The Magic of Vintage Ham Radio
An edited version of this this was published as an article in the Cherokee Amateur Radio Society April newsletter.
The Magic of Vintage Ham Radio
I still remember the first time I saw a Collins S-Line radio. It sat there in an old Marine radio operator’s shack, gleaming like a piece of functional art. That moment sparked a lifetime love affair with vintage ham radio equipment that’s never quite faded.
You’ll find these old beauties at any hamfest – lovingly nicknamed “boat anchors” by the ham radio community. They’re more than just relics, though. These vintage radios offer a perfect blend of nostalgia, practicality, and pure radio magic.
The Appeal of Going Vintage
For many of us older hams, these radios represent the dream stations we couldn’t afford in our younger days. Collins, Drake, Hallicrafters, National Radio and Swan – these American-made brands were the Ferraris of their time, just as out of reach then as today’s multi-thousand-dollar rigs are for many newcomers.
But here’s the beautiful irony: what was once expensive is now surprisingly affordable. With some patient shopping, you can get on HF SSB for a couple hundred bucks including a wire antenna. Sure beats dropping two grand on a new rig.
There’s something special about operating these old machines. Unlike modern transceivers with their one-touch tuning, vintage gear demands involvement. You warm up the tubes, wait for the VFO to stabilize, carefully tune the driver, dip the final, adjust the loading – it’s a ritual that makes each contact feel earned. And the amazing thing? They still sound fantastic. My late-60s Collins S-Line produces some of the sweetest CW audio I’ve ever heard.
The Evolution of Single Sideband
Few people realize that Single Sideband (SSB) – the backbone of modern ham radio voice communications – has roots reaching back to the dawn of radio itself. The story begins in 1915, when John Renshaw Carson filed the first U.S. patent for SSB modulation. What followed was a fascinating journey of technological evolution.
The U.S. Navy was an early pioneer, experimenting with SSB before World War I. But the first major commercial breakthrough came on January 7, 1927, when the transatlantic radiotelephone circuit between New York and London crackled to life. This groundbreaking system used high-power SSB transmitters stationed at Rocky Point, New York, and Rugby, England, with specially positioned receivers in the radio-quiet zones of Houlton, Maine, and Cupar, Scotland.
The technology got its biggest boost in 1957, thanks to an unlikely meeting between two titans of their respective fields. Art Collins, founder of Collins Radio, demonstrated SSB’s superior performance of SSB to General Curtis LeMay of the U.S. Air Force. The result? The Strategic Air Command made SSB their standard for aircraft communications that same year, cementing its position as the go-to technology for long-distance voice transmission.
For ham radio operators, the SSB revolution began in earnest after World War II. The availability of surplus military equipment and growing technical knowledge in the ham community led to widespread experimentation. Collins Radio rode this wave of innovation, producing legendary equipment like the S-Line and KWM-2/A SSB/CW transceivers – gear that would set the standard for amateur radio excellence for decades to come.
This rich heritage explains why vintage SSB equipment still performs remarkably well today. The fundamental principles haven’t changed – we’re just packaging them in smaller boxes with digital displays. Those old Collins and Drake rigs weren’t just built to last; they were built on rock-solid engineering principles that remain valid in our modern era.
Classic Rigs: A Closer Look
Let’s tour some of the most significant vintage radios that shaped amateur radio history:
The Kenwood TS-520 Series – The TS-520 wasn’t just another radio – it was a revolution in hybrid design. Its heart consisted of a pair of 6146 tubes in the final amplifier (the same workhorse tubes that powered countless American rigs), combined with modern solid-state electronics everywhere else. This clever design offered the best of both worlds: the warm audio characteristics of tubes where it mattered most, with the reliability of transistors handling the rest. The radio delivers a solid 100 watts output on SSB and CW across all HF bands, and its receiver sensitivity rivals modern units.
TS -520 S – Photo courtesy of Allen N4OZI
The Drake Dynasty – Drake’s evolution tells the story of ham radio’s golden age. Starting with the Drake 1A receiver, they refined their designs through the beloved 2B and 2C models. The TR3 and TR4 series transceivers brought Drake’s innovations to a single-box design, but it was the “4 Line” that cemented their legend. The R-4B/C receiver paired with the T-4XB/C transmitter offered features we take for granted today – like the revolutionary Passband Tuning system (now known as IF Shift).
The Drake TR7 marked their transition to solid-state design. Its upconversion architecture, using a high first IF of 48.05 MHz, eliminated the image response problems that plagued earlier designs. With 170 watts PEP output and the optional RV-75 digital VFO, it represented the peak of analog technology just before the digital revolution.
My Drake B Twins & L-4B – Full legal limit station
The Collins Legacy – Collins Radio’s S-Line set the standard by which all other ham gear was judged. The 75S-3C receiver and 32S-3 transmitter pair, backed by the 30S-1 linear amplifier, wasn’t just equipment – it was industrial art. The receiver’s mechanical filters provided selectivity that’s still impressive today, while the transmitter’s precision VFO and balanced modulator delivered audio quality that became the industry benchmark.
My Collins S-Line and 30S-1 Linear
The KWM-2/A transceiver brought Collins quality to a single-box design. Its precision mechanical filters and rock-solid PTO (Permeability Tuned Oscillator) made it the choice of both serious amateurs and professional services. These rigs were so well-built that many are still in daily use after more than half a century.
Collins KWM-2 Transceiver – photo courtesy Allen N4OZI
The Japanese Revolution – Beyond Kenwood, Japanese manufacturers like Yaesu and Icom brought fresh innovation to ham radio. The Yaesu FT-101 series combined excellent performance with reliability at a price point that opened HF operation to thousands of new hams. These hybrid rigs, using the proven 6JS6C tubes in their finals, became the foundation of many home stations in the 1970s.
Each of these classics has its own personality. The Collins gear offers surgical precision and legendary mechanical filters. Drake equipment provides excellent sensitivity and that famous Drake audio. Kenwood’s hybrids deliver rock-solid reliability with minimal maintenance. What they all share is the ability to still perform admirably in today’s crowded bands, often matching or exceeding the performance of entry-level modern transceivers.
Smart Shopping
The best vintage gear usually shows up at hamfests. While online sources like eBay and QRZ Swapmeet can yield treasures, nothing beats hands-on inspection. Bring along someone who knows these radios – they can spot common issues like degraded switch contacts or dried-out electrolytic capacitors.
Most problems are fixable. Switch contacts can be cleaned, capacitors replaced, and tubes are still available. The real challenge comes from previous “modifications” – some brilliant, some disastrous. I once fixed a Collins 32S-3 transmitter by moving a single misplaced resistor that had killed its SSB capability.
Swan Cygnet 270B acquired for $50 photo courtesy Allen N4OZI
Modern Relevance
These aren’t just collector’s items. They’re fully functional stations that connect us to radio’s golden age while still delivering solid performance today. Drake’s TR7, introduced in the late ’70s, pioneered technologies we still use – like roofing filters and high IF frequencies for image rejection.
Sure, vintage gear requires more patience and skill to operate. But for many of us, that’s exactly the point. In an age of instant everything, there’s something deeply satisfying about mastering these mechanical marvels, understanding their quirks, and keeping them on the air decades after they first lit up the bands.
Whether you’re a new ham looking for an affordable entry into HF, or an experienced operator seeking something with more soul than today’s black boxes, vintage radio offers a unique blend of history, economy, and pure operating pleasure. Just don’t blame me if you get hooked – these old rigs have a way of multiplying when you’re not looking.
