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| Reviews Summary for Drake R-4C |
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Reviews: 8
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Average rating: 4.6/5
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MSRP: $500.00
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Description: Vintage Drake HF receiver for 1.6 to 30 Mhz
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More info: http://
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write your own review of the Drake R-4C.
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WW3QB
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 15, 2007 19:35
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Still Great After All These Years
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought mine in 1978 as a teenager when I got my first job. I wish I was still in such great shape! Get at least the 500Hz filter for CW. Also the INRAD 1800 filter is a good idea. I did not do any of the Sherwood mods. Mine does not drift after warm up. Very sensitive. Also receives the WARC bands with extra crystals. No 60 meters. This is still a wonderful radio!
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N4ARI
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Rating: 5/5
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May 23, 2005 14:06
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Ready for the 21st century
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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My station consists of the Icom 746PRO and TT Orion, yet the addition of the R4C (and T4XC transmitter) rounded out my needs. 30 years after it was made, the R4C (with Sherwood mods) runs rings around the 746PRO. Except for weak signal or VERY crowded band conditions, the R4C it THE receiver OF CHOICE at my station. Drake made an amazing radio long ago that still rates as one of the best out there even today. It is my receiver of choice for ham and SWL even with the "modern" rigs at my disposal.
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WA9CWX
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 4, 2005 15:45
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Great after all these years.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned MANY Drake rigs, including three R4Cs. The stock ones with the CW narrow filter are quite nice. But my early R4C with the Sherwood filter, 250, 500 and 1500 filters and proper alignment is not surpassed by my Ft1000D's (3 with Narrow filters). If you do your OWN alignment, be careful, it can be deceptive, I have sent mine out for professional work. Even new out of Drake, SOME were not right. I have owned three R7s, full filters, etc. and the R4245 for ten years. My R4C is STILL my favorite, and outperforms them ALL on CW.
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VE4AMN
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 23, 2005 21:21
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Sherwood mods A++
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have a Drake R-4c, with the Sherwood mods and narrow SSB filter. This combination challnges my FT-1000mp for sensitivity and selectively. There is nothing like a vintage set operating at peak performance. The Sherwood modes, especially the product detector, are very worthwhile. I am toying with installing the a new first if filter (INRAD or Sherwood), which it is rumoured will make this radio even better. This my best vintage set (and I have a bunch - TMC, Hammarlund SP-600, Hammarlund HQ-180a...)
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WR4Q
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 1, 2003 17:27
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Still the BEST
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Its hard to find straight forward designs that
are easy to maintain that work 160 meters and the WARC bands that will transceive. My R4-C is loaded with Sherwood Mods. Still perhaps champ?
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KD2E
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 25, 2003 22:00
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Awesome
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've had mine for about 10 years now. An 'S' line came and went, but the C line stays. It is in a whole league of its own, light years above the Collins.
I would not think of wrecking it with all those dopey mods. Mine works great, box stock. No hum, no drift, no microphonics....just flawless. It does not have digital filtering that can be screwed down to 50hz, but that tube sound at 250hz, with the passband is an unbeatable combination. And Drake had a noise blanker that after 30 years...Icom STILL can't beat!
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K6ZL
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Rating: 2/5
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Aug 21, 2003 02:28
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In stock form, a not so good receiver
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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When fully modified, with GOOD filters, this receiver is a wonder to behold. In stock form, not so good, especially the later versions with the "9 pin first mixer". Drake found a great place to mount the pass regulator transistor, right under the vfo assembly. Subjected to constant heat, R4C's never stop drifting. You're constantly "touching" them up. Beware the later units in stock form, collectors are paying premium for them. You'll spend as much as you pay for the radio for the mods, the extra filters, the noise blanker, etc. R4B's on the other hand, are cool as is!
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N4UE
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Rating: 5/5
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Aug 28, 2002 07:29
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Still 'competition' grade
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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OK, here's another '5'. I guess that if one were to compare this great old receiver to a Racal, or other multi-thousand dollar radio, it could be rated <5. Maybe.
As I have mentioned in the R-4B review, I just love the sound, stability, and feel of these classic radios. At one time I had several, some were in ugly condition, some were museum quality. All worked very, very well. I sold them all but since retirement, I wanted another for the Drake station. I have a very nice TR-4C / RV-4C combination and will use the R-4C as a 'supplimental' receiver. I am anxious to try this combination.
I was able to find a C that had 125, 250, and 500 Hz filters with it. I also have a 1500 filter for it. The only negative (?) is the fact that Drake stopped the LC IF filtering used in the B. Also, Drake stopped using copper plated chassis in the C. I wish that Drake would have put some type of clearcoating on both of these chassis after manufacturing was complete. Although this would have added a small cost, it sure would have made it easier for us fussy types. While it doesn't have the mechanical build quality of an R-390 (wow!), these military radios were not a couple of hundred $, either.
(see my review of the R-1051B)
There are some excellent articles on these fine radios on the HaManuals CD-ROM. The Drake website also has some excellent links. Of particular interest are the modifications mentioned by Sherwood Engineering. Some common problems in this fine receiver include:
audio hum
microphonics
voltage regulation
filtering.
Gee, you say, if the radio has these 'problems' how can you rate it a 5?
Easy, I have never even heard any of these problems on the radios I have owned and while I may perform the mods some day, I like the radio 'as-is'.
Sherwood lists the MDS, etc in chart form. As you will see, it is still an excellent design. Also, like the Bs I have owned, they have never needed any repair. Even the PS caps are still good.
One little trick I do to ALL my radios, is to add a small muffin fan inside. I use a 24 VDC model powered by a 12 VDC wall wart. All the fan does is move the air around. Drakes do run hot (but were designed to do so).....I even make 'kits' to install fans into the tranceivers, there really run hot! Excessive heat is rough on components, especially OLD components.
Finding a nice R-4C is easy, enjoying it is even easier. It is an excellent receiver that would be difficult to equal today.....
enjoy
ron
N4UE
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