting a kw out. Great audio reports have not adjusted anything as of yet. I have the vfo and the sp102
W5IEI Rating: 2023-08-26
Best older rig I own Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine has been Malcomized.
Very hard to say anything bad about it.
Great TX/RX audio, beautiful to look at too.

As good as any of my solid state rigs except for having to tune it.
If you can find a nice one, grab it.
I've had mine for 15 years, and not leaving.
5 Stars!!!!
VE6JWG Rating: 2023-08-25
Everything good except the usual... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Relays are causing problems. Potentially the Norm/Sep switch on the back panel might be responsible too.

I would only recommend having this radio if it is Malcolmized. Otherwise, if your unit has original relays, send it down to Mal and he will fix it for you.

Sadly shipping for me from Canada down to the USA is too expensive.
So I have to part with this radio and move on.

Besides that...

The radio worked like a charm and I really enjoyed how I could get through occasional small pileups. The receiver is solid too. I liked the meters and the good metal cabinet that surrounds it.

All the best!

-Bernie VE6JWG
KN6AAU Rating: 2023-08-11
Nice radio Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Picked up a FT-102 from my Elmers Elmer ( who was almost 100 years old ). My Elmer aligned and cleaned, and what a sweet rig. Sure glad I dumped the money into this instead of a TS-830S. Moving into a new QTH, so have not had enough time to play with it, but SOON. One step at a time. I'm a relatively new HAM, but fell in love with the sound and feel of Tube Hybrids early. The FT-102 is my KEEPER, and all the rest are slowly finding new homes. Everything works correctly, for now. If I ever want upgrades, there is always Mal. Man is great. Sent me the cover for the tube area, which mine was missing, for the cost of postage only.
N4MJG Rating: 2023-07-14
still going strong after these years ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
update July 2023


I'm still using my ft 102 many years since I don't have mic phone ,I will found one soon if I get lucky lol

I just turn it on yesterday it been awhile since listen I love the ft 102 just need find on ft 102 now I lost my eye sight as am blind I don't see too too well but hanging around !

73
Jackie
N4MJG




This old ft 102 is still working i have not replace old tube just yet !
i use it every now and then when the radio was gaving to me of my ex uncle but no micorphone i said no problem i had extra mic laying round will work i checked basger weather net asking me what i was running? i told stever i was ft-102 the old tube type radio pushing bout 150 watts ! compare my ft-847 i narmaling runing most morning ! best ft 102 ever had

73
Jackie
N4MJG




Here the Update !



Back in 2006 the day it was gaving to me and took it in field day same year,i thought the tube was weak nothing was wrong with them at all.the tubes is fine afer i download the manuel and read them real good,like wow !


The tubes works real good and i was able get about 150 watts out of this radio ,this rig never back me down yet ! i stay on 80 to 10 meters


73
Jackie
KG4ORX
WWW.KG4ORX.COM

F5TYH Rating: 2023-03-07
One of the best transceiver yeasu has ever made Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have 2 FT102 in my ham station . for the first I bought it in broken state , when i was a young om I didn't have a lot of money ( power transformer was burnt and the glass of the three 6146b tubes was melted by excessive heat. A hole appeared in glass by vacuum). I've manually disassembled transformer and remade it. I changed 3 dead 6146B and 12by7a by news GE ones , changed all relay , made a complete realignment more than thirty years ago and the TX works fine since 30 years . With filters (notch+sift/with knobs) , in RX I think it works better than a lot of modern transceivers. I bought the second FT102 6 years ago . just to change all relay, a complete alignment and a alignment of band switch and now it works great.
LW8DJI Rating: 2016-04-15
the good years of yaesu Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
acquire a few months one of these does is a good team considering the years with the problems of relay are present, after making the repair proved to be a good receiver and an excellent transmitter, and very pleasant to the touch, very good construction, I have it as a memory of the good years yaesu

adquiri hace unos meses uno de estos, es un buen equipo teniendo en cuenta los años que tiene, los problemas de relay estan presentes , despues de hacerle la reparacion se revelo como un buen receptor y un excelente transmisor, y muy agradable al tacto, muy buena construccion, lo tengo como recuerdo de los buenos años de yaesu
M0KKW Rating: 2015-03-23
OK but not the best build quality Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Had two of these over the years.There were many different builds of these rigs and mine were different in several ways. None of the problems on these are very difficult to fix but the quality of these old Yaesus aren't great. The Kenwood competition of the time was built to a completely different standard.
Having said that, the transmitted audio using the standard fist mic is exemplary if properly aligned.
A good rig but not a TS830.
WK1W Rating: 2013-12-26
Wonderful Rig Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I recently had the good luck to obtain a truly mint station consisting of YAESU FT 102 transceiver, SP 102 speaker, FV102DM remote VFO, MD-1 mic. The features are numerous. Superb audio reports. Ease of tuning, whether from remote VFO or on the radio itself. You can put the freuency into any of 12 memory channels. There are controls for split and you can split or operate on same frequency by choosing radio, remote or memory. In addition you can increment and decrement plus or minus 5KC. Also plus or minus 20 KC. Extrememly convenient. Covers 160-10m. Truly a breeze to use. I use this one for casual ragchewing. If I found another I would buy it immediately,
73
Ivan
WK1W
KF2CF Rating: 2013-03-21
This is the radio that put me off of Yaesu products for a long Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought mine brand new when they first came out. I was entralled by the 3-6146 PAs and it was my first store-bought factory radio. After a few weeks of useage I started getting reports of low modulation after long QSOs. Then I started having drive problems and at certain tuning the PAs would oscillate. When the meter stopped working and the audio cut-out I called the dealer and they said send it back. After a month and several phone calls they said that of the three they had sold all of them had come back for repair. The final outcome was that Yaesu recalled them and they refunded my money. It was a beautiful radio to operate. I agree with others about the receiver being very sensitive and quiet although I thought the VFO drifted a little too much for a (then) modern rig. My HW101 was better in that regard.