The "Best Ever" SSB/CW Transceiver of the early 1970's was the Yaesu FT-101. It was a shack in the box, and it had the distinction of being the leading radio sold worldwide at that time. It was the ICOM IC7300 of that era.
My FT-101EE
The FT-101 was a Hybrid design featuring only three tubes and the rest solid state. One thing you don't want to do today is smoke the driver tube, a special version of the 12BY7 and the finals which are 6JS6C's. You will need a home loan to purchase a replacement set.
I acquired this radio as a tech special as there was no power output. Five minutes' worth of work and it was fixed. There was an RF choke in the screen circuit to the final amplifier tubes... it was open and thus no screen voltage.
The frequency stability and dial linearity are amazing for 1970. This is one of the best Analog VFO's ever. Friends N2CQR and KK4DAS have used the VFO module from the FT series in their homebrew rig projects.
Many of the FT-101 series came with a DC-to-DC Convertor strapped to the back panel so the radio could be operated from home, portable or mobile. Optional accessories included a plug-in Noise Blanker and Speech Processor. A Crystal Calibrator was a stock feature, and the band switch had a position for JYY (WWV in Japan).
The FT-101 was highly popular with the CB crowd as this functionality could be invoked with a simple change of a heterodyne crystal (plug-in) and the band switch set to one of the 10M position. Yes, my radio was in the hands of a CB'er at one time. Initially I could not hear a signal generator on one of the 10 Meter bands. Suddenly I heard 10-4 Good Buddy on LSB and I knew. With 100 watts out on 27MHz, you didn't need a "leenear".
These radios today command a pretty hefty price some 55 years after they hit the market.
Yaesu in 1967 test marketed (outside the US) a model called the FTdx100, which was a hybrid radio with 3 tubes and the rest solid-state using Germanium transistors. This was a test radio prototype for the FT-101 series. I have one of those radios as well.
One of the key features of the FT-101 was plug in circuit boards thus enabling repair by replacement. That was not a feature of the FTdx100 which was/is a nightmare and almost impossible to repair.
Them that know can make stuff go!
BTW the posting on changing the US Licensing Process has out viewed the Topless BB on the beach. I must not be the only one bristling about 45 Minute Extra Class Licenses. Are there rumblings of cancelling QST subscription's and boycotting ARRL contests and Field Days? I know of none such actions but indeed something has awakened the sleeping giant as Admiral Yamamoto knew on December 8, 1941.
73's
Pete, N6QW, The Patron Saint of Solder!