my Yaesu FT-60R freq readout unstable

[N4AAB]

The voltage reads 7.9v when I turn it on. I have had the radio for a few years, about 3.

The frequency readout on the front wobbles up and down. Before it read 147.090 just like it should, but this year the read out wobbles up and down. Sometimes as much as a MHz. More typically up and down about 3 to 5 KHz.

What could be wrong with it ? Could the battery be bad ?

Thanks.

I haven't checked it with the adapter, but last time I charged it the voltage read 11.? Volts when it was being charged. The case got hotter than usual during charging.

[brandon lind]

The voltage in the service manual states: 7.2v nominal, 6-16v while on external supply and 11 to 16v while charging. If you have 7.9v, I would think that's within spec.

Does it affect just the display or does the actual TX/RX frequency drift as well? If so, does it do it in both 2m and 70cm or just one of the bands?

I imagine a problem like this needs a scope to track down. Everything looks like surface mount parts in the manual. Do you have a scope? If I had to guess without knowing anything else, I might suspect a worn rotary dial. There are also 2 electrolytic capacitors, one of which (C1004) is at the input to the 3v regulator (and the 3v regulator appears to supply the PLL). It might be worth checking.

[N4AAB]

No scope. I don't do anything but turn it on, and after that, the readout goesup and down. Never seems to stabalize. Occasionaly I hear it move past the local repeater output and then it goes past it.

Now instead of wobling just a bit, it zooms up and down. Now it goes from 144.88 to 150.x in less than 30 seconds.

Leaving it on, it does stabalize. Then it moves by itself. Guess I'll take it to the next club meeting and see if anyone wants to work on it. I have two other handhelds.

[N4AAB]

Well, now it isn't doing it. Not at all. I don't know if I trust it now. Battery voltage at 7.7VDC.

I guess I go out to the park near our local repeater and try it out there in a couple of weeks. I'll take one of my other radios to compare it with.