Yaesu FRG-7700, Survival Manual

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PAØPGA
7
If your display goes weak, you can solve the problem temporarly by removing the orange filter in the display window.
Your Frog has then a very bright green display, that will again last for years.
I tried it, but was not happy with the look of it, It was no Frog anymore, so I put the filter back.
AM band:
Under 2 Mhz the FRG-7700 is in my opinion very unsensitive, and if I want to do some Dx-ing in this band, I use my
R390A receiver,
I will try to make my FRG-7700 at least as sensitive, it will be the next mod project, and I will update this page, when I
have everything figured out.
Paint:
You can find now and then a mint receiver on the market. Generally speaking the appearance is a sign of how careful the
previous OM was with it, but most receivers have seen some use, and look like it.
The paint on the frontplate of the FRG-7700 is easely scratched, in particular the sides.
Yaesu did it the cheap way here, a spray of metallic paint over the plastic faceplate and that is a pity, because it is very
difficult to repair. I tested with different car repair sticks, but was not able to find the right shade paint.
Most sides of the frontplate are heavely scratched, so I will try to paint the sides alone, if there is then a small difference
in shade, it will not be so obvious. Removing the paint altogether from the sides is also a possibility, it can be done with
thinner and rubbing with an old cloth, you have just to be careful with the front itself, the paint there is quick damaged.
Thereafter you have black sides, which don’t look bad, and scratches are for the most part invisible. I did a test, the
plastic was not affected by the thinner.
Painting the front is as a whole is almost impossible, the lettering is printed on the front and is easely damaged.
So I clean everything, including knobs and dials with water and soap and a old toothbrush.
Rub it dry with an old cloth. Don’t let parts long in the water, the aluminium inserts are glued to the knobs and come off if
you leave them to long in the water and there is a possibility that the white paint on the knobs comes off too.
I repair them with a toothpick and white Hammerite paint. Direct after filling the lines, I sweep the excess paint off with a
cloth saturated with white spirit. You have then a excellent line.
The Hammerite paint dries quickly, and is very strong, I have never had to repaint a knob again.
I use it also for repainting and refill markings on boatanchor receivers, like the R390A and Racal.
The covers are sprayed twice by Yaesu: first a spray of normal paint, and then the sides and coverplate were sprayed with
a kind of cracle paint. In some occasions parts of the second layer flaked off. This is very impossible to repair, so I clean
the plates rigorously and after that use a good automobile wax to make the best of them.
I like everything clean, but some wear and tear is visible after 20+ years. I have no problem with that, if the receiver is
electrically sound. Don’t we have all wear and tear problems hi..?