Yaesu VX-3R

A fix for the squishy monitor button

Take apart the radio:

• Remove the battery
• Remove the two screws at the bottom
• Remove the screw on the rotary dial
• Remove the two nuts on the antenna and rotary dial
• Pull the covers off of the DC and Earphone plugs (It will stay attached to the main board)
• Put a small screwdriver into one of the screw holes at the bottom and pull slightly (It slips right out)

It feels squishy because if you look at the middle button in the photo there is more depth to it. It basically has more play, more room for that black rubber button stinger to slip about. The buttons on either side do not have as deep a well around the center rubber pin that engages the button. Thus, when you depress the rubber button it has room to slip off the button on the radio itself and it disengages. If that button well was not as deep, it would not have this problem.

Solution

I cut a small piece of rubber band to fit inside the well area of that individual button. I then cross cut the rubber band in the center to allow the black stinger to go through. I tucked it in using a small screw driver and my fingers so that the rubber stinger slipped through.
Voila! It works fine and holds the squelch/monitor button down. No more squishy.