Authored by VE3EFJ
11.0 TR5
There is a natural expectation that incrementing series numbers from a manufacturer imply that the higher number is a later model. In the case of Drake HF radios, the TR7 followed the TR4Cw and the TR5 came after the TR7. Despite this, the TR5 is a good interpretation by Drake of a solid state TR4Cw-RIT. There is a marked resemblance of a TR5 to a TR7.
Most notable in the TR5 is a digital VFO, although the radio still employed band crystals.
The TR5 followed the TR7 and was announced for general market around 1982. It is a ham band only transceiver with a real synthesizer. It could best be described as being similar functionally to a TS-120. It can also be described rather accurately as being a solid state TR4Cw-RIT. It came with few accessories - there really wasn't all that much to add. It was an SSB and CW transceiver and did not cover the AM and RTTY modes offered in the TR7. The TR5 allowed for optional WARC band coverage of the 10, 18 and 24 MHz sub bands. There is no PBT or IF Shift. It could be looked upon as a 'baby TR7' for it is very similar in appearance. Instead of two rows of push buttons on the '7, the '5 has a single row of rocker switches, but the basic layout is much the same.
The TR5 also had its 'own' line of accessories, most notably the L75 linear (single 3-500) and RV75 digital remote VFO. The RV75 would of course work with the TR7. The companion power supply, the SP75 will of course work with the TR7. This supply provides an unregulated high current 12 volts for the transmitter PA and a low current supply for the low level electronics. There is *nothing* wrong with this. Atlas did this too. There is no need to provide a lot of filtering, or regulation to the PA stage.
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