FT-480R woes - Page 4 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

murphyv310 · 23rd Feb 2022, 10:16 am

Hi Eddie.
The relevant circuitry and part number from Yaesu was supplied. The manufacturer is I believe in Holland or Belgium and they apparently know the crystal well. Vince is sending me two close types to check the board but as I've swapped the Crystal's over its looking like the crystal is the culprit.

eddie_ce · 23rd Feb 2022, 10:21 am

Hi Trevor,
I must have missed that. I hope you get it sorted in the end as it would be a shame to bin the rig for the want of a crystal.

SiriusHardware · 23rd Feb 2022, 10:47 am

Quote:

Vince has double checked with the factory and confirmed it is to the Yaesu spec as they have the full details.

Hang on though, you put an original crystal from another set in there and it works, but this new one does not, therefore, it can not be exactly the same as an original crystal despite the supplier's best efforts.

I have some sympathy with both you and the supplier, I once tried to get another band crystal made for an old Mizuho handheld HF transceiver and I even sent an original crystal to the supplier for analysis, but the new crystal still didn't behave right - the band / bend range of each band was supposed to be 50Khz but the new crystal spanned about 80KHz with a really fast change of frequency towards one end.

Crystals which were made to be used in this type of application are just very difficult to reproduce.

murphyv310 · 23rd Feb 2022, 2:56 pm

Good news and very odd.
I hadn't refitted the new crystal back in the board that had the rusted one. I decided just to put it back in earlier on and surprise surprise it immediately ran and virtually bang on. After a lot of poking about it continued to work perfectly. So I set up the full PLL unit and everything went perfectly. Power is 1 5 Watts with my home made PA stage and I've had two QSOs this afternoon with excellent reports. I'll try it tonight on the SSB NET on 144.295mhz and see what reports I get.
I have to say I'm very chuffed.
I've contacted Vince with the good news.

Radio Wrangler · 23rd Feb 2022, 3:41 pm

Sorry, Trevor, I'm lost now. I'm not sure what's been fitted where and what happened each time. You've got the new crystal working in one FT480, though.

David

murphyv310 · 23rd Feb 2022, 3:54 pm

Three ft-480r radios now working.
This one needs a PA module but it's running with a home made transistor PA giving one watt. On a QSO into Ayr as I type.

murphyv310 · 23rd Feb 2022, 4:42 pm

Addendum to the above post.
Output is between 1 and 1.5 Watts. With 13.8 to 14v 1.5w at 12.4v, 1 watt.

murphyv310 · 24th Feb 2022, 10:57 am

Hi.
On the usual SSB net last evening I was copied in the Isle of Jura using the QRP radio, I could only just hear the other side, antenna is a vertical SlimJim on the chimney which is approximately 90 meters ASL and an approximate distance of 68 miles, pretty good with the set up.

murphyv310 · 26th Feb 2022, 5:04 pm

Hi.
Well the radio is more or less signed off now. I finalised the setting up of the main board with two settings wildly out of adjustment. The balanced modulator was way out and the USB carrier balance was out causing a high carrier level with no audio modulation. I also dug out my old linear amp and am getting a good 20watts using it, the FT-480R has a switched 12v on TX to operate the linear rather than RF sensing. So all good now the FT-480R I received from David is the one I'll use in the car, the QRP radio could be used portable and I've made up a battery using an old Dyson battery from a V7 with a DC to DC converter for 13.8v seems to run for a good few hours on receive and perhaps an hour or two on TX. I also use a spare smartphone for generation of the CTCSS codes for repeater access using a tone generator app this works well and again via the connector on the bottom of the radio, was rewarded with a QSO via Snaefell IOM to M7MGO in Whitehaven last evening.
I'm happy now all is completed.

murphyv310 · 16th Mar 2022, 10:10 pm

Just a wee update on this.
I was getting reports of distortion on SSB. The reason is the 2SC1972A PA had no bias, OK on FM but not in Sideband. So I've added regulated bias to the PA and this has cured the issue also gained about 20% more output on FM, the transistor remains stone cold.
Got myself a nice little QRP radio for portable use that works nicely on the Dyson battery.
Very pleased.

