Yaesu FRG-7 anntenna selection

[Champo]

This is just a quick question about antenna selection on the Yaesu FRG-7. On other receivers like the Drake R8 or the Kenwood R-1000 you have the ability to choose between two antennas (antenna A and antenna B). A switch on the Kenwood and a button on the Drake for instance. So, how does that work on the Yaesu FRG-7 if you have two antennas connected? Since there isn't an isolation switch will it try to hear both antennas at the same time or will it prioritize one over the other? I can't seem to find an answer to this question anywhere. I'll be picking one up in two weeks so I don't have it in my possession to test. Thanks.

 

[ko6jw_2]

The manual is available on line.

 

[Champo]

Yeah I already have it. If you can point out where in there the answer to my question lies that would be helpful as I've found nowhere that in there that this is mentioned and I've poured over it.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Yeah I already have it. If you can point out where in there the answer to my question lies that would be helpful as I've found nowhere that in there that this is mentioned and I've poured over it.

Page 6 of the Owners Manual.
Says that coax connector is for SW Listening and the screw inputs is LW AM and SW + ground Its not selectable its just the Coax input is 50-75 Ohms and the Screws are for 300-500 ohm inputs.
I had both Kenwood 300s the Broadcast and Ham Versions and they were set up the same way. Where my R5000 is selectable.

Pete N1EXA

 

[ka3jjz]

Unless the manual has the circuit diagram, you won't be able to find this out. I had a FRG7 for many years, and I don't think there is much isolation between the 2 sets of jacks. There isn't any switching AFAIK that was added by either Radio West nor Gilfer for this, either.

Mike

 

[Champo]

Page 6 of the Owners Manual.
Says that coax connector is for SW Listening and the screw inputs is LW AM and SW + ground Its not selectable its just the Coax input is 50-75 Ohms and the Screws are for 300-500 ohm inputs.
I had both Kenwood 300s the Broadcast and Ham Versions and they were set up the same way. Where my R5000 is selectable.

Pete N1EXA

Thank you. That answered it i think. So it's going to use what ever antenna is connected based on the band selected. So hypothetically, if you had a 10 meter vertical connected to the SO-239 and a random wire connected to the screw terminal it would use the vertical on 10 meter and the random wire for everything else? 🤔

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Unless the manual has the circuit diagram, you won't be able to find this out. I had a FRG7 for many years, and I don't think there is much isolation between the 2 sets of jacks. There isn't any switching AFAIK that was added by either Radio West nor Gilfer for this, either.

Mike

http://www.radiomanual.info/schemi/YAESU_RX/FRG-7_sch.pdf

I looked at the Diagram on the web - Pretty Lame the Screw SW2 and the Coax SW1 are just jumped together and the Broadcast Input they go
through a Capactitor ... I would think the circuit would be pointless of any impedance difference...

Pete N1EXA

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Thank you. That answered it i think. So it's going to use what ever antenna is connected based on the band selected. So hypothetically, if you had a 10 meter vertical connected to the SO-239 and a random wire connected to the screw terminal it would use the vertical on 10 meter and the random wire for everything else? 🤔

Ill tell you Experiment , experiment , Experiment ...
234/frequency x 12 is a easy 1/4 wave calculation...

On HF say 10 -20 meters bands use 15-20 feet of wire and 6 to 7 mHz 30-40 feet - Try vertical and Horizontal Ive owned the DX160 ,Kenwoods 300- through R 5000 and you don't think it but they are very figity on antenna length.

Throwing out 100 feet of copper wire is not going to work that good on all bands... A 9 to 1 Balun and a legnth set up for it is a good
way to make a multi band antenna.

Pick a length from the chart and it works pretty good for receiving. A 9 to 1 balun on ebay is cheep or make your own.




