Signal/One
High-performance HF transceivers from a St. Petersburg manufacturer.
Signal/One built high-performance SSB and CW HF radio transceivers, starting out in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company was part of Electronic Communications, Inc. (ECI), which itself was the military division of NCR Corporation. Key figures included general manager Dick Ehrhorn (W4ETO) and project engineer Don Fowler (W4YET). Their radios, beginning with the CX7 in the 1960s, cost far more than rival models and packed in advanced features like passband tuning, broadband transmission, dual receive, a built-in IAMBIC keyer, electronic digital readout, solid-state design, QSK, and RF clipping. A Signal/One radio was often called a complete high-performance station in a single box.
Although marketed to well-off amateur radio operators, the real customers were likely military, State Department, and government agencies—similar to Collins. Despite their engineering and performance, the radios never sold as well as expected. From the 1970s through the 1990s, the company was repeatedly spun off, sold, and relocated every few years.
Collectors now actively seek surviving Signal/One gear, including the CX7, CX7A, CX7B, CX11, and various milspec models. The last Signal/One radio was a re-engineered ICOM IC-781. Records show 1,152 units were built: 850 CX7s, 112 CX11s, 168 MS1030s (the number of "C" versions is unknown), 6 MilSpec1030Cs, 15 MilSpec1030CI Icom IC-781 conversions, and 1 Milspec1030E DSP Icom IC-756 Pro conversion.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Electronics
- Parent
- Electronic Communications, Inc.
- Key People
- Dick Ehrhorn (general manager) · Don Fowler (project engineer)
- Hq Location City
- St. Petersburg, Florida
- Hq Location Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Signal/One began in the 1960s with the CX7, marketed to affluent radio amateurs but also suggested to have a primary market in military, State Department, and government communications, similar to Collins. Despite advanced engineering and performance, the products did not sell as well as hoped, and the company gradually fell on hard times. From the 1970s through the 1990s, Signal/One was repeatedly spun off, sold, and resurfaced at different locations. The last Signal/One radio was a re-engineered ICOM IC-781.
Reader's Guide
Signal/One's significance lies in its engineering ambition and the advanced features it introduced to the amateur radio market, such as passband tuning, broadband transmission, dual receive, and solid state design at a time when such capabilities were rare. The company's products, though commercially unsuccessful, are now sought after and actively collected by enthusiasts. The surviving models include the CX7, CX7A, CX7B, CX11, and Milspec variants. The total production run of 1152 units—comprising 850 CX7, 112 CX11, 168 MS1030, and small numbers of MilSpec and Icom-based conversions—underscores their rarity. The legacy of Signal/One is that of a niche manufacturer that pushed technical boundaries but could not sustain a broad market, leaving behind a small but prized body of equipment.
Did You Know?
- Signal/One's parent company was Electronic Communications, Inc. (ECI), a military division of NCR Corporation.
- The CX7 model cost US$2395 when new circa 1970.
- A total of 1152 Signal/One radios were built across all models.
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