Drake DSR-2

At the end of January 2025, I was in Zurich to visit a colleague and passed by a second-hand shop. I glanced briefly through the window and kept walking. A few steps further, I realized that I had seen extended radio antennas. Out of curiosity, I went back and entered the shop to find out if there was a decent radio underneath. Unfortunately, no such thing! Since I was already there, I browsed a bit more in the crowded shop. As fate would have it, I ran into a corner where there were a few cardboard boxes. They weren't taped shut, so I lifted the lid of one of the boxes. Hmm... that looks like a receiver from above, I thought. And indeed! Hidden under all the junk was a gem from the 70s! The Drake DSR-2 communications receiver in mint condition. As the icing on the cake, the original manual and service documents were also in the box. The shop owner was kind enough to let me test the device briefly. It turned on, but there was no reception in there. A good sign was that when you touched the antenna socket, the noise level increased audibly. A sign that the receiver was still working. As a radio freak, I couldn't leave this gem there and bought it.

When I got home, the device had to "thaw out" first. It was winter and bitterly cold outside. After two hours, I finally put the DSR-2 into operation. What can I say, it works almost perfectly! After half an hour of warming up, I noticed that the frequency was off by 200Hz. This is no problem for AM. For SSB operation, this was too much deviation. This is normal for such an old device. The Drake DSR-2 was around 50 years old at the time! After looking through the service manual, I tried to calibrate the frequency. Unfortunately, I didn't succeed because the control was already at its limit. So I asked a technician friend who found the error very quickly. All that was needed was to replace a small capacitor. After replacing the capacitor, the frequency could be perfectly adjusted. The S-meter also needed a little calibration. The zero position was no longer correct. The three frequency switches were quite stiff to move. After cleaning and lubricating the switches, they could be switched again with normal force.

The DSR-2, the luxury model from Drake

The DSR-2 was introduced to the market in the mid-1970s as a "Laboratory Grade Professional Communications Receiver". It cost around 3200 US dollars when it was introduced and was by far the most expensive Drake receiver. In today's purchasing power, the DSR-2 would cost around 26,000 US dollars! Only wealthy clients or government institutions could afford this receiver. In addition, the DSR-2 is very rare. It is a rarity.
The front panel is very clearly designed and made of beige-gray anodized aluminum. Above it is the real eye-catcher, the Nixie tube frequency display. To the left of it is the signal strength display instrument. The control buttons are large and pleasant to the touch. The main tuning knob with finger recess is particularly large and easy to grip. On the left side are the push buttons for the AGC, noise blanker and standby. This will leave the receiver on but will mute it and turn off the frequency display. For MGC (manual gain control), the RF gain knob can be pulled out to adjust the level manually. The BFO knob can also be pulled out to adjust the pitch in CW mode.

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A look inside

The DSR-2 is professionally constructed. All receiver modules are housed in separate shielded aluminum housings. The receiver housing is also made entirely of aluminum and is very robust. The blue quartz filters from Tyco are clearly visible.

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Chasing waves with the DSR-2

The DSR-2 is an easy-to-use receiver, albeit a complex one. Due to its design, the tuning range has to be changed every 100KHz using a button. If you want to make the 1 MHz or 10 MHz step, you also have to switch the corresponding button. The large tuning knob can only be used to continuously tune in a 100KHz range. If you reach the end of this range, you switch the next 100KHz up or down.
If you receive in the frequency range 0.5-10MHz, you have to do some manual tuning. This range still needs fine tuning using the "RF tune". This is a type of preselector that is set to maximum level.
The DSR-2 is therefore not suitable for simply "tune across the band".
The reception properties are quite good. It receives from 10KHz and is sensitive enough to receive SAQ at 17.2KHz. Reception below 0.5MHz has a catch, however. Due to a lack of pre-selection in this range, intermodulations around 300KHz become noticeable in the evening. These are mostly medium wave stations and also short wave stations.
The DSR-2 can show its qualities from medium wave onwards. Sensitivity, large signal behavior and good selectivity of the 6KHz quartz filter for radio reception are usually convincing. The good properties continue on short wave. Also in single sideband reception. Radio amateurs and utility stations can be received very well with it. Even up to the 10m band. Here too, the DSR-2 is quite sensitive and can keep up with more modern receivers.
The good audio ultimately rounds off the package. It is not dull but not too bright either.

Conclusion
Although the Drake DSR-2 is around 50 years old, it seems to have remained surprisingly young. With its old technology, it doesn't have to hide from ultra-modern receivers. Because it still works, and very well. In the age of software-defined receivers, the DSR-2 brings a bit of "old freshness" to the shack. It's fun to listen to such an "old school" radio.