One of the earliest and still surviving Drake 2Bs is owned by
Paul Brock (K4MSG) of Hamilton, Virginia.
Paul is very much into Boat Anchor
Ownership and Restoration.
If you are
interested, look at his write-up titled “The Magic of Boatanchors” http://www.k4lrg.org/Projects/Magic_of_Boatanchors/index.html
K4MSG’s
Drake 2B Receiver s/n 2052
In my perspective,
this receiver is still an absolute “Keeper.”
If anyone has
a Drake 2B older than Paul’s, we’d love to see it.
We have all
surmised that the first 2B was serial number 2000, from the first
production run back in April 1961.
Paul’s radio
could have easily been one of the first receivers to hit the market.
Interesting sidebar; The early 2B and 2As do not have the red scale
log scale adjustor button.
I remember these when they first hit the
market. They seemed so small compared to the Hammarlund, Hallicrafters and
National triple conversion receivers from the same era.
Most Old Timers felt they were not going
to get their monies worth with a tiny receiver sitting next to their big 60 to
100 Lb. transmitter.
In 1962, this was a very modern radio
both in style and performance. Coupled with the Q-Multiplier/Speaker you
had a superb receiver which worked extremely well on C.W., A.M. and S.S.B.
My first
experience with the Drake 2 B came at Skyview Radio Club near the
Pittsburgh, Pa area back in 1965.
Here is one
of those early ads that show the Drake 2B without the Red Scale Slider
Button.
Happy building and melting solder everyone.
73’s De
-=WA3EIB=- Harv. Albq., NM
Our book: "SolderSmoke -- Global Adventures in Wireless Electronics"
http://soldersmoke.com/book.htm
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Posts
Bill, those photos didn't come out for some reason.
ReplyDeleteInteresting write up on the Drakes.
KF7JAF
Yes, the images are not showing up
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to note that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator (link below), the 279.95 base price of the Drake 2B in 1962 is equal to $2,164.55 USD in 2013.
ReplyDeletewww.bls.gov/cpi/cpicalc.htm
73's, David
I found this site while searching for information on my late Dad's Drake 2B. When the post mentioned the early serial number, i got curious and looked at the back of Dad's --- Serial number 2046. While Dad encouraged me to get my Ham license years ago, i never managed to do it. The 2B still resides in his shop, and I fire it up just to see if I get a nibble. The only antenna hooked up at the moment if for 20Mhz, and since I dont know what Im doing, it takes some fiddling to get/hold a signal. But I have listened in on transmissions from afar, so in that respect, it "works". I really need to find a local Ham to "dust it off" and assess its functionality. I have a soft spot for old tools, old cars, old trucks, old stuff in general. Would love to post some pics, once I figure out how/who to send them.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Bruce