| YO3DS |
Rating:  |
2017-01-03 | |
| Great older transceiver, wonderful audio |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Many, many years ago, in magazine, I saw a black and white commercial of this radio. It was a full page picture and the FT-101 was the subject. The radio sat on a simple but nice ham desk and behind there was a window through which you could see a picturesque winter scene. It was, you know, the kind of picture that you see as a child and stays with you forever. This is how I found out about Fox Tango One O One. It was a well taken and beautiful picture of a very good looking radio. The fact it was a black and white picture added to it. I was at the age when I began to have great interest on radios and when the ham radio bug struck. Imagine, I would’ve given an arm for that radio.
The years passed by and I have used quite a few famous radios of Kenwood, ICOM or Yaesu, etc. Some better than others but all good radios. During this quest to find the perfect radio (we all know there isn’t such thing) I never had the chance to own the FT-101. I have seen them occasionally on eBay, QTH classifieds or other but they were in appalling state or too pricey if there was a clean one.
Watching FT-101 Youtube videos, I was always impressed by the audio output quality. I love the old radio heterodyne audio that each time kept bringing back the image from my childhood, described above.
And one day, locally, a FT-101 went up for sale. No accessories, very dusty and maybe an 8 out of 10 as esthetics. I brought it home, hooked the antenna, fired it up and there it was! The sweet old audio filled my shack! I could hear the voices flying out of the radio, clean and clear. Kept spinning the main dial and switched bands and on the receiving side the radio was everything I expected and more. I was so thrilled and excited! Hard to describe the feeling but I am sure you know what I am saying, we all went through this about radios at some point.
I was so glad I finally purchased my Yaesu FT-101! And it also matches so well my venerable FL-2100B. I refurbished it, cleaned all switches, pots and axles. A little alignment using the Service manual (no fancy tools here) and the radio is right on as frequency and power output. I had all covers and front bezel professionally repainted and my Yaesu FT-101 looks now in collector’s shape. This transceiver is easy to repair or overhaul even by someone with little or no electronics background.
To summarize, given the vintage technology and age, maybe FT-101 isn’t the best radio out there nor close to that. BUT it has something special that the newer radios lack and that is impossible to put in words or describe… I guess some might call it soul… If you owned or own one, you already know what I mean by that.
All in all a great radio and if you find one in good shape, go for it, you will never look back, it will give you many hours of joy. And that something the modern plastic digital radios lack.
Pentru prietenii mai in varsta sau cei care nu cunosc foarte bine limba Engleza, incerc mai jos sa redau si in Romana (desi nu totul poate fi tradus mot-a-mot) experienta mea cu FT-101:
Acum multi, multi ani, intr-o revista, am vazut o reclama alb negru cu acest radio. Era o reclama pe toata pagina al carei subiect era Yaesu FT-101. Radioul era asezat pe un birou simplu dar frumos, iar in spatele lui era o fereastra prin care se putea vedea o scena de iarna pitoreasca. Era, stiti, genul de imagine pe care o vezi ca si copil si care ramane cu tine pentru totdeauna. Asa am aflat eu despre FT-101. Era o imagine frumoasa, bine facuta, a unui radio foarte aratos. Pentru mine, faptul ca imaginea era alb negru, a accentuat impactul. Eram la varsta cand incepusem sa am un interes ridicat fata de aparatele de radio, atunci cand incepuse sa ma prinda microbul radioamatorismului. Imaginati-va, mi-as fi dat o mana pentru radioul ala.
Anii au trecut iar eu am avut ocazia sa detin si sa folosesc destul de multe transceiver-e faimoase de la Kenwood, Icom, Yaesu, s.a. Poate unele mai bune decat altele dar toate radiouri bune. De-a lungul cautarii mele de o viata a radioului perfect (dar stim cu totii ca asa ceva nu exista), nu am avut deloc ocazia sa detin si un FT-101. Le-am mai vazut ocazional la vanzare pe eBay sau QTH anunturi dar ori erau intr-o stare deplorabila ori nejustificat de scumpe daca erau mai curatele.
Urmarind clipuri pe Youtube cu FT-101, am fost mereu impresionat de calitatea audio a aparatului. Imi place mult acel audio de vechi radio, care cumva imi readuce de fiecare data imaginea din copilarie, descrisa mai sus.
Si iata ca intr-o buna zi, local (YO), un FT-101 a aparut la vanzare. Era fara accesorii, foarte prafuit si murdar, era poate un 8 din 10 ca estetica. L-am adus acasa, am conectat antena, l-am pornit si iata, era exact cum m-am asteptat. Placutul audio de radio vechi a umplut camera statiei mele! Puteam auzi vocile radioamatorilor care pluteau din radio, clare si curate. Am rotit VFO-ul in sus si in jos, am trecut dintr-o banda in alta iar receptorul era tot ce ma asteptasem si chiar mai mult. Eram asa de incantat si incitat. Greu de descris sentimentul dar sunt sigur ca intelegeti ce spun, cu totii am simit asta cu radiourile la un moment dat.
Eram asa de bucuros ca in cele din urma mi-am cumparat un Yaesu FT-101! Si se potriveste asa de bine cu respectabilul meu Yaesu FT-2100B. L-am reconditionat, am curatat comutatoarele, potentiometrele si axele. Un pic “tras” in banda folosind manualul de Service (nu am scule sofisticate pe aici) si radioul este unde trebuie ca frecventa si putere de iesire. Am dat la revopsit profesional toate capacele si rama din fata si acum Yaesu FT-101 al meu arata acum ca de colectie. Acest transceiver este usor de reparat si reconditionat chiar de catre cineva cu putina pregatire de specialitate in electronica sau chiar de cineva care nu are deloc.
Ca un sumar, tinand cont de tehnologia veche si varsta, poate ca FT-101 nu este cel mai bun radio din piata, si nici pe aproape. DAR are acel ceva special, care lipseste aparatelor de radio noi si care este greu de pus in cuvinte sau de descris… Cred ca unii ar putea numi acel ceva suflet… Daca ati avut un FT-101 sau aveti unul, stiti déjà despre ce vreau sa spun cu asta…
Una peste alta, un radio foarte bun si daca gasiti unul in stare buna, cumparati-l, nu o sa va para rau, va va darui multe ore de bucurie. Si acel ceva care lipseste radiourilor moderne din plastic, digitale.
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