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Old 7th Dec 2018, 9:12 pm   #1
Chris 1155
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Default FT290r mk1

Hello,
My FT290r has developed a fault. The green busy light has lost intensity over a period of time. I have replaced the LED but there is no improvement
The red 'on air' lamp is also dull.
I think it must some drive problem but wondered if anyone has a clue regarding where to look.
Apart from this the radio works very well including the CTCSS that I fitted last year.
Thanks,
Chris G4BYZ
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Old 7th Dec 2018, 10:16 pm   #2
Martin G7MRV
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Did you replace the series resistor as well? Could be that's gone high
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Old 10th Dec 2018, 5:03 pm   #3
Chris 1155
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Thanks for your reply Martin. The resisters all seem OK and I am investigating related areas.
Will post results.
Chris
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Old 12th Dec 2018, 10:15 pm   #4
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

good luck,these things are just plain under built,mine had its audio go choppy anything over a quater volume,was a resistor in shrinkwrap turned to dust,it fed the vcc to the audio amp ic ,a 1 watt output ic fed by an eighth watt resistor ***!!,in my opinion these ft 290 rigs are just plain cheap underbuilt junk!! good look, imho better off file it in the junkbox where these pieces of steaming turds belong!! 73 m3vuv.
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Old 13th Dec 2018, 7:40 pm   #5
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

It's an opinion...maybe a modern one.

If you were around when they came out, you might think, my god - how have they done that?
As I did. That's my old opinion.
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Old 13th Dec 2018, 7:57 pm   #6
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I had its sister the FT790 and it was a little marvel. I took it almost everywhere with me and it never let me down until it was 20 years old. Finally tracked the fault to an off-frequency xtal in the PLL mixdown cct.
Yes, these rigs are now coming up with numerous faults, but they came out in the early 80's and the earliest examples are now over 30 years old.
As for the eighth-watt resistor, perhaps that rating was suitable for the amount of voltage and current involved? A 10r resistor passing (say) 100mA would only be dissipating 0.1 w. Or maybe it was a 'fusible' type?
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Old 13th Dec 2018, 10:46 pm   #7
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew2 View Post
As for the eighth-watt resistor, perhaps that rating was suitable for the amount of voltage and current involved?
My thought as well. I'm sure Yaesu knew their job well enough to calculate the wattage of the resistor for the way it was used. Sounds like it was a very low value resistor in series with the supply, therefore unlikely to be dissipating much wattage itself. Probably intended to expire in the event of catastrophic failure of the audio PA IC.

I have an 290-R2 which I have owned from new, and that was and still is a decent enough little radio, I used to use it to take part in the PW low power contests and, when I was still keen, used to carried its modest bulk up onto every Lakeland fell I walked up as well, just as people (occasionally) lug the FT x90's spiritual successor the FT-817s up onto hilltops.
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 10:29 am   #8
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I never had a FT290 mk1 but I did work a few stations with them. For their cost they were OK.
I did & still have a FT790 mk1 which I believe to be better. Last year I was given, In return for some work to be done a FT790 mk2. I have not yet used it much, it does seem to perform very well.
Other radios still working are my Yaesu FT221R, FT757GX, FT2700RH & a Chinese dual band portable.
It is fair to say radio wise I am not particularly active.
I have been licenced since the early 80's first as G6BMN & then G4RVS.

Regards Andrew.
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Old 17th Jan 2019, 12:51 pm   #9
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Some useful info on mods and repairs at these links, including the lights:

http://www.radiomods.co.nz/yaesu/yaesuft290.html

http://www.vss.pl/mods.dk/mods.php3-...ectid=1186.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1jv-5jddwk

Hope that might help a bit.
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Old 13th Feb 2019, 10:41 am   #10
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon_G4MDC View Post
It's an opinion...maybe a modern one.

If you were around when they came out, you might think, my god - how have they done that?
As I did. That's my old opinion.
Absolutely right. An amazing feat of engineering lost on newcomers to the hobby. I still remember being blown away by the Trio 2300...it may have been only fm but what a beauty! To call the 290 a "steaming turd" speaks volumes...and not about the rig. The QRP SSB QSOs that so many of us had on 290s were astonishing.