Pete N1EXA

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Thank you. That answered it i think. So it's going to use what ever antenna is connected based on the band selected. So hypothetically, if you had a 10 meter vertical connected to the SO-239 and a random wire connected to the screw terminal it would use the vertical on 10 meter and the random wire for everything else? 🤔

Tell you what I use my 10-11 meter Venom Silver rod 5/8 wave for listening to WRMI 5.950 at night and WRMI 9.395 mhz with a tuner and it works great.
You may not even have to run a long wire - Depends what you listen to...

Pete N1EXA

 

[Champo]

Thanks for that! Yeah I picked up a 9:1 balun on Amazon and used it with 145ft of wire (that's what I had on hand) in a loop configuration the other night with the FT-101E in preparation for the FRG-7. I was able to get Japan on 40m pretty easily. I then tried it as a random wire configuration and it was practically deaf. I have an Ameco PT that I'll be using so I can piggy back the FRG-7 into that to share the Antenna that the FT-101E is using or use a seperate receive only antenna for the FRG-7. The reason behind my question was if I ran that setup with the piggy back and the random wire or loop which would it hear? I think your point of experimenting is what it'll take.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Another thing is the FRG-7 is a Wadley Loop Receiver.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wadley_loop

It only does 1 Mhz at a time and has to be pre selected and tuned for it to work - Its not a Synthesized radio like the Kenwood r-2000 or r-5000
or Icom R-70 / R-71.

The Circuitry is very 1960s Vintage so Antenna's and Tuners make a big DIfference on Performance.

I'm Not Pooh Poohing the FRG-7 there a good radio but very dated in technology.

My R-5000 Works great but when I put it up next to a New SDR Based HF Radio I find the old Girl kinda lack luster in Performance.

Pete N1EXA

its all A Hobby Enjoy ~

 

[Champo]

I hear you. Technology is ever evolving. Trying to compare a modern rig to a boat anchor just isn't fair to the boat anchor.
I enjoy my modern equipment but I have a small collection of boat anchors that are fun to play with from time to time. An SDR setup is actually next on my list of to-do's.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

I hear you. Technology is ever evolving. Trying to compare a modern rig to a boat anchor just isn't fair to the boat anchor.
I enjoy my modern equipment but I have a small collection of boat anchors that are fun to play with from time to time. An SDR setup is actually next on my list of to-do's.

I own the MFJ-8100 And find that thing needs all kinds of experimenting to get working great - Impedance controls and an antenna tuner
makes it work ok but its just old school regen and a total bear to use...But I love it ~
I agree technology is moving along - I use a NooElect SDR Smart with the "Ham it UP " HF Up Converter and that thing is mind blowing the sensitivity and you can squirrel down on 40 meters to 1 CW signal filter it out and say this is the future were not going back~

With SDR I set the signal wide and look between 6-7 Mhz and see all the Russian Pulse radar signals from Europe come and go. Cant do that with a Old School radio.

When I was a kid I thought no way in hell will there be radio's small like on Star Trek.




Pete N1EXA

 

[Champo]

It's pretty funny how technology tends to mimic fiction. Smaller and smaller all the while being more capable. Classic radios are like classic cars in my opinion. They'll never be able to do what a 2022 car will do but there's still much to be appreciated from a classic. I find it's best to be able to dabble in both arenas. A classic for a nice Sunday drive but when it's down to business technology trumps style!

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

It's pretty funny how technology tends to mimic fiction. Smaller and smaller all the while being more capable. Classic radios are like classic cars in my opinion. They'll never be able to do what a 2022 car will do but there's still much to be appreciated from a classic. I find it's best to be able to dabble in both arenas. A classic for a nice Sunday drive but when it's down to business technology trumps style!

Hey Look at the Model T Ford - A piece of Technology in its day but no way could the average person today figure out how to drive it.
Id love to own one but would not drive on highway at 70 Mph 50 Miles to work and back.

Crystal Radio's , Regen Radio's old Tube stuff Fun to play with but I hate say it My Apple I phone Is a technology Wonder and
it has a flash light and I can take pictures inside racks and see computer labels that my useless eye's cant see. When My wife says
at the store buy Shallots over IM I just go on the web and find what the hell are these things. When I have nothing to do I can go on Radio Reference and see what's going on.

