Saturday, October 8, 2011

Printing out the manual for the Yaesu FT-101

I have the Manual for the Yaesu FT-101 saved on my USB Drive.
The plan that I have concocted for it is to take it into computer
class at Corinne Camp Wellness and Advocacy Center.  I'll print
it there on their printer, saving toner/ink for my printer and saving
paper as well.  In fact, I'm not even sure that my printer will handle
43 pages of paper, that's apparently how many pages are in the
manual.  It's a Service Manual.  Service Manuals are always bigger
and more detailed.  Which is a good thing.

Wish me luck in my endeavor.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Steve Jobs, has died, he was 56 years old.

I'll be brief, i'm sure there are a lot of people who are grieving tonight.

Steve Jobs was one of the worlds greatest innovators.  Without his
guidance I will feel like a ship without a rudder.  These visionaries
don't just come along every day, there can only be a few for each
generation, and Steve definitely was that an innovator and a visionary.

I know that my family will miss him dearly.  Thanks Steve and RIP.

-marcus

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

I happened upon a Yaesu FT-101



Dave my buddy gave me a Yaesu FT-101.  And I like it a lot.  It has 
potential


I'm asking you dear reader, would you fix up an old Yaesu FT 101 if 
you had one?  Or, would you just call it too old and be too busy to 
mess with it?

It has an AC? cord that has had the wall plug end cut off.  I under-
stand that some people do this because they don't want someone 
to burn down their shack or let the smoke out.  I don't think they are 
DC wires because it's uniform brown stuck together wire just like 
you would find in an AC extension cord (not industrial).  My intuition 
tells me that if it were a DC harness it would be black and red with 
fuses inline.  

I really don't want to let the smoke out.  I see no way to tell the radio 
that it is getting either AC or DC.  It may have some internal way of 
sensing that.  It's heavy. 30 LBS and built like a tank. 

Tomorrow i'm going to test the tubes.  I hope there's a schematic on 
the underside of the top panel. I should get some steel wool, and start 
dabbing at it with rubbing alcohol and vaseline.  I'll get it shined up 
nicely.  Maybe put some Mink Oil on the leather handle. 


You know, it's the same with computers.  I can hardly bear to throw 
them away, John KD6PAG came by and we took about six computers 
to the Computer Recycling Center.  I just look at an old computer 
and i think there's life in there, it talks to me.  I guess i'm the same 
about old radios.  There's magic in there, and the glowing tubes 
and lighted meters talk to me.

 I still have 5 computers mostly pretty old in my little apartment 
and one in the trunk of the car and a couple in storage.   

I should try to interface one with the TV one of these days.