I had the same feeling about the first FT817...when I got that out of the box, one of the first brought in (from Greece) I was shocked because I thought they'd forgotten to include the battery pack...
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Old 13th Feb 2019, 12:17 pm   #11
Martin G7MRV
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Quote:
Originally Posted by M3VUV51 View Post
good luck,these things are just plain under built,mine had its audio go choppy anything over a quater volume,was a resistor in shrinkwrap turned to dust,it fed the vcc to the audio amp ic ,a 1 watt output ic fed by an eighth watt resistor ***!!,in my opinion these ft 290 rigs are just plain cheap underbuilt junk!! good look, imho better off file it in the junkbox where these pieces of steaming turds belong!! 73 m3vuv.
Well, you know what they say about opinions....

I wonder how many of todays 'wonder' rigs will still be operational after the same time period? Or have the same following? I run the 'Electric Handbag' Yahoo group for these sets - there doesnt seem to be any fall off in people wishing to acquire them.

They do have foibles, mostly caused purely by age, some of which are somewhat tricky to solve, but they were quite cutting edge when conceived - nearly 40 years ago! I myself came to the world at roughly the same time, and I also have foibles and degraded components - and no one could say im under built!
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Old 16th Feb 2019, 7:08 pm   #12
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Going to a few years before the FT290 - who recalls the AR240?

I remember hearing someone describe on air his portable FM rig as "go anywhere with thumbwheels for direct frequency entry".
I checked the date for April 1st - thinking...not possible.

It was probably 1976 through GB3LO.
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Old 16th Feb 2019, 8:03 pm   #13
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I certainly do, as a friend of mine got one. My reaction was similar to yours! This would be in the very late 70's, as I think I had just got married. Over the years I forgot about it, but about ten years ago I was writing a retrospective review of AOR's AR5000 receiver and as I wanted to kick the article off with a brief history of the company I hopped on the 'net and fell over a reference to the AR240. My my, how the memories came flooding back.
They made a nifty little FM monitor receiver too, the AR22 at about the same time.
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Old 16th Feb 2019, 8:13 pm   #14
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I never got into the FT290 but I *did* have a Totsuko TR-2100M whose 1-Watt of SSB was boosted by a Pye A200 linear, to about 10 Watts (the A200 could have done a lot more if only the TR-2100 could have driven it harder). Worked all over Europe when conditions were right - I think the furthest I got was Yoguslavia.
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Old 18th Feb 2019, 8:40 pm   #15
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I didn't really mean to depart from the FT290 Mk1
I think around then a few things came along which disturbed the accepted world as we knew it.

The AR240 was a bit ugly - once Icom had some further work on the concept there came the IC2E - what a beautiful baby!

FT207 was a Yaesu attempt at reply - better with the the FT208.

FT290Mk1 is a landmark for a multi-mode portable rig.
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Old 18th Feb 2019, 10:39 pm   #16
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

I've got a mk1 FT290R here and also the little AOR240.

I also have a little Standard C58 multimode 2m radio. It is even more compact than the Yaesu FT290R and was released at about the same time as the 290R. I actually prefer the C58 to the 290R, it is built better and has a high quality feel although many people won't like the old school slider switches on the front panel. The rotary VFO control is also a bit clunky to use. However, I think the C58 has a nicer receiver and you only have to put them side by side to appreciate the difference in build quality.
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Old 19th Feb 2019, 7:32 pm   #17
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

Ah yes --the C58. I never had one.
What this is telling us is we had better start another discussion which is about vintage stuff!

FT290Mk1 is definitely in! I look forward to it
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Old 19th Feb 2019, 11:54 pm   #18
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Default Re: FT290r mk1

The C58 is definitely a cute little radio but I think it didn't compete with the 290R in terms of sales because it was only sold as a 1W radio and the battery life wasn't great on the AA cells it used. By contrast, the 290R would last for ages on one charge. The C58 also looked quite dated in terms of styling and it definitely didn't have the overall appeal of the 290R. However, the C58 PA could easily run at 2.5W if desired and it was still clean on SSB like this. But the battery life would be very short like this.

I've not seen a 290R with Tx LED issues but I wonder if it could be a ground return issue from the keypad and/or control board? Most of the micro related part of the front panel (keypad) matrix will run on flea power so a weak ground return would still work OK. But it might cause the Tx LED to go dim? But I'm just guessing...
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