new P.O.S. radio. look closely at pictures n reply

[Rwb]

i wanted a high power 2 meter radio. what i wanted was dropped from production so i bought this pos. worked sorta ok for a few minutes n temperature spiked ,transmission went down. im saying about 3 minutes on 80 watts on simplex,thats 2 way conservation. let it cool down n same crap again. checked voltage. it drops a 40 power supply from 14 volts to 12.5 on 30 watts n from 14 volts on 80 watts to 11.9 volts. i spent $25 for shipping to let it set at repair center 2 damm months just to get a new mic n a severe lecture about using 80 watts. i asked wtf they put 80 watt capability in it n i cant use it? subject was changed immedietly to my power supply is bad. i then said i run a 160 watt mirage n it only drops my power supply from 14 volts to 13.6. anyhow i see ive lost the battle. when the pos arrived it got hot on 30 watts talking simplex like 150 degrees in 10 minutes. its new but hey they aint gonna fix it so i opened it up n seen shitty workmanship. can anybody else spot the trouble? im waiting on a needed item to arrive n i will fix it myself. 1 ground lug soldered too,not a killer but sloppy workmanship. least i only got 1 lug to unsolder on ground side you can see slip of paper between board n ground lug

 

[W4KVW]

i wanted a high power 2 meter radio. what i wanted was dropped from production so i bought this pos. worked sorta ok for a few minutes n temperature spiked ,transmission went down. im saying about 3 minutes on 80 watts on simplex,thats 2 way conservation. let it cool down n same crap again. checked voltage. it drops a 40 power supply from 14 volts to 12.5 on 30 watts n from 14 volts on 80 watts to 11.9 volts. i spent $25 for shipping to let it set at repair center 2 damm months just to get a new mic n a severe lecture about using 80 watts. i asked wtf they put 80 watt capability in it n i cant use it? subject was changed immedietly to my power supply is bad. i then said i run a 160 watt mirage n it only drops my power supply from 14 volts to 13.6. anyhow i see ive lost the battle. when the pos arrived it got hot on 30 watts talking simplex like 150 degrees in 10 minutes. its new but hey they aint gonna fix it so i opened it up n seen shitty workmanship. can anybody else spot the trouble? im waiting on a needed item to arrive n i will fix it myself. 1 ground lug soldered too,not a killer but sloppy workmanship. least i only got 1 lug to unsolder on ground side you can see slip of paper between board n ground lugView attachment 44797 View attachment 44798 View attachment 44799

I don't see any mention of what brand the radio is but I know that Yaesu has had many issues with their so called 80 watt radios that us a 75 watt final.The TYT & QYT models also have lots of issues with failures & I have a QYT that I'm returning Tomorrow & it's only a 25 watt model that lasted about 2 hours of actual talk time.Glad I purchased the 3 year extended warranty from Amazon or I'd be stuck with a Useless POS that does not work on transmit on the 440 band.

SIX-SHOOTER

 

[Shockwave]

That RF module package was enough of a problem when they started trying to stuff 25 and 50 watt output and driver stages in the same package. Reliability can only drop off from there, on your way to achieving 80 watts from a 75 watt module. When I use to do service work, Kenwood VHF and UHF radios were constantly blowing up these RF packages because, Kenwood didn't feel there was any need to place more than a half drop of heatsink compound on the back.

My advice on new purchases like this, is to open the cover immediately after buying it and inspect the RF module for any trace of heatsink compound protruding out of the any edge of the part. When you see none, remove the two screws, tilt the package upwards and put some compound under it before your 90 day warranty backfires on you. Any radio using this type of RF output module, is not going to be as reliable as one that uses a discrete driver and final transistor.

 

[AudioShockwav]

I think that is a 60 watt module to start with on 2 meters, so why are they calling it a 80 watt module?

73
Jeff

On edit:
I just found the data sheet, yes it is rated 80 watts.
For some reason I thought it was 60.
My bad.

 

[Rwb]

it gets fixed n it goin byebye. sad they do low quality build to sell numbers. i promise no more of this brand. and the bs story service guy told me left me thinkin he is rehersed to say certain things n avoid answers like me asking why i cant use the advertised 80 watts? i do talk simplex a long way n use the power.when local i use less.

