[Drake] Serial Number Fun with the TR-5

[W8DRZ at aol.com]

       Serial Number Fun with the TR-5 
                           or
           Down to the Sea in Drake's  
    
                                                             
  A few weeks ago a mention of the TR-5 on the
list sparked an idea, or quest, or maybe I was
just bored at the moment. Since the popular
thinking was just over 500 TR-5's were built, I 
thought it might be fun to find out how many I
could account for.
                
                     So I polled the two Drake
lists asking for serial numbers of TR-5's owned
by the members. The story about a large number
of TR-5's being lost at soon sea surfaced.
(pun intended)

  The story goes something like this:

  Once Upon a time, (sorry couldn't resist)
   the Drake company filled a large order
of TR-5's to the Government of South America.
 Reported to be over 100 units, perhaps as
many as 200. The ship that was loaded with the
TR-5's was lost at Sea, sunk in bad storm.

 I have heard variations of this, but the end
was the same, about 100 Brand New TR-5's
lost forever at the bottom of the Ocean.

       A fellow Drake list reader remarked
that the story was true and had been confirmed.

  Now I had a mission, would gathering serial
numbers reveal the missing units and shore up
the story. Clearly I thought that if a large 
number of radio's were sent on one order
they would be consecutive serial numbers.

   Early on I had received 8 serial numbers 
from list users and had 5 more from WB4HFN's
Serial Number Web Page, plus my TR-5 for
a total of 14 good numbers. Not many but
it was a good spread from 1038 to 1506.
(TR-5 production began at 1001)
Right away I noticed a large gap in the 
numbers, nothing between 1167 and 1288!

Was this gap possibly the missing TR-5's?

  A few more numbers came in the next day,
all outside the black hole of missing Drake's.
  
  How clever I thought I was, Also this 
might mean that there was only 400 or so
TR-5's left, making them even more rare.

  Then it happened, Like a MOAB on target,
but this was the MOASN! And not just one,
the next day the gap was gone, 1207, then
1240 and if that wasn't enough 1232 arrived.
 
   My Theory was Dashed on the Rocks!

   Now I have 25 TR-5 serial numbers, and
from 1038 to 1514 the biggest hole is only
48. This is with less than 4 percent known
to exist TR-5's but would indicate that a 
large number in one group, such as the
missing 100 might not be missing at all.

  I did do one more bit of looking for 
information, Yes I even asked the 
R.L. Drake Company. 

I sent an e-mail to John Kriner of the
Drake Service Department. 

Here is his reply:
 The boat sinking story is one I never heard, but this does not mean it     
isn't true.  I am forwarding your mail to Mr. Frost at Drake.  Perhaps he  
knows if the story is true. 
 (end)

                                                                  
>From Bill Frost:

I have to agree with John, I have never heard          
 of a large number of TR-5 being sold into                South America.  In 
fact, I can't remember a large       
number of TR-5's being sold to anyone.                      
The sales of the TR-5 were nothing like we had      
hoped.    
                                                                          
I remember we sold several of the TR-4305               
transceivers into South America to missionaries   
etc.  They liked the simplicity, the fixed channel     
operation and the reliability.  The TR-4305 was      
basically a TR-5 without the VFO.  
(end)
                      
                                        
  It would seem to me at this point that the story
of the missing TR-5's lost at sea is just that.
A story.  Perhaps there is some truth to it,
but certainly not 200 or 100 or even 50 TR-5's.
 Yes, I do realize that they wouldn't have to
be consecutive serial numbers, but one would
think that if the factory lost a boat load, they
would remember. Anyway it was fun to play the
numbers. 

TR-5 Facts:

    1 perhaps 2 engineering prototypes with no S/N were built.

   10 preproduction TR-5's  0001 to 0010

   516 Production TR-5's  001001 to 001516

   For a total of 528 Factory built TR-5's, out there,
   somewhere.

Plus a little Duck told me one more was built
from NOS parts just for fun long after
the factory stopped production.

Many Thanks to all that have sent in their
TR-5 Serial Numbers, and a special thanks
to John Kriner, Bill Frost and John Loughmiller.

And I'm still looking! 

 If you own a TR-5, please send in your Serial Number 
so I can add you to the list. 

73

Jim Snell - W8DRZ

W8DRZ at AOL.COM