"Sindre Torp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> made an utterence to the drakelist gang ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello everyone on The Drake List,
I have two TR5 transceivers. Their serial numbers are 001130, and 110 (hundred and ten). The serial #110 TR5 has the serial number printed directly on the rear side. This is from the preproduction serie. The serial # consist of only three digits: 110. But the serial #001130 TR5 has the serial printed on a decal on the rear. I should have posted this a couple of months ago..... :-) 73, Sindre Torp, LA6OP ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, August 01, 2004 9:56 AM Subject: [drakelist] Serial Number Fun with the TR5, OR...... > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] made an utterence to the drakelist gang > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > -----> Serial Number Fun with the TR-5 <----- > -or- > Down to the Sea in Drake's > ----------------------- > > A few weeks ago a mention of the TR-5 on the > list sparked an idea, or quest, or maybe I was > just bored at the moment. Since the popular > thinking was just over 500 TR-5's were built, I > thought it might be fun to find out how many I > could account for. > > So I polled the two Drake > lists asking for serial numbers of TR-5's owned > by the members. The story about a large number > of TR-5's being lost at soon sea surfaced. > (pun intended) > > The story goes something like this: > > Once Upon a time, (sorry couldn't resist) > the Drake company filled a large order > of TR-5's to the Government of South America. > Reported to be over 100 units, perhaps as > many as 200. The ship that was loaded with the > TR-5's was lost at Sea, sunk in bad storm. > > I have heard variations of this, but the end > was the same, about 100 Brand New TR-5's > lost forever at the bottom of the Ocean. > > A fellow Drake list reader remarked > that the story was true and had been confirmed. > > Now I had a mission, would gathering serial > numbers reveal the missing units and shore up > the story. Clearly I thought that if a large > number of radio's were sent on one order > they would be consecutive serial numbers. > > Early on I had received 8 serial numbers > from list users and had 5 more from WB4HFN's > Serial Number Web Page, plus my TR-5 for > a total of 14 good numbers. Not many but > it was a good spread from 1038 to 1506. > (TR-5 production began at 1001) > Right away I noticed a large gap in the > numbers, nothing between 1167 and 1288! > > Was this gap possibly the missing TR-5's? > > A few more numbers came in the next day, > all outside the black hole of missing Drake's. > > How clever I thought I was, Also this > might mean that there was only 400 or so > TR-5's left, making them even more rare. > > Then it happened, Like a MOAB on target, > but this was the MOASN! And not just one, > the next day the gap was gone, 1207, then > 1240 and if that wasn't enough 1232 arrived. > > My Theory was Dashed on the Rocks! > > Now I have 25 TR-5 serial numbers, and > from 1038 to 1514 the biggest hole is only > 48. This is with less than 4 percent known > to exist TR-5's but would indicate that a > large number in one group, such as the > missing 100 might not be missing at all. > > I did do one more bit of looking for > information, Yes I even asked the > R.L. Drake Company. > > I sent an e-mail to John Kriner of the > Drake Service Department. > Here is his reply: > > >The boat sinking story is one I never heard, but this does not mean it < > >isn't true. I am forwarding your mail to Mr. Frost at Drake. Perhaps he < > >knows if the story is true. > < > > From Bill Frost: > > >I have to agree with John, I have never heard < > > of a large number of TR-5 being sold into < > >South America. In fact, I can't remember a large < > >number of TR-5's being sold to anyone. < > >The sales of the TR-5 were nothing like we had < > >hoped. > < > > >I remember we sold several of the TR-4305 < > >transceivers into South America to missionaries < > >etc. They liked the simplicity, the fixed channel < > >operation and the reliability. The TR-4305 was < > >basically a TR-5 without the VFO. < > > It would seem to me at this point that the story > of the missing TR-5's lost at sea is just that. > A story. Perhaps there is some truth to it, > but certainly not 200 or 100 or even 50 TR-5's. > Yes, I do realize that they wouldn't have to > be consecutive serial numbers, but one would > think that if the factory lost a boat load, they > would remember. Anyway it was fun to play the > numbers. > > TR-5 Facts: > > 1 perhaps 2 engineering prototypes with no S/N were built. > > 10 preproduction TR-5's 0001 to 0010 > > 516 Production TR-5's 001001 to 001516 > > For a total of 528 Factory built TR-5's, out there, > somewhere. > > Plus a little Duck told me one more was built > from NOS parts just for fun long after > the factory stopped production. > > Many Thanks to all that have sent in their > TR-5 Serial Numbers, and a special thanks > to John Kriner, Bill Frost and John Loughmiller. > > And I'm still looking! > > If you own a TR-5, please send in your Serial Number > so I can add you to the list. > > 73 > > Jim Snell - W8DRZ > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > On Behalf of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Submissions: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body > Hopelessly Lost: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message > Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net > Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- On Behalf of "Sindre Torp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Submissions: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - unsubscribe drakelist in body Hopelessly Lost: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - help in body of message Zerobeat Web Page: http://www.zerobeat.net Brought to you courtesy of TLCHost.net http://www.tlchost.net/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------
