Yaesu VX5R repair

I bought another broken radio. This is a Yaesu VX5R, great shape but low audio out on 70cm, loose antenna connector. But works otherwise. That's what the ad claimed. When I opened the radio to check for presence or absence of the SU-1 barometer...I found...

...four missing potentiometers! In this picture you can see the upper pads for the four potentiometers are intact and the lower/wiper pad is missing for all but one potentiometer. The connector for the SU-1 is screwed up but I haven't seen one of those in years.

This picture is taken through my 10x stereo microscope.

I consulted the Yaesu VX5R service manual and found the part number for the four potentiometers -- all 10K. They are Panasonic parts listed at DigiKey but out of production. DigiKey did list a substitute part number so I ordered five at $0.97 each. That was on a Friday and DigiKey had the parts in my hands by Monday with the cheap USPS option.

Reassembly was uneventful. I did re-flow the solder for the SMA antenna connector and replaced the spanner nut with an appropriate hex nut with locking washer. That's the same fix I applied to my other VX5R years ago with zero issues since.

Sun Jul 21 14:11:46 CDT 2013

Update: ordered some parts for the VX7R from Yaesu. Included a new mezzanine connector to replace the one someone screwed up with their soldering iron. Good as new!