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Reviews For: Atlas 180

Category: Transceivers: HF Amateur HF+6M+VHF+UHF models - non QRP <5W

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Review Summary For : Atlas 180
Reviews: 9MSRP:
Description:
The very first mobile HF xcvr from Atlas
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0093.1
KB2HSH Rating: 2021-01-22
Herb's first Atlas is a classic Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Despite the "horror stories" that others have told about the 180, it's not even remotely accurate to say that this radio is drifty. It's not...IF...two things are done (as were done to mine)...first...replace the electrolytic capacitors. The older they are, the more prone to failure this and any radio will be. And second...the radio suffers from what seems to be a hand capacitance if anything is placed adjacent to the top of the rig. If you keep clear of the top...no problem.

I used mine (after having the audio chain and electrolytics replaced) in the ARRL 160m Contest recently, and it was very satisfying to say the least. With the appropriate microphone, a Shure Model 404C...THE microphone that Herb Johnson himself specified, I received many comments about the nice sounding audio. As for received audio, no tinny sounding Asian toy here. This is full-blooded, Made in California, 1970s fidelity. With an MFJ CWF-2 filter (from the same era, I might add), CW sounds better than on my Yaesu.

Speaking of CW...it CAN be done, but it is a pain. Many have stated that unless you have the QSK module installed in the 220 cabinet, you have to switch TX and RX manually. Doing it in this fashion with the 180 can be frustrating if done too quickly...as the radio needs to begin oscillation after selecting CW. If you're not in a CW contest, I suppose that this is acceptable. But, it takes approximately 2 or 3 seconds to turnaround from TX to RX and vice-versa. Perhaps this has a lot to do with the RF gain control...this situation is not a factor when using this radio in its intended manner: SSB. It is because of this that I give it a 4.

But, it's classic. It's beautiful. And despite OTHER reviews, it's STABLE and not drifty in the slightest.

The 180 that I have is an EARLY model...the label on the heatsink states Atlas Radio, CARLSBAD California, rather than Oceanside. And the fact that it's an early model also lends it to NOT having an ALC control on the front panel.

This was my first Atlas, but certainly not my last...as I also have a 215x...and actively searching for a 350XL.
ND4XE Rating: 2012-06-16
Old radio still dependable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I will be using an Atlas 180 to call a net tonight. This unit was gone through by someone in the eighties, the finals were replaced and no problems since then.
I have the console/power supply it works too,
My other radios were damaged by lightning, the Atlas was in a closet and after fixing a loose ground in the microphone it is ready to go.
Not a great radio by any measure, but this particular unit is still going strong after years of neglect.
NE2Q Rating: 2011-07-30
State of the Art when introduced Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had the Atlas-180 since 1975. Purchased it new. Atlas Radio company was started by Herbert G. Johnson, W6QKI who also started Swan Electronics Co. Do a search for Herb to read a little about how he started his companies in his garage.

When introduced, the 180 was really ahead of it's time. All solid state and was probably the 1st of it's kind. Used it mobile for 1,000s of QSOs in my 1973 Dodge Charger for for at least 8 years. Worked all over the world using it with "Mark Heliwhips". Still have those trusty antennas for 160, 80, 40 & 20M. They still work very well.

The original finals are intact and they put out around 100W at the lower bands and about 95 up on 20M which is the highest band this radio is capable of.

Yes it will drift a little but a small touch of the tuning knob will take care of that.

The front panel RF output control allows me to reduce power to below 200 milliwatts. A feat most "modern" radios cannot accomplish. Using it with my 20M yagi, I have worked SSB stations on the other side of the earth with it at this ultra QRP level.

Mine still works great. I put it on the air periodically to have fun and remember a little history. Recently used it in July 2011 to work some friends on 75M SSB and some DX in Europe.

Certainly it's receiver cannot compete with today's marvels but for a radio with just 7 knobs it certainly works well as compared with all transistorized transceivers in it's time.

When I do put it on the air, I always get excellent audio reports and NOBODY can tell I am using a radio from the '70's.

It sure is a heck-of-a-lot easier to get on the air than radios of today. A great standby transceiver for casual operators. You can probably pick one up for close to the cost of a roofing filter on a 2011 radio!!
KC9GUZ Rating: 2008-03-03
Not worth a hill of beans!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
One of the worst radios for drift ever made. The 210/215 are much better.
W4CP Rating: 2006-07-11
A solid state piece of junk Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I owned one of these radios from approximately 1975-1978, and I have been a ham since 1968, and it still holds the record for worst radio I've ever owned.

It was one of the first "mini" solid-state HF rigs-- bleeding edge technology, and it bled all over me.

I bought the Atlas special mount for my car and the Atlas special power supply mount for fixed station use. You could simply pull the radio out of the mobile mount (nothing to unscrew) and slide it into the power supply mount, much in the manner of a laptop docking station. That was a good system, making it very easy to move and use the radio for both mobile and fixed station applications. Icom, Yaesu and Kenwood should consider a similar system for their mobile rigs.

But the radio itself was a piece of junk. For the first year or so, it performed adequately, but then the finals started giving trouble, the receiver started giving trouble and ultimately the radio was just trouble.

I wouldn't touch one of these used with a ten foot pole, unless someone gave me one. Then I would use it for target practice.

It's not heavy enough to be a boat-anchor, but it would make a good target to shoot at.
K7UA Rating: 2006-02-02
OK, especially for 1970s Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought an Atlas 180 around 1975 to get on 160M. My other rig didn't cover that band. It was ok, but back then any transistorized final amp was very SWR sensitive. The Atlas was pretty touchy about SWR. I had a full sized 160M dipole up, but the Atlas didn't really like to feed into it. I went back to my Viking II. It was a very cool mobile rig at that time.
WA7H Rating: 2005-05-31
Needs Work Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just picked up a 180 at a hamfest and it isn't puting out full power, I think the finals are shot. I can't find any information on the Internet about this little radio, if someone has an owners/repair manual or knows where I can get info on this radio please email me at w7jsc@msn.com. Thanks,
Steve w7jsc
VK6MC Rating: 2004-10-10
Miss The "Old Girl" Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I first used an Atlas 180 in the USA in about 1978 and it seemed a cute little rig.

I purchased a used Atlas 180 about 20 years ago and had it " Bolted " in the car operating Top Band in the UK as G4AXP. In those days I was a sales rep. and spent about 5 hrs a day in the car working the regulars on 1.930mhz. The 180 never let me down even though the heat sink would glow cherry red at times!
It looked like it was "knocked up" in someones garage but the layout was good and boards were easily servicable.

It's stored in a box with some of my "Clobber" in the UK. Gee, I wish I had it here, if only to look at, no-one operates Top Band in VK.
G3YXM Rating: 2001-06-21
This vintage transceiver still satisfies! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This American-made set is a product of the 70s and was revolutionary at its launch with 100W output 160 - 20m and all solid-state construction. Small too, only 9.5 x 9.5 x 3.5 inches, it was the ideal mobile rig with its 12V supply.
The PA could be a bit disaster-prone but the whole thing is simple and easy to modify. I put a pair of SD1405s in mine and got 170W out after beefing up the driver stage...
The transmit audio is superb with a high quality crystal filter in the single IF. That same filter is a little wide on receive but has good skirt selectivity.
The receiver had no preamp, the RF went straight to the diode ring mixer, this made it bomb-proof but a bit deaf.
There are a few mods to do to make the Atlas perform well but these are simple and have probably been done on any still around. If you like old rigs you can work on, check out the Atlas 180.
Also look out for the later Atlas 215 (160-15) and 210 (80-10) variants, the "X" versions even had a noise blanker!