When Elon Musk said Decent Looking Electric cars are in the future and Rockets will return to base and land to be used again Did we really Believe him.

Naaaaa ! Electric cars are Golf Carts and Rockets Crash into the Atlantic Ocean - Everybody Knows that.

Pete N1EXA

 

[Champo]

Ain't that the truth! The future is bright....or bleak depending on your outlook. You already don't need a radio to listen to the radio and soon you won't even need one to talk on it 😆 At some point though the technology will advace so much that it'll just take all the joy out of it...like cars that drive themselves. While practical, where's the fun?

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Ain't that the truth! The future is bright....or bleak depending on your outlook. You already don't need a radio to listen to the radio and soon you won't even need one to talk on it 😆 At some point though the technology will advace so much that it'll just take all the joy out of it...like cars that drive themselves. While practical, where's the fun?

FT8 Radio on Hf is KInda like that - My computer just talked to your computer - Its cool but its not like I just talked to Some guy in Texas
with my CB on CH38 or my DMR Walkie Talkie can get a guy in England - Yah but your using hot spots and the internet that's cheating !
Its radio but not really radio.

If you Going SDR Do you have a plan ? Or are you just going to buy a low priced one and wing it like I did ?
I started at the bottom and taught myself what not to do again~

Hi Hi

Pete N1EXA

 

[Champo]

FT8 Radio on Hf is KInda like that - My computer just talked to your computer - Its cool but its not like I just talked to Some guy in Texas
with my CB on CH38 or my DMR Walkie Talkie can get a guy in England - Yah but your using hot spots and the internet that's cheating !
Its radio but not really radio.

If you Going SDR Do you have a plan ? Or are you just going to buy a low priced one and wing it like I did ?
I started at the bottom and taught myself what not to do again~

Hi Hi

Pete N1EXA

Yeah the challenge and the grandeur of the accomplishment just kind of dissapears at that point. Rather than climb the mountain just take the tram 😆 Then the other aspect is if technology collapses it's nice to have something that's easy to repair and tried and true... but that's another matter entirely 🙄

I've read good things about SDRplay and was leaning that direction but I haven't completely decided and I'm open to suggestions. They're out of stock until March and I'm not trying to pay $350 through HRO. I'm all about learning hard lessons vicariously through others so if you have any advice for me in all ears.

 

[KEWB-N1EXA]

Yeah the challenge and the grandeur of the accomplishment just kind of dissapears at that point. Rather than climb the mountain just take the tram 😆 Then the other aspect is if technology collapses it's nice to have something that's easy to repair and tried and true... but that's another matter entirely 🙄

I've read good things about SDRplay and was leaning that direction but I haven't completely decided and I'm open to suggestions. They're out of stock until March and I'm not trying to pay $350 through HRO. I'm all about learning hard lessons vicariously through others so if you have any advice for me in all ears.

My current set up is using an Noo Smart SDR with the Ham it up ( Up Converter) I found straight SDRs are not great on HF so I use
a 125 Mhz Upconverter so basically your Up shifting your HF signal into the AIrcraft band. I run the SDR with Up converter on a 25 foot
USB extender cable - Get that this away form your PC because you will get so much noise from the CPU and Mother Board.
A smart SDR is $30-40 and the Upconverter is $40 and the Aluminum box another $20. Cable ties the SDR to the up converter aluminum
box - They get hot !
As for Software that's the great experiment - I found HDSDR to be my Favorite and you will need DLL files and the Ziag USB Driver.
but You will find so many free software options you will have to choose based on what you want to do.

I started with a cheep chinese job from ebay and spend hours to figure out it was wired wrong inside _ I was so Miffed about it I made
a video on youtube to help other hams and experimenters.

Never claimed to be a Video Talent !

Pete N1EXA

 

[Champo]

Great videos! Great find and fix! After ironing out all of those wrinkles how have you liked it?