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Reviews For: Drake SSR-1 Communication Receiver

Category: Receivers: General Coverage

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Review Summary For : Drake SSR-1 Communication Receiver
Reviews: 8MSRP: 295-350
Description:
General coverage receiver, made in approx.75-77
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0084
KG7M Rating: 2020-12-28
Excellent Looking Low End Drake Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Manufactured in the mid to late 1970s in Japan by Seiki Electronics, Inc. Drake signed off on this receiver, and many were manufactured with the Drake logo. As an aside, three other company's also added their logo: Standard as the C6500, Lowe as the SRX30, and Century as the Century 21 (no relationship to Ten Tec's Century 21 CW Transceiver).
I currently own a Drake SSR-1 and a Century 21. The Century 21 has a Variable RF Attenuator while the Drake has a switch for either OFF or 20db Attenuation. I won't go into the design as it's been covered by previous reviewers.
I was working as a Salesman at Joe Borsch's (W7PNS/SK) Portland Radio Supply Company in 1977 when the SSR-1 came to market. I purchased my first one new for around $350 with my Employee Discount. The SSR-1 is often compared to the FRG-7, with the Frog 7 usually besting the Drake. Not so in my experience. The SSR-1 has great audio with its Front Firing Speaker and Audio Amplifier Stage. For audio the SSR-1 uses a Matsushita AN-214 IC, which can deliver 4.4 watts of power. SSB audio is stable and robust on the SSR-1.
I sold my original SSR-1 before 1980 and in 2017 purchased used a Century 21 and the SSR-1. After 40 years, any example will require alignment. This is not the easiest receiver to align and there is no adequate Service Manual available. Drake published a seven page Alignment Instruction Addendum. There are errors in that document. In adjusting the USB and LSB balance, you tweak L-22 and TC-9. Drake has mislabeled TC-9 as TC-4 on the hand drawn diagram. TC-9 is just next to L-22, and is not TC-4. After alignment these receivers work well. As with many Barlow-Wadley Loop Designs, the SSR-1 suffers with less sensitivity at the upper end of each mHz Range - i.e. 900 - 1000 kHz. Careful alignment can balance out sensitivity across the dial. Frequency Readout is analog and is readable to 5 kHz.
Reception is quite good on the Internal Telescoping Whip Antenna, or short outdoor antenna. I run my SSR-1 on a 80 ft End Fed Zepp. It overloads the SSR-1 and using the ATTN Switch is too much Attenuation. What works best is using my Station Antenna Tuner, a MFJ-989C, 2KW Versa Tuner V. Just tune for maximum background noise for whatever portion of the Shortwave Band you're tuning through. Very sensitive with a tuned antenna. Selectivity is adequate and may be improved with an outboard DSP.
VK2JEM Rating: 2017-07-25
Good basic starter Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My first real receiver many years ago.

I remember doing dome good listening on this.

Its your basic barlow Wadley type Rxer. Full coverage. .5 - 30Mhz. in 1 mhz segments.

Very like FRG7. Similar in size, similar to use, similar performance. I never had it back to back with Frg7. I have owned both but not at same time. But both gave good results. Its a coin toss between them, if given the choice it would come to price. I would buy another if it came up at good price, if just for the Drake name.

Nothing fancy, but if you were just getting into radio or wanted to do a little fun listening occasionally, its a good buy

Its one of those radios I think will be still soldiering on when the poles melt or equator freezes.

W0VPI Rating: 2013-08-04
Timeless Classic Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned my SSR-1 since Christmas of 1976, my first Christmas gift from my wonderful wife. Over the years I've used this as a non-Ham receiver. Great AM Shortwave broadcast receiver with strong audio from the wisely mounted front speaker. Paired with a Palomar broadcast loop I've enjoyed BCB DX. Like any other receiver, the more antenna you give it, the happier it is. Only problem is a non-functional S-meter. Wrote to Drake some 20 years ago and got a nice letter with suggestions. But, the meter is actually bad. Maybe I'll look for another now that I have the Internet to search. Along with my Kenwood TS-530S the SSR is one of those radios that never gets old.
KP4FAR Rating: 2012-10-03
A very sensitive Wadley Loop circuit receiver: Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just finished a repair on my SSR 1. It is a very good receiver using the Wadley Loop design. Tuning is a bit tricky but not difficult and in crowded bands one needs to be careful. The receiver is very sensitive with a good antenna and has reasonable sensitivity with the telescopic antenna. Audio is excellent and selectivity adequate but limited by the design. Frequency stability is very good as well as accuracy. I have been testing this using a digital receiver as a control and the SSR1 is right on the dot. USB and LSB work OK and even in AM mode the clarify control works. The major drawback is the lack of a good service manual so you need a compendium of what is available in the Web. There are two versions, one using only bipolar NPN transistors and another using MOSFETs for the local oscillator circuits. Mine has the MOSFETs so I don't know how it compares to the other version. Servicing is not difficult if you have some experience and the correct schematic. The best one for the MOSFET version is an schematic for the Standard C6500 available at mods.dk. This receiver has the exact same circuit as thexSSR 1. Only the cabinet and front panel design differs but the controls are the same. The schematic has pin voltages for all transistors in the radio. The dial say Drake all over it but I would have liked a blue dial better. It is an elegant radio designed to blend in a living room environment. In the end it is a good SW receiver and a nice collector set with a circuit design that marks the transition between the classic design of the superheterodyne and the advanced PLL and DSP designs of today.
K1SMM Rating: 2010-10-03
Handy interesting unit Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this receiver for many years and have never had any problems other than sone scratch in the volume pot, easily cured with a quick spray. As previously stated, some learning is required for tuning. You must manually select the range then tune the MHz dial for highest noise level, then do the same for the preselector. I easily copy sideband and AM signals. Fairly limited with the rod antenna, but great with an external wire or dipole.
W8AAZ Rating: 2008-05-19
The bottom of the Drake receiver barrel Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I remember that it was a problem child for Drake. Had alot coming back with synthesizer problems. If it were me and I wanted a solid state Drake I would opt for an SPR-4 if well checked out and no problems with the tuning mechanism or one of the later black face Drake receivers. I guess it would be OK if you don't get ahold of one of the problematic ones. I would rate it the least desireable of the Drake receivers for practical use. But now it is a collectable like all the Drakes so you might need it to fill a spot in a collection.
SWL377 Rating: 2007-01-22
Fun early synth rcvr Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This late 70s solid state rcvr uses the Barlow Wadley loop freq synth system and it works fine. Tuning this set takes a bit of learning (some peaking required), but it isnt a big deal. Readout is analog and reasonably accurate. The set looks really good to my eye and has proven to be very reliable in a harsh salty marine environment. Made in Japan and quality is great. It runs on AC or internal D cells and battery life is very good. It is harder to sue than a digital set, but actually more fun. It is not rare, but it isnt plentiful either. They seem to hold value very well so if you want to own one for a while you probably wont lose a dime if you later decide to sell it. Sensitive, reasonably stable, gets SSB OK. Prices usually range from $150-225. This set gets bad reviews from people who compare it to later technology, but for a 1970s set I think it is great.
KA8DLL Rating: 2006-12-05
Pretty Good Ham Receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I'm here to straighten out the view of the DRAKE SSR1 receiver. Apparently the only DRAKE receiver produced in Japan. Selling for approx. 350.00 in 1975, it really is a pretty good communication receiver. It biggest short coming is it needs more selectivity in the ham bands, I would say it selectivity is better than the KA1103 [in the narrow position] but not as good as the REALISTIC DX440 in the narrow position. The sensitivity and stability are excellent. Frequency read out is approx. +/- 5khz. Audio from the front firing speaker is fine. All in all this is a pretty good ham receiver. It is an excellent broadcast band receiver too. With the use of a QF1A audio filter,for extra filtering, it makes a comfortable ham receiver.