Commercial transmitters and receivers for 160 meters have long been available . During the 1950s and 1960s the 75A-4 and NC-300/303 were popular receivers and the Viking Ranger and Valiant were popular transmitters. The Drake R4C and T4XC became the "must have" equipment for serious topbanders during the mid 1970s.
Big changes started to occur with the advent of transceivers that covered 160 meters, perhaps the first was the Yaesu FT-101B in 1973 soon followed by the TS-820 in 1976. Topband experienced a rebirth with the demise of LORAN-A in the United States in 1980 and the elimination of complex band segments and power restrictions below 1900 kHz soon thereafter. 73 Frank W3LPL ----- Original Message ----- From: mstang...@comcast.net To: "Eddy Swynar" <deswy...@xplornet.ca>, "topband" <topband@contesting.com> Cc: "Mike Waters" <mikew...@gmail.com>, "Dave Olean" <k1...@metrocast.net> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2015 3:58:41 PM Subject: Re: Topband: EP6T and outside world I'll have to agree with Eddy. When I started on 160 meters in the early 1970's I had to build a receive converter and used a Johnson Viking 2 for the transmitter. I recall the only radios that supported 160 were Collins and Drake and I could not afford either. I the Yaesu FT-101B was introduced in the mid 1970's. This was a reasonably priced radio that supported 160 and was very popular. I finally landed a good job after college and purchased a Drake TR-7 in 1979. My recollection on radios with 160 are hazy. What other radios supported 160? What radios you used for 160 before the 1970's? Mike N2MS ----- Original Message ----- From: Eddy Swynar <deswy...@xplornet.ca> To: Mike Waters <mikew...@gmail.com> Cc: Dave Olean <k1...@metrocast.net>, topband <topband@contesting.com> Sent: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 12:37:37 -0000 (UTC) Subject: Re: Topband: EP6T and outside world On 2015-01-23, at 7:34 AM, Mike Waters wrote: Hi Mike, 160 stopped becoming the "Gentleman's Band" ever since mainstream manufacturers started incoroporating a spot marked "160" on the front of their rigs & linears... ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband