Instruction Manual FR-101

YAESU MUSEN CO., LTD. TOKYO JAPAN

General Description

The FR-101 is a solid-state communications receiver designed for flexibility, offering all-mode reception on twenty-one 500 KHz amateur and shortwave broadcast bands from 160 through 2 meters. It supports transceive or independent receive/transmit functions with the matching FL-101 transmitter or FT-101E/277E transceiver. Features include a double-balanced mixer for superior cross-modulation and intermodulation rejection, plug-in modules for reliability and service simplicity, a linear tuning, temperature-compensated VFO with 1 KHz frequency readability, a built-in 100 KHz/25 KHz crystal calibrator, selectable AGC with fast attack/slow release for SSB/AM and fast release for CW (or AGC disable), and a built-in noise blanker with adjustable threshold. It also includes provisions for external VFO operation and a crystal oscillator for 4-channel fixed frequency reception. The unit has a self-contained AC power supply adjustable for various global voltages. The SP-101PB/277PB phone-patch and external speaker combination is a useful accessory.

Specifications

Frequency Range: Covers amateur bands from 160m (1.8-2.0 MHz) to 2m (144-148 MHz), including various shortwave bands. Specific ranges are detailed in the original document.

Type of Emission: USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY.

Frequency Stability: Within 100 Hz per 30 minutes after warm-up; within 100 Hz with 10% line voltage variation.

Calibration Accuracy: 1 KHz maximum after 100 KHz calibration.

Backlash: Not more than 50 Hz.

Antenna Impedance: 50 ohm unbalanced nominal.

Power Requirement: 100/110/117/200/220/234 volt AC 50/60 Hz or 13.5 volt DC nominal.

Sensitivity: SSB and CW: 0.3 μV for 10 dB S+N/N on 14 MHz. AM: 1 μV on 14 MHz. FM: 12 dB SINAD.

Selectivity: Varies by mode, e.g., CW-N: 0.6 KHz/6 dB, 1.5 KHz/60 dB; SSB/AM-N: 2.4 KHz/6 dB, 4 KHz/60 dB.

Harmonic & Other Spurious Response: Image Rejection: Better than 60 dB. Internal Spurious Signal: Below 1 μV equivalent.

Automatic Gain Control: Threshold nominal 1 μV. Selectable time constant (fast/slow). Fast attack 3ms, slow attack 4ms. Fast release 0.5s, slow release 2s.

Audio Noise Level: Not less than 40 dB below 1 watt.

Audio Output: 2 watts at 4 ohm impedance.

Audio Distortion: Less than 10% at 2 watts output.

Dimensions: 340(W) x 153(H) x 285(D) mm.

Weight: 9 Kg.

Semiconductors: Includes various Silicon TRs, FETs, and ICs.

Diodes: Includes various types of diodes.

Installation

General: Carefully unpack and inspect for damage. Retain packaging. Avoid excessively warm locations and ensure adequate ventilation.

Power Requirement: The unit is multi-voltage AC (100-234V) or 12V DC (negative ground). Ensure the rear panel voltage setting matches the local supply. Improper voltage can cause permanent damage.

Antenna and Ground: Designed for 50-75 ohm antennas. A center-fed dipole with coaxial cable is recommended. For other antenna types, an antenna tuner is necessary. Connect to a good ground via the GND terminal.

Speaker: Connect a 4 ohm speaker to the SP jack on the rear panel. The accessory SP-101B/277B or SP-101PB/277PB is recommended.

Headphone: A headphone jack is provided on the front panel. For low-sensitivity headphones, resistor R11 may need to be shorted.

Mute: The MUTE jack allows external muting. Shorting the inner conductor to ground enables reception. An RCA plug with shorted conductors should be inserted for standalone operation. This jack can be wired to a transmitter's relay for automatic muting during transmit.

Controls and Switches

All controls are factory-adjusted for optimal performance. Understanding each control's function is crucial before operation.

Front Panel Controls:

MAIN TUNING (1): Sets the receiving frequency.
BAND (2): 21-position switch for selecting frequency bands.
FUNCTION SWITCH (3): Includes POWER (activates AC power), STBY (mutes receiver), NB (activates Noise Blanker), DIGIT (disables last digit on digital readout models), and CALIB (activates 100 KHz/25 KHz calibrator).
MODE (4): Selects reception mode (USB, LSB, CW, AM, FM, RTTY) and associated filters.
AF-RF GAIN (5): Concentric knobs for controlling audio output level (inner) and RF/IF gain (outer).
SELECT (6): Selects between external VFO or internal crystal-controlled channels (INT position for internal operation).
AGC (7): Selects AGC time constant (SLOW, FAST, OFF). SLOW for SSB/CW, FAST for break-in CW/RTTY, OFF for difficult CW conditions.
CLAR-TRANS (8): Concentric knobs. CLAR (Clarifier) adjusts receiver frequency slightly for offset tuning. TRANS (Transceiver) aligns receiver and transmitter frequencies for transceive operation.
PRESELECTOR (9): Permeability-tunes front-end coils for optimal reception on each band.
MONITOR-SQUELCH (10): MONITOR listens to transmitted signal during transceive. SQUELCH adjusts FM reception threshold.
VHF (11): Selects optional 6m and 2m VHF converters. Set to HF for normal reception.
RF ATT (12): RF Attenuator reduces incoming signal strength to prevent front-end overload.
PHONE-RECORD (13): Jacks for private listening and recording.
S-METER (14): Indicates relative signal strength (S-Units and dB).
BAND INDICATOR (15): Automatically shows the selected band.
DIAL LOCK (16): Locks the main tuning dial for calibration.

Rear Panel Jacks:

ANTENNA CONNECTOR (1): Coaxial connectors for HF, 6m, and 2m bands (50 ohm impedance).
AUX JACK (2): Auxiliary jack, not internally wired.
MUTE JACK (3): For external muting control.
TONE JACK (4): Input for external sidetone signal in CW operation.
SP JACK (5): For connecting a 4 ohm speaker.
A. TRIP (6): Audio output for VOX circuit of a transmitter.
VFO (7): Socket for coupling VFO signal for transceive operation.
FUSE (8): Protection fuse (1A for 220V, 0.5A for 220V operation).
POWER (9): Socket for AC or DC power input.
GND (10): Ground connection terminal.

Operation

Initial Check: Before powering on, check for visible damage, secure module connections, and verify voltage settings. Ensure controls operate smoothly.

Frequency Selection: Use the MAIN TUNING dial and BAND switch. The main dial has two scales (white for 0-500 KHz, green for 500 KHz-1 MHz), and a 1 KHz sub-dial. The top window illuminates the starting frequency for the selected band. Table 1 provides frequency mapping for HF and VHF bands.

Preliminary Control Setting: For general operation, set controls as follows: POWER (OFF), AGC (SLOW), SELECT (INT), STBY (OFF), NB (OFF), DIGIT (OFF), CALIB (OFF), MODE (desired), AF GAIN (comfortable level), RF GAIN (fully clockwise), VHF (HF), RF ATT (0), MONITOR (fully counter-clockwise), SQUELCH (fully counter-clockwise), CLAR (OFF), TRANS (fully counter-clockwise), BAND (desired), PRESELECT (peak for max S-meter).

Noise Blanker: Activate the NB switch for impulse noise. It is most effective on short, widely spaced noise pulses.

VHF Reception: Set VHF switch to 6m or 2m, BAND switch to 10m band, and peak PRESELECTOR. For FM, adjust SQUELCH to eliminate background noise.

Dial Calibration: To calibrate the dial, set BAND and PRESELECTOR, turn CLAR to OFF, activate CALIB. Zero beat the main tuning dial against a marker signal while pressing DIAL LOCK. For AM/FM, calibrate for maximum S-meter reading at the center of the passband.

Crystal-Controlled Spot Reception: Use HC-25/U crystals (8.7-9.2 MHz). Crystal frequency calculation is provided. Table 3 lists frequencies for different modes.

Auxiliary Band Reception: The FR-101 can be programmed for four additional 500 KHz ranges using auxiliary crystals. Table 4 lists frequencies and associated components. Table 5 provides guidance for programming bands not covered in Table 4.

Transceive Operation: Connect with FL-101 or FT-101E/277E using provided cables. Use SELECT, MONITOR, and TRANS controls for synchronized operation. Table 6 and Table 7 detail SELECT switch functions for different combinations.

Circuit Description

The FR-101 utilizes plug-in modules: Noise Blanker/Mixer, IF, Audio Calibrator, BFO/Regulator, and optional VHF Converters. The RF Unit is on the chassis with the BAND switch/PRESELECTOR.

Signal Flow:

Antenna signal passes through RF attenuator, VHF/HF selector, and tuned antenna coils to the RF amplifier (3SK35). It's mixed with heterodyne oscillator signal in the first mixer (3SK35), producing a first IF of 5.520-6.020 KHz. This is converted to a second IF of 3.180 KHz by the second mixer (MC1496G). The VFO signal (8.7-9.2 MHz) is mixed here. The second IF signal goes through a crystal filter (XF30D) and is amplified before detection. Detectors include a ring demodulator for SSB/CW/RTTY and a diode detector for AM. An optional FM detector unit is available. Audio signals are amplified by the AN214 IC.

