Drake Corner
Drake Separates MY FIRST MODERN COMMERCIAL STATION & LATER, A RETURN TO VACCUM TUBE RIGS IN MY SHACK
A HAPPY RUN OF 9 YEARS WITH MY FIRST B-LINE AT HOME, AT SCHOOL, BACK AT HOME, IN OUR FIRST APARTMENT AND OUR FIRST HOUSE!
THIS DRAKE-RELATED PAGE, is now of historical interest (This has became the "vintage" corner of my the shack, with a Collins S/Line from 1958 taking over the desktop. These shots are from our former home in Nokesville, and I still have the B-Line on the desk at my current QTH in Amissville, along with a TR-4CW.
With the encouragement of Chris, W2PA and John, W1JA, I picked up a Drake B-line like I had in the early to late 1970s. The Drake line was an upgrade back then, after selling the HW-101, which I built in 1972. John (JA) had one of the prettiest pairs of these I've seen (see for yourself at www.radiophile.com), and Chris has a nice B-Line too. They helped me find some parts to pretty them up and they're just a delight to use and bring back good memories. Chris also provided details of a couple of simple component changes to richen the transmit audio in the T-4XB.
The Drake B-Line with a loaned C-Line above it at our former home in Nokesville.
The B-Line is once again in use in my shack, now in Amissville (see below).
This shot is from around 2015, before the new shack was completed.
I had my pair set up in my college dorm room (see QSL below) for two years on my desk, and I even had an Eldico SSB-1000 too, running a KW on 40M and 80M with inverted vees in the trees in back of my third floor dorm room. The throw weight to erect the antennas was provided by a local North Carolinian, suitably primed for the task by a pitcher of beer at the local pub. The shot-putter, who we'll call JL, climbed the outer brickwork of the steps on the end of the dorm building with me. Not fond of heights, the beer put the red "S" on his chest needed to get the job done. I took the same dorm room the second year, so I could re-use the antennas from the year before. The feedlines were curled up on the roof for the summer vacation, and were right where I left them when I returned the following fall. If you click on the shot and get the full-sized image, you can read the QSL card on the MS-4, which I designed and printed while at school where I had the station. The picture is of the B-Line and scope on the desk in the dorm room. My B-line had the C-Line VFO knobs back then, since I was more concerned about performance (quick band excursions) than authenticity in those days, but was in great shape, but swapped out once Diane and I purchased our first house to make way for more contest-worthy gear.
These photos are now history, since the corner has been converted to the "black & gray corner," also affectionately known as "Studio B&G." The C-Line is back at KT3Y's shack, to make room for the Collins S/Line that has invaded the desktop. My B-Line is now up a shelf, and is left tuned to 30M for chasing a DLDXCC30M award (Drake Line DXCC 30M), an unofficial, self-logged goal of working 100 countries on 30M with the Drake Line (finally achieved in 3-2009).
I had the Drake station set up on the other side of the shack from the "modern" station, hence the "Drake Corner."
After the initial setup, I repainted the corner white to brighten it up a bit, added shelves so I could have the B and C-Lines available, and moved the Henry over for QRO 80-10. It's not an L-4B, but it's about right otherwise (pair of 3-500s with chimneys), and the 6JB6s tend to overdrive it a bit, so I have to keep my eye on the gain. At least I can tune it as needed. Previously, I would go to Studio A (the FT-1000), tune the Henry into a dummy load, then put the Drake line on it from the other side of the room, without so much as a wattmeter over in Studio D to keep an eye on things. Now, I've got the repainted Heathkit HM-2140 in the line. The cabinet screws are now slot headed, and the receiver has been to Hartzell Mfg. for repainting, along with the MS-4. My DXCC on 30M, all with the Drake B-Line, was completed in 2009. I should note my thanks to WB4HFN for some accurate blue gels for the B-Line. The C-Line is a nice color, but not accurate. If anyone wants some tips on the painting method for the white lines on the knobs, I've found an excellent flat white paint and a technique involving Q-tips that's proved both efficient and effective.
Since many were naturally lit, when I lightened them in Photoshop, the jpg artifacts became more apparent. This is not a collector's corner, just a conversation starter.
My current R-4B, at $190 purchase from Ebay, which cleaned up well.
My current T-4XB, which didn't need much. The case is original paint, which probably ought to go back to Hartzell for a paint job to match the R-4B and MS-4, which have been refinished. This has since been oversprayed with Rustoleum satin black, giving a close gloss to the Hartzell paint jobs. Hartzell has now discontinued offering their refinishing services for Drake cabinets.
Scanned Oldies!
Here are a few shots of the my first B-Line. The first is the only "photo" I have of my station in my college dorm room. The card is badly cut and includes a "hickey" on the 4. It was a weekend project and it still amazes me that I didn't arouse the interest of the powers that be, and get myself QRT'd. The 638 mike is also in evidence, as well as my modified station console, with a chopped up Tymeter and some switches and a mechanical 10 minute ID timer. I added an amp, but don't have any pictures of that in its setting in the dorm.
After use in college, I brought this station to our first (and only) apartment when we moved to Springfield, Virginia. The apartment was on the ground floor but an end unit, so I got away with wire antennas in the trees, running the feedlines through holes I drilled in the windowsills. This black and white shot shows the gear after I put it in our second bedroom, set up as a shack. Note the converted Tymeter clock, and the Heathkit Warrior amplifier. This amp was loaned to me by Phil, now KT3Y, who was in Oman at the time. It had a pair of 572Bs in it and made a real difference.
My Dad at the controls of the B-Line. Note the HRO-500 and preselector in the background! He offered it to me at one point, and I said, "Nah, I don't want that old thing." Ugh.
A close-up of the B-Line and the Eldico SSB-1000 amplifier. This amp is the one I used in my dorm room, and served me very well for a number of years.
Here is the B-Line, as deployed in our first apartment in Springfield, VA. The Heathkit Warrior amp to the right was loaned to me by KT3Y, while he was away in Oman.
The shot below that is the same B-Line set up in my shack in our first house (shown on the homepage) in Dale City, VA. I modified the plywood desktop I had made with a cheap piece of paneling over it and a metal edge by creating a sloped portion at the back to tilt the gear up. It was a fairly ergonomic arrangement, allowing you to keep most of your forearm laying flat on the desktop. Note also the "Mark I" tuner, with detailed markings. The metal and wood object to the left of it is the plate used to print our wedding invitations, which was made from calligraphy which I designed and lettered. The Suntory Royal Whisky bottle (and its contents) was a gift from Japanese visitors to the company where I first worked.