23rd Feb 2022, 10:16 am	#61
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Hi Eddie. The relevant circuitry and part number from Yaesu was supplied. The manufacturer is I believe in Holland or Belgium and they apparently know the crystal well. Vince is sending me two close types to check the board but as I've swapped the Crystal's over its looking like the crystal is the culprit. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

23rd Feb 2022, 10:21 am	#62
eddie_ce Hexode Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: nr. Hannover, Germany Posts: 371	Re: FT-480R woes Hi Trevor, I must have missed that. I hope you get it sorted in the end as it would be a shame to bin the rig for the want of a crystal. __________________ Eddie BVWS Member. Friend of the BVWTM

23rd Feb 2022, 2:56 pm	#64
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Good news and very odd. I hadn't refitted the new crystal back in the board that had the rusted one. I decided just to put it back in earlier on and surprise surprise it immediately ran and virtually bang on. After a lot of poking about it continued to work perfectly. So I set up the full PLL unit and everything went perfectly. Power is 1 5 Watts with my home made PA stage and I've had two QSOs this afternoon with excellent reports. I'll try it tonight on the SSB NET on 144.295mhz and see what reports I get. I have to say I'm very chuffed. I've contacted Vince with the good news. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

23rd Feb 2022, 3:41 pm	#65
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 21,139	Re: FT-480R woes Sorry, Trevor, I'm lost now. I'm not sure what's been fitted where and what happened each time. You've got the new crystal working in one FT480, though. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

23rd Feb 2022, 3:54 pm	#66
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Three ft-480r radios now working. This one needs a PA module but it's running with a home made transistor PA giving one watt. On a QSO into Ayr as I type. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

23rd Feb 2022, 4:42 pm	#67
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Addendum to the above post. Output is between 1 and 1.5 Watts. With 13.8 to 14v 1.5w at 12.4v, 1 watt. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

24th Feb 2022, 10:57 am	#68
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Hi. On the usual SSB net last evening I was copied in the Isle of Jura using the QRP radio, I could only just hear the other side, antenna is a vertical SlimJim on the chimney which is approximately 90 meters ASL and an approximate distance of 68 miles, pretty good with the set up. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

26th Feb 2022, 5:04 pm	#69
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Hi. Well the radio is more or less signed off now. I finalised the setting up of the main board with two settings wildly out of adjustment. The balanced modulator was way out and the USB carrier balance was out causing a high carrier level with no audio modulation. I also dug out my old linear amp and am getting a good 20watts using it, the FT-480R has a switched 12v on TX to operate the linear rather than RF sensing. So all good now the FT-480R I received from David is the one I'll use in the car, the QRP radio could be used portable and I've made up a battery using an old Dyson battery from a V7 with a DC to DC converter for 13.8v seems to run for a good few hours on receive and perhaps an hour or two on TX. I also use a spare smartphone for generation of the CTCSS codes for repeater access using a tone generator app this works well and again via the connector on the bottom of the radio, was rewarded with a QSO via Snaefell IOM to M7MGO in Whitehaven last evening. I'm happy now all is completed. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member

16th Mar 2022, 10:10 pm	#70
murphyv310 Dekatron Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK. Posts: 5,210	Re: FT-480R woes Just a wee update on this. I was getting reports of distortion on SSB. The reason is the 2SC1972A PA had no bias, OK on FM but not in Sideband. So I've added regulated bias to the PA and this has cured the issue also gained about 20% more output on FM, the transistor remains stone cold. Got myself a nice little QRP radio for portable use that works nicely on the Dyson battery. Very pleased. __________________ Cheers, Trevor. 2M0GZQ. RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC. Member