Yaesu-FRG-7

Decal / Fascia Transfer Number / Letter Sticker Kit

kelvin.foulkes@... — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:46:00 -0800

Hi All,

I have recently got my hands on one of these and would like to make it look pretty again and it has not been looked after that well.

Its all good from a functional point of view but some of the lettering on the front fascia has been rubbed off and there are a few scratches around some of the knobs.

I was wondering if anyone is doing a front fascia Transfer/Sticker kit that would give my set a refreshed look?

Or, if anyone has any ideas of how I can achieve the same (or close) by means of a different process, then please share.

Thanks in advance guys.

Re: Beginning a FRG-7 restoration

dpelz@... (Dieter VK3FFB) — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:17:00 -0800

Hello John,

Much appreciated. I have good measurement gear in my shack, including a boat-anchor Agilent 8753 network analyser :)

Dieter

Re: Beginning a FRG-7 restoration

dpelz@... (Dieter VK3FFB) — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:15:15 -0800

Excellent. thanks Steve.

Re: Beginning a FRG-7 restoration

stevequigg@... (Steve Quigg (VK2TUM)) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 12:07:10 -0800

Hi Dieter

Also in the files section "4 - FRG-7 Service Notes" there is a lot of useful info. The two magazine articles by Lindsay Hood are highly recommended reading re theory of operation and alignment.

Regards

Steve

Re: Beginning a FRG-7 restoration

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 09:26:25 -0800

Hi Dieter.

take a look in the files section, you will find the manual, it’s a little challenging to follow without a scope in that range

I measured my voltages the other week as I’m chasing issues around a heavily modified unit

i don’t have records with me but there is a pdf that gives a realistic table, it has Fluke in the title

br john

Beginning a FRG-7 restoration

dpelz@... (Dieter VK3FFB) — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 19:19:18 -0800

Hello FRG-7 friends

I have purchased a relatively well preserved FRG-7 from a friend. I owned one as a young SWL and used it to learn CW by copying maritime CW broadcasts on HF.

I wonder if there are recommendations for a general restoration strategy. My FRG-7 is working quite well. I note the locking is perhaps a bit difficult to adjust in certain ranges.

I am aware of the need to check/replace electrolytic capacitors and I have also seen resistors losing their nominal resistance due to ageing effects.

So, I am keen on any "must-do" restoration actions and also "don't do" ones. I can imagine that some fine-tuning may perhaps be necessary. Perhaps there are also some often encountered faults in these old receivers.

I bought my unit in 1977 if my memory is correct.

I understand there is perhaps no separate service manual for the FRG-7. I recall seeing a "voltage chart" which may be the first thing to check.

Thanks in advance for any comments, advice and information.

73

Dieter

Re: BBC Short Wave Schedule

481renton@... (Chris Campbell) — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 03:24:16 -0800

Glad they're still on the air. Need to fire up my FRG-7 and listen in. I don't use it enough.

BBC Short Wave Schedule

julian@... (Julian_Hardstone) — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 15:18:46 -0800

As an update to my earlier recommendations for listening to BBC World Service transmissions from Wooferton and external relay stations, I see that the Malaysia and Madagascar tx are no longer used. Vatican City and Oman have been added as relays.

The current schedule can be seen at Global Short Wave Frequencies, and follow the links for more details. This page is updated seasonally.

- Julian

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

julian@... (Julian_Hardstone) — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 23:41:22 -0800

So sorry to read your cynical view of SW Broadcast listening Mark; in my experience, as long as you can get a reasonably quiet receive on a long wire or a loop, you will find delights throughout the band. An FRG-7 is a pleasure to drive, and the ability to step in 1MHz increments is good for Broadcast listening.

Before you go out for your daily exercise or shopping round, check the Broadcast bands from 30m up. On 22m you will identify RNZ on a good day. Turkey is everywhere, though English broadcasts are in the afternoon and evening, while China dominates SW 24 hours of the day in all languages. Remember that CRI can be surprisingly strong in the UK, thanks to relays from Wooferton and Germany. In the evening the 'Equatorial' bands are far from equatorial these days, once again CRI is everywhere, and India, the far East, and Dutch pirates. 75m always interests me, if you're lucky you may hear BBC WS from the Singapore relay. Others I like to look for in the morning are BBC French for Africa from Ascension and Madagascar.

Switch to USB and another world opens up, with Volmet stations around the British Isles. Trawlers are everywhere, they don't seem to bother with 'bands' these days.

