Authored by VE3EFJ
7.0 TR-3 TR-ANSCEIVER (CIRCA 1963)
This Transceiver is best described as a 'sleeper'. It is a 5 band SSB Transceiver that predated the TR-4, placing it in the mid 60's. Most of the units available are pretty weather beaten, but I have seen one or two that were in beautiful shape. All of them are relatively inexpensive. If you want a nice, inexpensive glass FET transceiver, a TR-3 is hard to beat. They work as well as a TR-4 and look very much like one. I doubt if you'd mistake the two, but if you did, little harm would be done. The TR-3 has styling similar to a T4-X, the precursor to the T4-B.
As is not unusual for the Drake transceivers, most of what is mentioned for the TR-4 is applicable for the TR-3.
Make sure you get the manual with the radio!
Basic differences to the TR-4:
 | 12JB6 tubes in the PA (3) |
| Vacuum tube PTO |
| No rel output indication |
| No CW sidetone |
| No CW filter |
| IF Filtering not as sharp as the TR-4 |
| No provision for a blanker |
| No external mute or RX antenna relay |
If all you wanted was a TR-4 to play reTR-o radio with, a good clean TR-3 would do almost as well and can be had for a song. Be careful in this area. Radios this old will suffer from use, and pay careful attention to the switches, controls and the operation of the two meters.
