[Yaesu] Yaesu FT-980 issues

Wed Feb 24 15:03:41 EST 2010

I have an FT-980 with two minor problems.  I am curious to know if these are common, well known problems and, if so, does anyone know the causes and if there are any factory recommended modifications that address them.  I am an experienced BSEE engineer and electronic technician so feel free to cut loose with high tech answers.
Problem #1 - Lately, more often than not, when I turn the rig off and let it sit for awhile before turning it back on, it will come on in the General Coverage mode rather than the Amateur Mode, when the rig was in the Amateur Mode when it was turned off.  Perhaps there is a battery backed up RAM that's losing its memory due to a worn out battery?  To my knowledge, if there is a backup battery in the rig, it has never been changed.
Problem #2 - Once in awhile, when I have turned the rig on from being cold, after a few minutes I will hear a wandering birdie sweep through the IF passband.  This usually happens only once and this happens with and without an antenna connected, so it's not coming in from the outside world.  While this birdie is not a shop stopper, I would like to correct it if possible.
Thanks for reading,
Brian Harris, WA5UEK
phone 214-763-5977
email cosmophone at yahoo.com
website www.myhamshack.com/wa5uek
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