Yaesu Ft101EE questions

[KC9WEW]

Hi I am a new ham and I have been looking into a HF radio and found a FT 101EE.

Here were the details "Vintage Yaesu FT-101EE. Very nice condition as seen in pictures. also comes with some parts and a Yaesu FT-101E SSB Transceiver.Sold as is."

ft 101 1.jpgft 101 2.jpg

Some more info I got when emailing him.

"yes it comes with power cord. it does work and get power, one of the old boards was arking and was changed. It does Transmit and receive"

He even was even honest enough to tell me this " This may not be the radio for you if you just got your technician license. as far as having to do repairs on it from time to time. it is working great now but you know how these radio can be."

After doing some research it seems like a good radio, and the only thing that really worry me is if it had future problems. I dont really have alot to spend on a HF radio. And he is asking $125 so its in my price range.

More opinions about if I should purchase this radio and opinions on the radio itself would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks everyone!
KC9WEW

[K7GFH]

Hello and congrats on your new ticket. My opinion and there are many....

The 101 series is a great radio. Besides ssb which you are limited too right now you will have am with this unit. They are a tube type rig but in a modular design. Most of the sections/blocks in this unit can be removed with two screws. They can be a little tricky to tune up, you must follow the instructions or risk damage to the unit or a very unclean signal. Yes they are difficult to work on, I am attempting to fix a tx problem with mine right now. It would be best to find an Elmer that has experience with this or other tube rigs. They are tough and if it works now it will more than likely continue to work for a long time. They look cool and sound great. It is rumored that after you get your general ticket, you could get on 80m am and mingle with the am boys. Not keep up with but mingle! AM audio on these sounds very nice if tuned properly. If you can get it for less than $125.00. I bought mine for $85.00 with a D104 mic. Any questions reply here or my call at arrl.net.

73

[K7MH]

" This may not be the radio for you if you just got your technician license. as far as having to do repairs on it from time to time. it is working great now but you know how these radio can be."

I think he is trying to tell you something without actually telling you anything.

it does work and get power, one of the old boards was arking and was changed. It does Transmit and receive"

That doesn't really tell you much of anything.

$125 is a pretty low price for a good working 101EE (the economy model, no speech processor).
I wouldn't buy it unless you can check it out very well first or fix it yourself.

Proceed at your own risk.