Reserved for Stephen W. RL Drake 1-A Vintage SSB / CW Communications Receiver in Excellent Condition, Restored S/N 090Reserved for Steph

This RL Drake 1-A Vintage SSB / CW Communications Receiver, is in Excellent Condition.

It is  S/N 090.

This receiver was serviced by Jeff Covelli, and the letter with the outline of work done is included, which indicate a full alignment was done to factory Specifications.

The Copper Clad chassis has a little patina but is not corroded and looks great.

The cabinet and front face is also in great shape with no bad marks or scratches. Both look Beautiful.

This unit has a Factory Modification which allows receiving of AM signals.

This Modification was built and designed by Bob Drake and installed by Universal Services.

 Universal Services purchased 100 RL Drake 1-A Receivers to sell and many customers back in the day, still operated the AM Mode.

 So Universal Services asked RL Drake to Create a factory Modification to allow AM Reception on the 1-A.

There is a small switch just to the right of the RF Gain / Stand By control.

When switched, the receiver copies AM signals very well. There is a small circuit board added under the chassis which I have included in the pictures. The Switch is connected to that board.

It is very rare to find a 1-A with this modification!

I tested this unit on the air and it appears to be working as it should with no obvious problems.

I am selling this beautiful receiver as is, as described for a client who collects only fine RL Drake Gear.

You will be hard pressed to find a nicer looking and better working Drake 1-A

The famous 1-A amateur band receiver was manufactured by the R.L. Drake Company in Miamisburg, OH, from 1957-59. The 1-A was followed by the 2-A in 1960, the 2-B in 1961, and the 2-C in 1966. The 2-C finally ceased production in 1974.

The 1-A's innovative triple-conversion design started a movement toward lightweight high-performance SSB receivers that continued for more than twenty years. Weighing only 18 lbs, the 1-A outgunned its heavyweight peers, the National NC-300 (57 lbs), the Hammarlund HQ-170 (45 lbs), and the massive Hallicrafters SX-101 (70 lbs).

Description: The 1-A is a 13 tube amateur band receiver that covers 80-10 meters plus WWV in 8 ranges. It is designed for SSB and CW reception only, with a two-speed tuning dial calibrated every 10 kHz. The receiver features a rear-firing speaker, plug-in crystal calibrator, and passband tuning (PBT). Interestingly, PBT had been introduced only two years earlier (1955) in the Collins 75A-4.

Circuit Features: The 1-A is a triple conversion receiver, using a 6BZ6 low-noise RF amplifier with fixed tuned plate and grid circuits. Input signals are mixed to 2.9-3.5 MHz through broad-band overcoupled tuned circuits, and then mixed with the 4.0-4.6 MHz PTO to a fixed 2nd IF frequency of 1100 kHz. The 3rd mixer down-converts the signal to 50 kHz, where selectivity is provided by a 4-section LC filter. The receiver uses a 6BZ6 IF amplifier, a 12AU7 product detector/AF preamplifier, and a 12AQ5 audio output stage.

Operating Impressions: Although lacking bells and whistles, the 1-A has the feel of a modern receiver. The mechanical and electrical stability is excellent, even from a cold start, and the passband tuning is less clunky than that on the Collins 75A-4. The 2 sec AGC time constant is great for SSB,

The audio is crisp and hum-free, and the selectivity is adequate for single-signal reception. The 2-speed tuning (a combination of friction drive and antibacklash gearing) is velvety smooth. All-in-all, the 1-A is easy to use, sounds great, and is a lot of fun.