Drake R8B Communications Receiver – The Last Great American Legend

The Drake R8B is often called the last great American communications receiver, and for good reason. A true modern classic, this digital-synthesized receiver has the warmth and feel of a tube set, with QRM-fighting abilities that still put mega-dollar HF rigs to shame. In this video I’ll show how the Noise Blanker (NB) can pull stations out of the QRM, then run through the filter options to demonstrate why the R8B is still considered one of the finest receivers ever built. As the very last communications receiver manufactured by Drake, the R8B represents more than 50 years of design expertise. With superb filters and that unmistakable “Drake sound,” it’s one of the rare modern rigs that truly captures the magic of tube receivers in an all solid-state, synthesizer-controlled package. Join me as I tune across the bands — no endless chatter, just pure shortwave listening, the way it was meant to be. 73 and thanks for watching, Andrew — VK3USA / VK2XXL