AGC & S-Meter Circuit:

The AGC voltage controls RF and IF amplifier gain. The S-meter measures emitter current of the AGC amplifier.

Noise Blanker Circuit:

Detects pulse noise, gates off the signal during the pulse to reduce noise interference.

Fix Channel Circuit:

Uses a FET crystal-controlled oscillator. The CLARIFIER control adjusts frequency via a varactor diode.

Power Supply & Voltage Regulator Circuit:

Operates on AC or 12V DC. Provides stable +6V DC supply regulated by ICs.

Calibrator Circuit:

A 100 KHz crystal oscillator with a 25 KHz multivibrator for calibration markers.

Clarifier Circuit:

Applies control voltage to a varactor diode to shift VFO or FIX crystal frequencies.

VHF Converters:

6 Meter Converter: Mixes 6m signals with a 28 MHz IF using a 22/24 MHz crystal oscillator.
2 Meter Converter: Mixes 2m signals with a 30 MHz IF using a 38.666/39.333 MHz crystal oscillator.

Note: RTTY Reception:

Modification for 170 Hz shift RTTY using the 600 Hz CW filter is described.

Alignment

Factory alignment is standard. Realignment should only be performed by experienced personnel with proper test equipment.

RF UNIT, PB-1225

Oscillator Transformer (T110): Adjust slug for maximum VTVM reading across bands.
Trimmer Capacitors (TC17-TC26): Peak for maximum VTVM reading, then set to 90% of peak.
Preselector and Associated Trimmers: Use a signal generator. Peak T101, T102, T103 for maximum S-meter reading on specified bands and frequencies. Follow Table 11 for detailed steps.

BANDPASS IF UNIT, PB-1396

T114 and T115: Peak for maximum S-meter reading.
VR1: Adjust for minimum beat note in transceive operation.
VR2: Adjust for S-9 +60 dB reading with a 0.1V signal at 14.250 KHz.

IF UNIT, PB-1251

T119 and T120: Peak for maximum S-meter reading.
VR1: Adjust for minimum S-meter reading in USB and LSB modes.

AF UNIT, PB-1268

VR1: Adjust for stable 25 KHz calibrator signal.
VR2: Adjust for comfortable sidetone level in transceive operation.
TC1: Zero beat against 100 KHz calibrator signal on AM Narrow mode.

REGULATOR & BEAT FREQUENCY OSCILLATOR UNIT, PB-1549

TC1, TC2, TC3: Adjust to specific frequencies (3177.45 KHz, 3181.5 KHz, 3178.5 KHz) for RTTY oscillator.
VR1: Adjust for 6 volt VTVM reading at Pin 14 of MJ-6.

VFO UNIT, PB-1307

TC1: Adjust for 9200 KHz at 14 MHz main tuning.
TC2: Adjust for temperature compensation.
L102: Adjust for minimum S-meter reading on a test receiver to minimize spurious signals.

FIX UNIT, PB-1311

L101: Peak for maximum VTVM reading, then rotate slug counter-clockwise.
TC1-TC4: Adjust to compensate for crystal tolerance.

IF TRAP COIL, (A) PB-1548 & (B) PB-1309

T123: Adjust for minimum S-meter reading at 5900 KHz.
T124: Adjust for minimum beat tone in transceive operation, alternately with VR1 of Noise Blanker/Mixer Unit.

FM UNIT, PB-1269

T301 and T302: Peak for maximum VTVM reading (adjust T302 for max, T301 for zero).

6 METER CONVERTER UNIT, PB-1305A

T611-T614: Alignment not recommended without special equipment.
T617 and T618: Peak for maximum VTVM reading, then adjust slug counter-clockwise. Realign T617 if oscillation stops.
T615 and T616: Peak for maximum S-meter reading with a 51 MHz signal.

2 METER CONVERTER UNIT, PB-1306A

T211-T215: Alignment not recommended without special equipment.
T218-T220: Peak for maximum VTVM reading, then adjust slug counter-clockwise. Realign T218 if oscillation stops.
T216 and T217: Peak for maximum S-meter reading with a 145 MHz signal.

MAIN CHASSIS

VR3: Adjust for zero beat against calibrator signal with CLARIFIER at OFF.
VR5: Adjust for optimum noise blanker performance; avoid cross modulation.

Resistance & Voltage Measurements

Table 12 provides resistance and voltage measurements for various pins on the main chassis, measured with VTVM in USB mode. These values serve as a reference for troubleshooting.

Parts List

A comprehensive list of components, including resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, semiconductors (transistors, FETs, ICs, diodes), crystals, switches, jacks, lamps, potentiometers, and printed circuit boards, is provided for the FR-101 and its various units.

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