R. L. Drake Company
Drake built compact, innovative amateur radio gear from the 1950s through the 1980s.
The R. L. Drake Company, based in Springboro, Ohio, manufactures electronic communications gear. It is best remembered for its amateur radio and shortwave listening equipment produced from the 1950s through the 1980s. Today, it is a separate entity owned by Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.
Radio design engineer Robert L. Drake founded the company in 1943. It started by making low-pass and high-pass filters for the government and the amateur radio market. After World War II, it began producing amateur radio transmitters and receivers, as well as communications receivers for maritime mobile service.
Drake equipment was used in several record-breaking hot air balloon flights and on the Rutan Voyager. Many of the company’s receivers, transmitters, and transceivers from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s remain in active use. After Robert L. Drake died in 1975, his second son, Peter W. Drake, took over operations and management.
Today, Drake produces products for cable television systems, SD and HD video encoders, video signal distribution, and digital television reception under the Drake and Dracom brands. In February 2012, Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. acquired R.L. Drake, LLC for about $6.5 million. The companies operate separately—Blonder Tongue in Old Bridge, New Jersey, and R.L. Drake in Miamisburg, Ohio.
For more than three decades, Drake manufactured equipment for amateur radio operators and shortwave listeners. The company’s first receiver specifically for radio amateurs was the Drake 1A, introduced in 1957. It was revolutionary for its small size—much smaller than most receivers of the time—and its design emphasized simplicity and ease of operation. It was also built specifically for the then-new and increasingly popular single sideband (SSB) voice mode.
In 1959, Drake followed with the 2A, a more traditional-looking receiver that was larger than the 1A but still far more compact than its contemporaries. It offered more features, better sensitivity and selectivity, and sold for the same price as the 1A. Two years later came the 2B, similar in appearance but with improved performance and new controls for adjusting selectivity (bandwidth) and center frequency.
Instead of making a transmitter to match the 2B, Drake designed a new line starting with the TR-3 SSB transceiver in 1963.
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1943
- Hq Location
- Springboro, Ohio, USA
- Industry
- Telecommunications Systems
- Products
- Digital Cable TV Equipment
- Owner
- Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The company was founded in 1943 by radio design engineer Robert L. Drake, initially manufacturing low pass and high pass filters for the government and amateur radio market. After World War II, it produced amateur radio transmitters and receivers and communications receivers for maritime mobile service. Amateur stations made up of Drake gear were used on record-breaking hot air balloon flights and the Rutan Voyager. When founder Robert L. Drake died in 1975, operation and management was turned over to his second son, Peter W. Drake.
Drake's first receiver specifically for radio amateurs was the 1A, introduced in 1957, notable for its small size and design for single sideband (SSB) reception. The 2A followed in 1959, and the 2B in 1961. Rather than produce a matching transmitter, Drake designed the TR-3 SSB transceiver in 1963, emphasizing size efficiency with a separate power supply. The TR-3 and later TR-4 series used a distinctive greenish-blue dial illumination that became a recognizable feature. The 4-Line, introduced in 1965, included the T-4X transmitter and R-4 receiver, and was improved through A, B, and C versions.
In 1978 Drake abandoned vacuum tubes (except in power amplifiers) for solid state designs and digital frequency synthesis with the 7-Line. The company's final amateur and shortwave entry was the R-8 receiver in 1991, a high performance digital design discontinued in 2005. Today, Drake produces products for cable television systems, video encoders, signal distribution, and digital television reception under the Drake and Dracom brands.
Reader's Guide
Drake's significance lies in its consistent emphasis on compact, innovative design that made advanced amateur radio and shortwave listening equipment accessible. The 1A receiver was revolutionary for its small size and SSB capability, setting a new standard. The TR-3 transceiver and subsequent TR-4 series defined a generation of mobile and home stations, with their distinctive greenish-blue lighting becoming iconic. The 4-Line twins offered high performance and flexibility, while the 7-Line marked the transition to solid state and digital synthesis. Many Drake receivers, transmitters, and transceivers from the 1950s through the 1970s remain in active use today, a testament to their build quality and design. The company's gear was used on record-breaking flights, including the Rutan Voyager, underscoring its reliability. Drake's legacy is that of a manufacturer that balanced technical innovation with practical, user-friendly design, leaving a lasting imprint on amateur radio and shortwave listening communities.
Did You Know?
- Drake's first receiver for amateurs, the 1A, was designed specifically for single sideband (SSB) reception.
- The TR-3 transceiver used a separate power supply to achieve a very small main chassis.
- Drake equipment was used on the Rutan Voyager and record-breaking hot air balloon flights.
- The R-8 receiver, introduced in 1991, was Drake's final amateur and shortwave listening product.
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