 

[AudioShockwav]

These ratings are bull

Look at the label on this 9900 showing duty cycle.
I think this how they try to. call it a 60 watt radio, by reducing the duty cycle.

So in this case Yaesu is calling it a 80 watt radio.....but at what Duty cycle?
I wonder what Yaesu uses for this number ?
Do they even list this info in the manual?
After they got done "fixing" your radio do they not even bench test it and see the power output dropping?

This is getting to be the norm with manufactures.


73
Jeff

 

[Rwb]

These ratings are bull

Look at the label on this 9900 showing duty cycle.
I think this how they try to. call it a 60 watt radio, by reducing the duty cycle.

So in this case Yaesu is calling it a 80 watt radio.....but at what Duty cycle?
I wonder what Yaesu uses for this number ?
Do they even list this info in the manual?
After they got done "fixing" your radio do they not even bench test it and see the power output dropping?

This is getting to be the norm with manufactures.


73
Jeff

i cant find duty cycle anywhere on the radio or manual. after this escapade ,there is no way id buy their better radios. and how i was treated by the parts changer on the phone was less than stellar customer service. id say after the very short time i got to use it yaesu is a smoke n mirror kinda place. i hope anybody thinkin they want bigger power sees this n rethinks as we EARN OUR $$$ and we dont deserve junk like this. but thats my opinion. on another note thats an easy way to reduce your popularity on the consumer end

 

[Rwb]

HUGE UPDATE. i removed the finals,cleaned the hit n miss thermal paste. put a very light even coat on the finals then installed tightning the screws then soldering it back. lyin tech at yahoo. i laid a fan on top be seen in photos. i talked simplex with 3 friends setting on 80 watts.it stayed cool. about 73 degrees in my house n radio never got up to 100 degrees. plus the voltage didnt drop as bad either. if i did it all over again id remove finals n check them but why must 1 do this to a new radio? i will use it n see what dies next.

i used to solder tiny battery cells at eagle pitcher back in the winter of 74 as dump truck used to stop when it grew cold. i soldered cells for space craft batterys that activated many functions. id get a headache every night when i soldered the mini batterys,used a magnifying stand n holding fixture. i can solder so i did fix my yaaHOO

 

[AudioShockwav]

i did it all over again id remove finals n check them but why must 1 do this to a new radio?

They are building them RCI style I guess.
The new guys coming into the hobby are going to have to bone up on tech.
Buy a new 2 meter rig, take it home, unbox, pull covers, look for cold solder joints, remove & clean power devices, add new heat sink compound, reinstall power devices, check frequency , set power , set FM deviation, put covers on and then enjoy your new radio.

Sounds like a Connex 4600 turbo but this is one of the " big" 3 manufactures of ham radio.
And to have to put up with that attitude from a service tech is no service at all.
Sounds like he is not happy with his job.
They were made aware of the problem and did not even catch the thermal issue.
I have to wonder if they even set it up and keyed it longer than 5 min to see if the power remained stable?
Next wonder is how many of these radios went across his bench this week?
You might expect that from Joe in South Carolina that builds knock off Davemade amps but not someone in customer service at Yaesu.

73
Jeff

 

[Rwb]

They are building them RCI style I guess.
The new guys coming into the hobby are going to have to bone up on tech.
Buy a new 2 meter rig, take it home, unbox, pull covers, look for cold solder joints, remove & clean power devices, add new heat sink compound, reinstall power devices, check frequency , set power , set FM deviation, put covers on and then enjoy your new radio.

Sounds like a Connex 4600 turbo but this is one of the " big" 3 manufactures of ham radio.
And to have to put up with that attitude from a service tech is no service at all.
Sounds like he is not happy with his job.
They were made aware of the problem and did not even catch the thermal issue.
I have to wonder if they even set it up and keyed it longer than 5 min to see if the power remained stable?
Next wonder is how many of these radios went across his bench this week?
You might expect that from Joe in South Carolina that builds knock off Davemade amps but not someone in customer service at Yaesu.

73
Jeff

I was informed it was set on bench set at 80 watts 2 yes 2 minutes. cover was never removed either.i put clear shipping tape over screws n i had to work to remove the tape. but on bottom side i gained a couple deep scratches that wasnt there when it left home. i packed it in old foam rubber i had that works great for shipping. Yes you are very correct about opening new radios up n studying them in detail .i say use a real good magnafying glass and be thorough n take your time too .

