[Drake] Drake TR7 repair & service ? - Help G4PUQ

[Peter McEwen]

Hello to all on the Drake list and a Happy New Year.

My resolution for 2008 is give my much loved  Drake TR7 some attention 
in order that she might be brought up to spec.
I have a very early serial number radio -142 and although she is in 
daily  use and still works well pulling in DX stations it would be nice 
to have the niggles ironed out.

I have been seaching on line for a European based drake repair expert 
but  have had no luck. I plan to send the TR7 home to the USA for 
alignment/repairs and I would really appreciate any suggestions 
regarding your experience of good repair and alignment service. Its an 
expensive business shipping a TR7 to and from the US but it has 
performed so well over the 5 years I've owned it I think its worth  it.

Look forward to hearing from  all of you , please drop me an e-mail

73 Peter G4PUQ

PS. is serial number 142 the earliest TR7 still in daily use ? 
Approximately how old does that make it ?

PPS. I first used a mint-condition, new, out-the-box TR7 in 1980 under 
the supervison of  Joe Harkin GM4HBM (SK).
Joe was a real gent and a patient teacher, he lived at the top of a 12 
flight high rise block with a 3ele beam for 20m - that was inspiration !
Running a TR7 in the UK in the 1980's must have been quite rare - anyone 
know where his radio is now