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write your own review of the Atlas 210X/215X.
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PA0FRI
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Rating: 4/5
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Jul 23, 2006 07:02
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Still a great rig
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have an Atlas-210 and an Atlas-210X for 2 years. It is a simple radio to use and it works well. You can listen to the audio all day with no fatigue, as it is natural and rich. The receiver performance still compares with many modern rigs and is very often much better then all the new designs. The VFO is drifting a little bit, but not too much. Transmit audio is superb with a high quality crystal 8 pole ladder filter in the single IF. That same filter is a little wide (2.7 kHz) on receive but has good skirt selectivity. The power consumption on receive is very low, current is on receive around 180mA with the scale illumination off. The poppy audio derives AGC can be improved. I did more than one mods on 3 types: Atlas-210, Atlas-210x and Atlas-215x. See for information my website: http://www.xs4all.nl/~pa0fri => Mods
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VA3HIJ
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 13, 2005 21:14
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A good radio with great recieve
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've had this radio for 11 months now and it
performs quite well. A radio that can be used for a mobile or base which I have both cradles.Easy to use and it performs.Thanks Nick for introducing
it to me.
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KF9Z
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Rating: 4/5
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Apr 27, 2005 17:51
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Nice basic radio with great RX audio!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Well...I was able to purchase a FCC enforcement version of the Atlas 210X with 11-meters enabled. A fellow ham that worked for Atlas told me that very few were made for the FCC to monitor and enforce the 11-meter band. They were made with a factory dial with the entire 11-mter band displayed. It does (or did) transmit on 11-meters from the factory. The radio is identical in all respects to the ham 210x but for CB. The radio actually has a great receiver with decent filtering. The rig has fantastic RX audio as well. It does drift but that can be dealt with either by fixing the problem or by adjusting the VFO dial. It is a simple radio to use and it works well. The output transistors can go south easily from thermal run-away so be careful while transmitting and keep the rear of the radio cool. I picked mine up for next to nothing at a local hamfest and I have been extremely happy with it. If you can find one for $150 or so I would do so. I have seen them sell for $30-225 lately. It is a hard radio to beat for those prices. You can listen to the audio all day with no fatigue, as it is natural and rich. It is also a very fun radio to use and that is how I judge the Atlas-210X.
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AA7EJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 13, 2005 10:52
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Atlas 310X ?
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Yes, I do own 210X and love this SIMPLE rig.
Yes, it does drift, especially on 15 meters.
Long time ago I asked Herb why he designed individual LO for each band.
I do have a reply letter, signed by Herb, where he explained why he did that.But he did not mentioned when the components of the LO get older they will affect only one band HI HI HI HI!
The receiver front end is superb, clean of digitaly generated noise - rated 5.
It was advertized as SSB rig and it is a challenge to use on CW - but my hand key makes up for lack of sidetone. So, 5 again!
So, I rated it - here is my main reason for writing this.
Anybody knows anything about Atlas 310X which was a commercial failure. I actally got a reply from some executor of Herb's will about some documetatin about 310, but lost this contact.
It seems that few hams would like to see simple rig like 210 and I believe 310 was heading that direction. I think its design, at least in marketing glossies, was in some aspects little more in touch with technological advances than some of the today's home brew rigs.
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LA6UIA
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 28, 2004 11:45
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Great fun
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I got my 210x one month ago for the equivalent of $200. From the first moment I have been impressed by its audio quality. The trx gets the best signal reports, and the rcv is very easy to adjust and provides a clear signal with low noise.
My other rig is a FT-897, which does *not* present the same SSB quality: For some reason the FT is more difficult to tune, and presents a signal less readable (more noisy). I have never been using SSB a lot (most CW) and for the first time, I think SSB is fun.
I have had no problems with VFO drift (as others have reported) and I use the rig for CW as well now that I have added an external keyer with a side tone.
Ham radio is about fun and magic; I made my first transatlantic contact on 10m today with the 210x. At present it's the only rig on my desk, the FT-897 is in a backpack arrangement awaiting some outdoor duty.
This rig has added to the fun of my hobby, and I am grateful to its designers for providing this simple and efficient piece of equipment.
pros: simple, robust, nice sound
cons: no warc, no qsk, no rit
Anders Fongen, LA6UIA
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N5XYO
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 27, 2003 10:55
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Fine, simple, tough rig!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Bought mine from a CB shop 20 years ago for 50 bucks, sent it to RF Parts and they got it back to factory specs and got me a mic for it! It's been in many trucks and deer camps. This old rig continues to amaze me. For what it is , you can't beat it.
I wish someone made a modern version with none of the frills. ie. memory, dsp, etc. Just a plain mobile rig for not too many bucks....and tough as an anvil like the Atlas 210!!
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FP5CJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 22, 2003 14:16
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very old car best TX!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Following my last review UP, I forgot to say that I only use in portable or mobile Operation, of course!(I got a better TX at home with a new JAP made rig with lots of electronics added!but I need a 30 AMPS PS along with it, because 20 AMPSD is no more enough!!)
Anywaay, it seems that the Atlas 210 X needs half AMPS that any JAPAN rigs(for 100 w max output with a good antenna match of course!)
The needed DC 12V current can be used direct from the car cigar plug at MAX output!(no other TX can do so ,I guess!)
I wish all others newx TX can work with so low current!(it seems , according to advertising , that HT VHF new rigs can do so now, why not HF ONES!
looks forward to check the new 200W HF icom next year
73
FP5CJ
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DG7JX
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Rating: 4/5
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Sep 15, 2003 09:33
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Nice TRX!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Bought an ATLAS 210x a few weeks ago. Then, a few days ago, I bought a brandnew ICOM IC-718 and compared the 2 transceivers:
The RX of the ATLAS 210X can hear everything the IC-718 does! In fact, the 210x seems to be more quiet. But the VFO is drifting a little bit, but not too much.
To reach it's 100 Watts, the Atlas only needs 16A, the Icom 20A.
With a cheap amplifier-mike from ebay the mod is loud and penetrating.
I will keep it for mobile use. For base station use, a modern trx is better because of the digital display, the memories, RIT, IF-shift, and so on. All the Atlas does not have.
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XE1UFO
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 28, 2003 16:58
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Great mobile rig!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I owned my first Atlas 210X about five years ago. I worked 60-plus countries mobil with it. A great travelling rig as well, easy to set up at a vacation site, etc.
I did not give it a 5 only because of the CW setup, which is useless for mobile. However, the base console fixes this problem.
As far as parts goes, any CB shop (even here in Mexico) carries the finals (which are used for 11-meter foot warmers ...)
Oh, and make sure to install the Heil HC-4 in the hand mic. It can't be beat for a mobile rig. And should somebody decide to steal your rig, you are not out megabucks.
I liked it so much that I just bought another one ... Does anybody have the external VFO or the mobile bracket???
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K8KQD
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Rating: 4/5
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Aug 13, 2003 13:28
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A great rig after 29 years
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought a new 210X/wNB & mobile mount along with a new Drake TR4C in 1974. At that time, I put the 210X into my car with a poor antenna match and never made one contact. So, I put the rig into a Samsonite brief case for the last 29 years and installed the Drake for mobile operation.
Last month, I decided to use the Atlas while my TS-2000 was at Kenwood for repairs. Keep in mind that it hasn't been turned on in 29 years.
Once connected to my properly matched HighSierra antenna I was amazed with the receiver sensitvity compared with the TS-2000. Very good! I made a couple of contacts before realizing that I was only putting out ten watts.
After all these years, I find that I am quite impressed with this little rig. I intend to use it in my second car once the output problem is resolved.
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