Yaesu: Anyone else have terrible reception with the VX-7R main VFO?

[KD2EE]

I have a VX-7R that I recently acquired used. I'm having a terrible time receiving any signal on the main VFO. Trying the same local repeater on both VFOs, the radio shows an S9+ on the sub VFO but barely an S1 on the main VFO. Stock antenna, which I'm going to replace, but I can't imagine even with the original antenna that it's meant to be this bad.

 

[SA6BPD]

Hi KD2EE.

I have the same problem on my VX-7R and found that the problem is the AF card.

Did you find the problem on you radio?

// SA6BPD

 

[KK4ELO]

I've noticed mine getting weaker and weaker the last couple months on both. I thought it was just the weather. Hmm.

Sent from my LG G3 4GLTE

 

[cmdrwill]

Could the problem be the well known IF filters going bad like in Kenwood 710's?

 

[hotdjdave]

FM-W or FM-N

Check your mode: NFM (narrow) vs WFM (wide). If you should be using NFM and you are in WFM mode, your reception will sound like crap.

 

[w9xxx]

Mine is very old and has no receive problem on either vfo.

 

[khaytsus]

Check your mode: NFM (narrow) vs WFM (wide). If you should be using NFM and you are in WFM mode, your reception will sound like crap.

Hmm? There's no narrow FM mode (2.5khz deviation, yes?) on the 7r. It refers to anything EXCEPT broadcast radio FM as NFM (of course, AM below VHF)

 

[hotdjdave]

RX Mode

Hmm? There's no narrow FM mode (2.5khz deviation, yes?) on the 7r. It refers to anything EXCEPT broadcast radio FM as NFM (of course, AM below VHF)

You can set the mode when programming (saving channels) or tuning in a VFO band. Basic Setup: 4 - RX Mode.

I thought mine had a problem receiving, also. When receiving in a certain VFO band (at first, I thought it was every band), the audio sounded like it was very faint, static, or nothing at all (when there should have been reception). But when receiving on my preset channels that were setup correctly, it sounded fine. Some of the more recent presets I programmed were accidentally in W-FM mode because the VFO was set to W-FM when I programmed them, and had the same effect as mentioned above.

Switching to the affected presets and reprogramming them with the proper Operating (RX) Mode fixed the problem. I was actually contemplating taking my radio to HRO for repair.

You can set the radio to automatically set the mode or manually set it yourself. But if you manually change it (purposely nor not) then it will remain in that mode for that VFO band. Apparently, you can set each VFO band to the settings you prefer.