Drake & Heathkit

Drake is one of my favorites !

(click on small picture for large viewing)

  SW-4

the ORIGINAL SW-4! Only 230 or so of these were made and are particularly hard to find. I am very happy to own one ! Check out the Drake museum for the story behind the SW-4 series

SW-4A first series

The SW-4A replaced the SW-4 and this is the first series. The first series had the RADIO NEW YORK WORLDWIDE it.

SW-4A second series

This version is after the alliance fell apart and Drake sold the SW-4A on its own.

SPR-4

The classic and highly desirable SPR-4. A great receiver that could be expanded to receive any 23 500kHz ranges in the LW through 30MHz range. Optional noise blanker was an outstanding performer. My biggest complaint is that Drake should have made the mode and selectivity separate choices instead of tying selectivity to mode. there was a mod that allowed one to turn on the BFO independently of the selectivity.

FS-4

This expensive but really cool toy allowed full synthesis of any 500kHz range on the SPR-4 or R-4C receiver. Expensive then and now and hard to get.

SSR-1

The only Drake receiver not to be made by Drake. It was not very expensive but did not meet the approval by many die hard Drake people. I kind of like playing with it. They should have made the mode and selectivity separate choices instead of tying selectivity to mode. Made by Standard radio in Japan I believe, see the Wadley mystery page on my web site for more info.

Heathkit.....quite interesting ! (but not that great !)

   SB-310

The SB-310 was the shortwave version of the SB-300, not that many were sold as I don't think it was a really great deal for a receiver. This is a tube set. There really aren't any processing functions like a notch filter or Q multiplier or ANYTHING of use !

SB-313

The SB-313 was the shortwave version of the SB-303 which was the transistor update of the SB-300. Bad timing as it was behind the times technically and overpriced. I preferred the Allied Radio shack SX-190. Lots of controls. but none really very useful !

  SB-313 with matching speaker SB-600

   GR-43 portable

COOL portable, probably fashioned after the transoceanics and the word is that Zenith told them to cut it out ! It is quite heavy

SW-7800

Overpriced and not a great performer although there are some mods to fix the problems. The last in the line of not that great Heathkit performers.