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Reviews For: Yaesu FT-101E

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

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Review Summary For : Yaesu FT-101E
Reviews: 30MSRP: $749
Description:
HF Transceiver 160 - 10m
Product is not in production
More Info: http://foxtango.org/foxtango005.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00304.9
N7JS Rating: 2023-03-20
A standard for the ham shack Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Own both the Yaesu FT101E and The Kenwood 520S. Every ham shack should have one of these just to admire the quality hybrids of the time. Overall I would say the 520S is probably an overall better radio especially given the use of 6146B tubes on transmit over the 6JS6C that Yaesu employed. Having said that, Yaesu really wins it in the easily removable modular boards inside. This radio is a ton easier to work on. You can easily upgrade all the aging electrolytic capacitors. That can't be said for the Kenwood. Giving it a 5 because I find it nostalgic and fun, not to mention it is one of the great examples of a quality radio during the 70's that helped set the standard.
LU7BSE Rating: 2022-07-26
cute vintage gear Time Owned: more than 12 months.
good team, good receiver, the issue is that it got old, and it has to be given a lot of maintenance, although I liked its performance, I recognize that the Kenwood hybrids of the same era were much better. however it is nice to enjoy one of these.
DL9BDM Rating: 2022-06-10
Yaesu FT-101E - the Radio! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine is the version FT-101E CBM (labled "Sommerkamp FT-277E", but its a true Yaesu), so instead of 160 meter HAM band it has the maritime marine band (2.2 to 2.7 MHz). I got it in the mid 1980s from a HAM friend in the neighborhood who is no longer active and I still have it in daily use in my shack. I have done some modifications on the frontend and the second mixer (MC1496 installed now). So the receiver is also very good in handling large signals. It is still in mint condition.

The FT-101E is a Transceiver that every collector should have in his shack. Its a true classic that has co-written the amateur radio history of the 1970s and early 1980s. The FT-101 line was also one of the death ringers for Heahtkit.
KK4NWW Rating: 2022-05-11
A GEM AND A KEEPER Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I BOUGHT MY 101E TO A GREAT FRIEND IN VENEZUELA, MIGUEL YV4MT 6 YEARS AGO,WHEN I GOT THE RADIO, I REPLACED EVERY SINGLE CAPS, MICA AND ELECTROLYTICS, CHANGED THE FRONT RF MOSFET, AND SEND IT TO BE ALIGNED TO HAM RADIO REPAIR IN TAMPA FLORIDA, LEE SUTHERLAND DID A GREAT JOB IN ALIGNMENT, HE REPLACED THE PREAMP AND FINAL TUBES AND AFTER 360$ CAME BACK IN A BRAND NEW CONDITION, WOW THIS RECEIVER IS HOT, GREAT AUDIO REPORTS IN TX, AND NOW IM LOVING THIS BEAUTYFUL BOAT ANCHOR.
140-155 WATTS OUT.

THIS IS A KEEPER FOR ME, BESIDES MY KENWOOD 520/530/820 AND 830 AND A COUPLE OF HYBRID SWAN.

I LOVE THIS RADIO!!!!
KE4AMQ Rating: 2021-01-29
One of the best Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Man I have had 101s for more then 40 years still have two, a 101mk1 and a e model. Love them both. Sometimes I have to smack the side of them but they always work and work good.
KB0LCR Rating: 2019-12-13
Having fun! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This was my first "serious" HF rig and I had a lot of fun with it. Always reliable, always great RX audio, always great signal reports from other operators. It didn't have much in the way of filtering (compared to today's gear) but somehow it really didn't seem to matter when operating. Always plenty of output power. The VFO did tend to drift a little bit, but it was easy to fix that with the marker tones.
ZS1ZC Rating: 2016-09-27
An Oldie - and a Goodie Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Live with one of these for a few months and you'll understand why folks rate them so highly. The '101 is "traditional" technology at its best - glowing tubes, gears, knobs, shafts, dials and semiconductors that look like they're from the 'fifties, filters almost the size of candy boxes and birds nests of wiring. I just refurbished one and what an experience... if you have the service manual and some time it'll be a breeze. This thing is well designed, and speaks volumes about production quality.

Easy and intuitive to use, the 101 performs really well, the receiver sparkles and the transmitter will happily deliver 120W on most bands. It has one of the best noise blankers I've ever used. If you service it well the tuning will be smooth as silk.

Definitely a keeper.
ZS6DJD Rating: 2013-08-26
a really good radio for the age . Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
We recently bought a 101 e just to get a new ham on HF as the radio was cheap and he had just lost his job. Well it was not long and he manged to find a new job so he bought himself a new Yaesu 450.Gues who ended up with the 101 e. Well this radio works much better than what I thought.The Radio has a very very good receive better than some of the new ones. It also has a nice sound on receive from an internal speaker hidden behind the front face very clear and loud if you turn up the volume. The transmit is good you get the usual 100 wats out with a good modulation. Only thing the radio is big and heavy not the best if space is limited then I would go for the 450 it's small and compact and also works quit well.
KH6TA Rating: 2012-04-02
FT-101EE w/Processor Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
My first rig in 1979 was a 101EE, and I sold it to "upgrade" to newer "bells & whistles" radios many times over since, and always had some regrets.

Last year, I was fortunate to find a really nice 101EE that needed minimal refurbishing and a few options added, so now "she" also has the YD-844 Desk Mic, SP101PB Speaker/Patch, F/T 500khz CW filter and YC-601B display/counter. I also picked up a nice FL-2100B to complete the setup.

I so enjoy operating this rig! It is such a joy to have one again and it brings some substance and meaning back to the term Amateur Radio Operator instead of being just an appliance op like so many folks are today.

These old hybrid rigs have an audio quality of their own that is very distinct, always getting many favorable on-air comments. No complaints about the Rx either.

Oh, IF you don't have the knowledge/skills required to work on these radios a bit, I wouldn't recommend you buy one, okay? Me? I'm
no "supertech", but I enjoy working on these and refurbishing, it just takes some time, study & patience, which is part of the enjoyment for me.

I have NO plans to sell this setup for a long time to come......

ENJOY!


G4AWN Rating: 2012-03-18
A must have Rig Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one in the mid eighties, it was the first commercial gear I had used, having been home brew until then. I thought it was absolute rubbish. The receiver was deaf as post and the Tx managed a miserable few watts. I bought it from a dealer and just assumed, wrongly as it turned out, that it was working as well as it could - which wasn't very well, so reverted to home brew.
How very, very wrong I was? Recently aquired a non-working FT101-E for almost nothing. Repaired the blown up finals and driver stages. Result? Brilliant. Not only a remarkably hot receiver, but a transmitter which manages around 125 watts on all bands. OK, it does not have all the bells and whistles of modern kit, but is still a joy to use. Quality of build, sound quality on Rx & Tx - remarkable. Not only that, but if the finals go pop, it is much easier to plug in a new pair of easily sourced 6SJ6s than to replace solid state finals. A keeper if there ever was one.