 

[Shockwave]

Out of the "big three", Yaesu is the least trusted name in new ham radio equipment. Everything I purchased from Yaesu 20 and 30 years ago, is still working today. Everything I purchased new from Yaesu within the last 10 years, was sold with factory defects that eventually deteriorated into multiple failures making them paper weights today.

Just be glad your fix was easy and you got to it before it ate up the RF module. Once it gets hot enough for the efficiency to drop off to the point where you see it drawing more current, while making less output, you're about an inch away from cooking the final transistor. It's a combination of not caring about debugging anything prior to initial sale, combined with "planed obsolescence".

Because that final is inside a module containing everything from the tuned input to the driver, through the output strip lines, you have to pay three times as much for this part as a more reliable, discrete final transistor. I noticed it looks like Yaesu is rolling the compound onto the heatsink. It is very easy to see in the pictures, an area above the module where the heatsink compound was applied. Unfortunately, there are huge voids in the application that were probably under the part too.

This problem is common and not one exclusive to Yaesu. We should expect anything new to have a poor application of compound and if the rig is valuable, inspect and repair immediately upon purchase. You'd be amazed how many outputs are installed without properly torqueing the screws down too. Always check to make sure they are snug enough to maintain the required pressure against the heatsink but, not tight enough to distort the mounting surface of the part or heatsink.

The reason we have things like "SillPads" and all types of compound alternatives is because it takes a skilled person to apply a thin, even layer of compound by hand and insure the output has been properly mounted to the heatsink. Automation usually fails here unless all skill requirements can be removed, by eliminating the compound in favor of a lesser thermal bond.

 

[Rwb]

Out of the "big three", Yaesu is the least trusted name in new ham radio equipment. Everything I purchased from Yaesu 20 and 30 years ago, is still working today. Everything I purchased new from Yaesu within the last 10 years, was sold with factory defects that eventually deteriorated into multiple failures making them paper weights today.

Just be glad your fix was easy and you got to it before it ate up the RF module. Once it gets hot enough for the efficiency to drop off to the point where you see it drawing more current, while making less output, you're about an inch away from cooking the final transistor. It's a combination of not caring about debugging anything prior to initial sale, combined with "planed obsolescence".

Because that final is inside a module containing everything from the tuned input to the driver, through the output strip lines, you have to pay three times as much for this part as a more reliable, discrete final transistor. I noticed it looks like Yaesu is rolling the compound onto the heatsink. It is very easy to see in the pictures, an area above the module where the heatsink compound was applied. Unfortunately, there are huge voids in the application that were probably under the part too.

This problem is common and not one exclusive to Yaesu. We should expect anything new to have a poor application of compound and if the rig is valuable, inspect and repair immediately upon purchase. You'd be amazed how many outputs are installed without properly torqueing the screws down too. Always check to make sure they are snug enough to maintain the required pressure against the heatsink but, not tight enough to distort the mounting surface of the part or heatsink.

The reason we have things like "SillPads" and all types of compound alternatives is because it takes a skilled person to apply a thin, even layer of compound by hand and insure the output has been properly mounted to the heatsink. Automation usually fails here unless all skill requirements can be removed, by eliminating the compound in favor of a lesser thermal bond.

yes sir. i did put thermal paste on at eagle pitcher for about 2 weeks and we did it by rubber gloved hand,nice even thin coats can be achived. had to laugh cause they hired me to measure battery cell thickness n put me in thermal paste installation station. i needed to solder a componet in a cb radio n did it during lunch,foreman watched me n said you solder ?
i said yes n boom i got a whopping 50 cent raise n went to soldering. i opened that radio n first look was OPPSIE BAD PASTE COVERAGE. and yes im lucky i cured it before parts fried . i found the final assembly and it cost half the price of the radio $65 plus $10 shipping.i paid $145 for it new from associated radio in kansas city. they offered to do what i did free but its 145 miles to them. huge kudos to associated a family store still open

 

[Slowmover]

Not good luck to be the coyote kills chickens at your place, is it?

 

[Rwb]

Not good luck to be the coyote kills chickens at your place, is it?

that wylie never won here slowmover

 

[Slowmover]

that wylie never won here slowmover

Nor radios that go bad.