Words of wisdom not just for Yaesu owners, but for all amateurs.

For the past 16 years, I have focused on one hobby -- repairing Yaesu FT-102 radios. In those years, over 600 of these radios have been sent to me for repair. I have seen just about anything that can happen to a radio, from damage by the user to damage by the carrier used to ship the radios.

Because the only radio I work on is the Yaesu FT-102, I have developed a "10 Commandments" of sorts for dealing with this wonderful piece of radio equipment. By putting these in practice, my hope is that you can avoid disaster.

1. Thou shall not key down for more than 10 seconds at full power.
2. Thou must key up for 15 seconds after any 10 second full power key down.
3. Thou shall not place more than a 5 A fuse into the '102.
4. Thou shall not place any slow blow fuse into the '102.
5. Thou shall keep a dust cover over the '102 when not in use.
6. Thou shall not permit the '102 to be placed into a humid or dirty environment.
7. Thou shall not place the '102 in a single box for shipping.
8. Thou shall not permit the '102 to come into contact with sharp or heavy objects.
9. Thou shall not smoke in front of the '102.
10. Thou shall not mix up self tapping screws with machine screws, as that is an impure and wholly unholy thing.

Failure to follow these commandments will surely cause the '102 to spew fire, belch smoke and/or become deaf and mute. And some that are not in compliance may be required to go through a personal exorcism with the Wouff Hong. The '102 Deity is forgiving, however, and the evil decrees can be averted with perseverance and application of these commandments. I say do not choose the path of evil. If these commandments are followed, the '102 Deity will surely protect your '102 and save you many dollars, heartache and frustration for all the days of your life.

In the name of being nonsectarian and bipartisan, these commandments will also lead to long lasting beneficial effects with radios of any other denomination or faith.

Malcolm Eiselman, NC4L, is an Amateur Extra class licensee from Hollywood Hills, Florida. He has been involved in Amateur Radio for more than 45 years. He practiced cardiology in Florida until he retired in 2003.

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