[Boatanchors] Question from an admitted 'Newbie'

[Rob Atkinson]

It's not about weight.  It has to do with design, function and period.
  Gear designed for low duty cycle slopbucket with no AM or AM as an
afterthought isn't a "boatanchor."  This includes S-Line, SBE, Swan,
Drake 3, 4 line and later, Heathkit SB and HW SSB rigs, and of course
anything solid state.

But, to illustrate, Johnson Navigator, Ranger, Heath DX20, for example
are "boatanchors" even though they don't weigh much because they are
tube CW or CW / phone rigs that pre-date the advent of cheap IF filter
SSB rigs built light to exploit the low duty cycle.

Another example to illustrate:

Heathkit HW10 and Chippewa amps:  "boatanchor" because they were built
to handle AM duty cycle.
SB220:  Not a "boatanchor" because it was built cheap to handle at
most 50% duty cycle CW and even lower slopbucket duty cycle.

hope this helps.

73

Rob
K5UJ