If you aren't getting anything interesting on your home, just try one of the many Kiwi online SDR systems, some of which have good reception from VLF upwards. I've just spent an hour transfixed while listening to a good one I use. Go to https://rx-tx.info/map-sdr-points , select KiwiSDR and zoom in on your location. When you select one, the operating instructions are linked from the Welcome panel. It may give you a standard you can strive for!

- Julian

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

dodacarem@... (Mark Feltham) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:51:37 -0800

If there was anything of interest to take in I’d agree, alas there is just propaganda and fake American accents ��
This is doubtful to enrich your grey matter..

Best 73

Radio (a sad demise but it had to come)

Sent from the all-new AOL app for iOS

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 10:45:26 -0800

I actually agree with everything you said and very strongly agree that movement/Gym/walking is priority but what I'm doing here is to also exercise my mind and keep the fundamentals of diagnostics/understanding and process active too.

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

dodacarem@... (Mark Feltham) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 09:40:41 -0800

You will soon get fed up with it��

I’m licenced and I’m

Afraid you are now better off going to a gym or exercising of some type to keep healthy..

Sitting around a radio in 2025 is the most unhealthy pastime there is gents..

Most of the broadcast stations are gone on the tropical bands too.

All I hear now is old hams talking to old hams about their prostate operations on 75 metres..

The Golden age is now over..

Spend your time getting fit, it’s wiser..

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:39:05 -0800

I'm quite lucky up here on north west UK, there are still some broadcast stations to listen to and the odd Ham as well, however, I'm enjoying the experience and 're-learning' a lot as well.

Br.

John.

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

dodacarem@... (Mark Feltham) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:04:23 -0800

But John

There is nothing left to listen to anymore

Sent from the all-new AOL app for iOS

Re: FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 08:01:25 -0800

Got it, there is a flat tension plate behind the front panel, remove the panel, clamp the shaft and you can increase the drag on the clutch.

Cleaned all the muck out and ts much better now.

Looks like its been dropped on its face at some time as shafts are a little bend.

Anyone any thoughts on how to get rid of decade of nicotine smell?

Br John.

FRG-7 Mechanical adjustment

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Sun, 23 Feb 2025 06:33:41 -0800

Good day all.

Question, how does the preselect drive clutch work please, has anyone had to adjust it.

I have some backlash that seems to be within the clutch mechanism, the output shaft to the toothed drive for drum and on to the VC couplers is good.

Interested if anyone has stripped the clutch before.

Br.

John.

Re: Ebay Lucky-Dip FRG7

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 03:38:25 -0800

Started again from the beginning.

1. stripped out the 2m converter, completely rewired the antenna connections and removed a pair of 1meg resisters from So239.

2. stripped the Band switch and cleaned the wipers, this made a big difference

3. cleaned the Dx/LOCAL switch again

4. mechanically aligned the preselect/Mhz and Khz dials

5. cleaned up potential dry joints

6. washed off the PCBs with IPA and inspected tracks

Results, much better but still issues.

Worked part way through the alignment, stopped due to scope not being up to parr.

Worked through Q101 to Q111 voltage chart, found Q110 and Q111 C&B voltages out to list, adjusted VR102 nearly 1/4 turn and they are now somewhere near, LED goes out on most of range now, but its clear there is still a problem in the selective filter area.

FRG7 alignement

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 03:22:51 -0800

Good day All.

I have a TinySA that have been using as an RF sig gen and a Zeewiie DSO1151g scope that 'should' run past 100Mhz, well lets just say 30Mhz is about its limit, this means I'm unable to look at signals in RF range.

My question, attached are sample alignment procedures.

Given that I dont have a fit-for-purpose scope (have three scope probes) but do have a TinySA and a NanoVNA (on the way) how should I then perform the alignements that require use of a scope, so what modifications do I make to testing and how should I review the results.

Scopes, Im happy with using. SA and VNA interpretation, I'm not familiar with and no option to buy a higher bandwidth scope.

Thank you.

Br John.

Re: Ebay Lucky-Dip FRG7

reeferjon@... (John Walker) — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 13:45:27 -0800

Hey Mike.

Changed it today, nothing wrong with it, took the opportunity to resolder the joints around the area, no difference.

Will retake measurements of all TP again tomorrow and may crank up the signal gen a few db

John

Re: Ebay Lucky-Dip FRG7

g4thn@... (Mike Anthony) — Sun, 09 Feb 2025 13:35:51 -0800

Indeed, I get 112mV as well at the junction of R117 & R118. So something is shorted to ground here. R118 perhaps?

Sent from Mike's iPad