Authored by VE3EFJ11.0 TR-5
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 TR-7 followed the TR-4Cw and the TR-5 came after the TR-7. Despite this, the TR-5 is a good interpretation by Drake of a solid state TR-4Cw-RIT. There is a marked resemblance of a TR-5 to a TR-7.
Most notable in the TR-5 is a digital VFO, although the radio still employed band crystals.
The TR-5 followed the TR-7 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 TR-4Cw-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 TR-7. The TR-5 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 TR-7' 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 TR-5 also had its 'own' line of accessories, most notably the L-75 linear (single 3-500) and RV-75 digital remote VFO. The RV-75 would of course work with the TR-7. The companion power supply, the SP-75 will of course work with the TR-7. 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.
