The truth is that I'm using an MFJ-929 autotuner with my 897D and having a problem that both Yaesu and MFJ are unwilling to solve.
Can someone here tell me exactly how an FC-30 or 40 works with a radio like the 897D? Here's the problem:
The 897 has two antenna outputs, one for HF and one for 2M/70cm. The HF goes to the tuner and the 2M goes directly to the 2M antenna. There's a cable that runs from the radio to the tuner for communications.
On my radio, once I've set the two menus to enable the tuner, and using the softkeys to enable the tuner, "TUNR" will appear in the radio display showing the tuner is enabled. If I tune the freq outside the legal ham bands the display changes to "tunr" (lower case) which, according to Yaesu tech support, means the tuner is out of range. Fine.
Here's the problem: with my setup when I switch to 2M, the display shows "tunr" since of course my tuner nor the FC30/40 work at 2M. But the tuner is NOT in the path so you'd think there'd be no effect, but I guess the radio doesn't "know" the tuner is not in the 2M transmission path.
Question: does this cause anyone here any problem when using 2M? My 897D reduces power way down like it's protecting itself. Same with the FC-30/40? If turn off the MFJ, or remove the communications cable, or press the "TUNE" softkey to remove "tunr" from the display (AND cycle the power) then it works fine. In other words once the radio sees there's no tuner, it behaves properly.
Anyone have a similar experience with the FC-30/40, or is this some fluke of using an MFJ tuner with the 897D radio? I've posted this on the Yaesu 897 User's Group, but have not received any usable solution.
Thanks,
Mac, AE7VK
