[Yaesu] FT-50 Problems.

Tue Feb 17 08:47:11 EST 2009

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "KD7JYK DM09" <kd7jyk at earthlink.net>
> I have three FT-50 HT's.
>> In one rig, the backup battery went dead. I replaced it with a new one from
> the factory, no problems.
>> In the second rig, the backup battery went dead, replaced it with a new
> battery from Yaesu, the new battery went dead in about three days.
>> Now, my third FT-50 has had it's backup battery go dead.
>> These radios are all 13 years old, so no surprise, but before I replace
> another battery, any ideas what would cause a new one to go dead within
> days?

 Hmmm... old, or defective, backup batteries? (The coin-sized lithium, right?)
 The batteries have a shelf life of 5 years, so if you bought them a while back,
they may just be dead. (Or maybe Yaesu sold you some NOS, New Old Stock,
batteries as brand-new batteries?) Did they come in a blister pack?
 Other than that, the only thing that'll run a lithium down is a constant current draw.
It may have been the technique of how they were installed, or (sigh) something
else is wrong with the radios.
 I still have a FT-50 myself, that I had to send off to AES Milwaukee last fall,
for a number of problems (including a butter-fingered Elmer, sigh), and it's
working FB at the moment...
 Ray, KBØSTN