[Drake] Opinion on Drake receivers

[Garey Barrell]

Chris Pedder wrote:
> 
> Doing Drake's design work as a customer did not make me very happy and, 
> by the time the TR7 was introduced I had learned my lesson and kept my 
> pocket book firmly in its place. Just as well from what I heard.

The early R-4C left something to be desired!!  :-)   I guess 
that's what happens when you "convert" too many stages at once!

I have four TR-7's of various vintages, and find them to be 
excellent transceivers.  The receiver in particular is 
outstanding, even today.  There are very few if any that are 
"quieter".  The signals just pop up out of a very low noise 
floor.  I suppose you  _could_  drive it into intermod with a big 
enough antenna, but I haven't seen it happen yet.  The 
transmitter is stable and WAY underrated, as long as some "fixer" 
hasn't tweaked the output power up to 200W output.  (Which it 
will do, with the optional fan, but you lose just about all 
safety margin.  They don't have 2000 memories, less than 
effective DSP, or built-in keyers, but if one  _does_  break 
(none have yet) all but very few parts are standard, 
multi-sourced, through-hole components.  Try that with your 
KenYaeCom ($8,000 !?!) wonder!  :-)

> This is all along time ago and in spite of these experiences, they are 
> still the greatest Radios! A few years back, just before Drake stopped 
> supplying spare parts for the old radios, they supplied me with new 
> front panels for a T4X, R4B and L7. Close on 30 years after they stopped 
> producing them... what Japanese supplier can provide those parts even 
> for current production models!
> 
> Wish they still made them.

Me too!

73, Garey - K4OAH
Atlanta