Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals  (Read 485 times)

HS0ZFE

  • Member
  • Posts: 8
Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« on: May 14, 2022, 01:00:59 AM »

Hi Guys

Vintage radios weren't on my radar. Now I bought this Drake Line (VFO, PS,...) and a TS-700 and a Sommerkamp 727 and a TS-9000 VHF. The Drake Line comes with a DSP in the speaker.

Q: Would you use contralube or do something "TLC"?

73 de Chris in Stade nr Hamburg, DL
Logged

KA4WJA

  • Posts: 1601
    • HomeURL
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2022, 02:17:52 PM »

Chris,
Use some TLC, I guess?
But, while she might be ~ 45 years old, and you might think you need to be "tender", don't let her age fool you, she's a heavy-duty, "commercial-grade" ham rig that will take quite a bit.  :)

Enjoy!


1)  I own two Drake TR-7's (one, I bought new, in 1978). 
A working TR-7 (even 44 years old, and not perfectly aligned) is a GREAT radio!   
And, even ~ 45 - 50 years since its design and initial manufacture/sale, it beats almost all radios 25 - 35 years newer, and still holds its own against some more "modern" radios that are even newer!

Have a look here:

https://www.qrz.com/db/KA4WJA


2)  As for contact cleaning, I've used De-Oxit D5 for many years as my primary contact cleaner....(and also use De-Oxit F5, for faders / potentiometers)

These also work as a general cleaner for chassis, bezels, etc....using microfiber chamois or cotton swabs.

The only place where I've used silicone grease / contralube / etc., is on outdoor connections such as coax connectors, etc...so, I cannot comment on its use inside a radio (?).


3)  But, as an fyi....please know that aside from the controls, switches, etc., that might need cleaning (using the De-Oxit), many times the pins passing the signals/power to and from the individual boards and the mother/parent board sometimes need cleaning....and sometimes just removing and re-inserting the boards ends-up cleaning the contacts enough, other times some De-Oxit might be useful.


Hope this helps.

73,
John,  KA4WJA
Logged

KA4WJA

  • Posts: 1601
    • HomeURL
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2022, 03:09:14 PM »

BTW, as a quick follow-up...

1)  The TR-7 works perfectly fine "as-is" / "as designed" and needs no modifications to work well for you...
But, there are a few minor mods that can make the TR-7 more convenient to operate, in comparison to our modern rigs 45 to 50 years newer.
BUT...
But, some have taken to the soldering iron in the misguided quest to "make it better"....
There some bizarre / poorly-engineered "modifications" for the TR-7 out there....use caution!  (see below for just a few of these)


2)  The only major mod that I know for sure is a good update / mod, is from Ulrich Rohde (and not just specific to the TR-7, but for many "legacy synth" radios) where he changes out the main VCO's thereby updating the radio to modern year 2020 "phase noise" and RMDR...

A second mod that is nice (and quick and easy) is the WA8SAJ mod, for front panel power output control in LSB and USB modes (a rather simple jumper on the mode switch, sending voltage to the "Carrier" control on the front panel, even in LSB and USB modes, allowing precise adjustment of power output)

Also, another nice mod is adding a "CW Xmit" control (or "MOX") by using the second set of contacts on the "Store" button.

Please see some of the other operator specific mods that can be done to the TR-7 without adversely effecting its performance nor value...
https://www.qrz.com/db/KA4WJA



3)  Some other mods are rather poor and some are out-n-out ruinous of the TR-7's performance! 
Case-in-point, some have published an easy way to significantly shorten the ALC time constant, which gives a bit more "punch" to the transmit audio, at the detriment of the TR-7's wonderfully clean transmit purity [no ALC issues, like "modern" radios] as well as ruining the TR-7's wonderfully smooth on-channel audio...

Other "mods" try to "fix" drifting....but a properly working TR-7 will drift 200hz - 300hz during its first 10 - 15 minutes after a cold start, and then after is darn stable!  (mine stays "on freq", within 10hz or so all night, no matter how much transmitting vs. receiving)

Others desire to make it look "new" by changing the S-meter and PTO panel lights to LED's....without realizing the incandescent bulb next to the PTO can be of help (but not necessarily) in keeping the PTO temperature stable....nor realizing that some of those LED's are so bright that you might need an overhead light on above you, in your ham shack, to still be able to "see" the controls on the front of the TR-7...

Others have tried to change the cooling fan (in Europe, etc. it was necessary, due to the factory fan was 120vac fan), not realizing the many options the Drake TR-7 design engineer Milt Sullivan went thru to find just the right fan (I have the details on this, if you desire....and, you CAN find 120vac or 230vac or 12vdc fans that meet these specs)


Chris, I'm not in any way implying you need to do any modifications at all!
Just letting you know what may have already been done to your new TR-7, so you will be aware.  :)


73,
John,  KA4WJA
Logged

W4OP

  • Member
  • Posts: 890
    • homeURL
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2022, 07:24:19 PM »

Where do  you plan on using the Contralube? Never put any lubrication on the PTO gears.
Dale W4OP
Logged

N8YX

  • Member
  • Posts: 2449
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2022, 07:16:53 AM »

The stability modifications I do with my 7 lines (I have several TR-7s/R-7s, etc) involve coupling an RV-75 to the setup. Pricey little things when they show up, though.

A couple companies are making DDS-based RV- replacements for the TR-7. I'd like to see the output of them on a spectrum analyzer and compare it to either the RV-75 or the rig's internal PTO before I used one to transmit...but it's a possible option.
Logged

K8AC

  • Posts: 2065
    • HomeURL
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2022, 06:39:51 AM »

Chris - contrary to what some say, the TR-7 is not military or commercial grade.  The pins for the boards and the sockets on the boards do not have gold contacts and they tend to oxidize over time.  I suggest pulling all the boards one at a time and cleaning the pins with a generous amount of De-Oxit using a Q-tip.  If you fail to do this, you may spend a lot of time chasing problems caused by the pins.  There are a lot of modifications available and you can find them at the WB4HFN website or just by Googling TR7 mods.  If you intend to operate the TR-7 on CW, there's a simple modification that corrects the key click problem that most if not all TR-7s had.  A DDS VFO is a nice improvement if you intend to use the TR-7 for daily operation.  Some people have questioned the spectral purity of the TR-7 after such a modification, but my testing showed that the spectral purity was actually better with the DDS VFO than with the original PTO.  A good DDS VFO will also offer you split operation without having to resort to an external VFO.  Best of luck with the Drake line.

73, Floyd  - K8AC
Logged

N8YX

  • Member
  • Posts: 2449
Re: Mint TR-7 Drake Line with manuals
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2022, 08:20:38 AM »

Chris - contrary to what some say, the TR-7 is not military or commercial grade.
Laughs in TR-4310/R-4245. JY1 and a number of other Mil/industrial users couldn't be wrong...right?

Quote
...but my testing showed that the spectral purity was actually better with the DDS VFO than with the original PTO.  A good DDS VFO will also offer you split operation without having to resort to an external VFO.
I have in Ye Olde Parts Stash a number of N4YG boards that were set up specifically for the TR-7/R-7. These have the controller and DDS chip installed but nothing else.

I also have 8 (count 'em) R-7s. Two came from FCC field offices. In light of your testing, I'm going to convert four of the receivers to use the DDS VFOs - pairing them with RV-75-equipped TR-7s and TR-5s (I have a couple of the latter). Should make for a nicely updated "vintage" operating position. L7s, L75s and all the other Drake peripherals will be nicely represented too.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up