Drake R-4B
The R-4B is the B-line receiver in Drake's 4-Line, the separates that grew out of the R-4 and T-4X twins of the mid-1960s. Drake's own company history says the R-4B, T-4XB and L-4B arrived in late 1967 as improved versions of the earlier sets, and that the R-4B's audio board was the first printed circuit board Drake made in-house. It's a double-conversion set with a 5,645 kHz first IF and a 50 kHz second IF, where a passband tuner sets the bandwidth at 0.4, 1.2, 2.4 or 4.8 kHz. Crystals for 80 through 10 m came supplied, and ten more sockets let an owner add other 500 kHz slices between 1.5 and 30 MHz. A noise blanker and notch filter are built in, and its PTO can run the matching T-4XB transmitter for transceive. The C-line replaced it in 1973, and the R-4C swapped the passband tuner for crystal filters.
R-4BR-4, R-4A and R-4C are siblings, listed separately
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- Drake
- Type
- Receiver
- Launched
- 1967
- Made
- 1967–1973
- Covers
- 80 to 10 m in 500 kHz segments, plus 10 accessory-crystal ranges from 1.5 to 30 MHz (not 5–6 MHz)
- Modes
- SSB, CW, AM, RTTY
- Receiver
- Double conversion, 5,645 kHz and 50 kHz IFs; passband tuner at 0.4, 1.2, 2.4 or 4.8 kHz
- Sensitivity
- 0.25 µV for 10 dB S/N
- Power supply
- Built in, 120/240 V AC, 60 W
- Weight
- 16 lb
- Also listed as
- R4B, R-4B, R 4B, Drake R4B
Bench check
Receive, tubes and supply
- Receiver
- Rigpix lists 0.25 µV for 10 dB S/N. Ask for a short video of it hearing signals on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 m. A band that's silent while the others work points at that band's crystal or the band switch, and WB0IQK's guide on WB4HFN covers cleaning Drake band switches.
- Tubes and circuit
- It's a hybrid. Tubes handle the RF, mixer, IF and audio output stages, including 6HS6s and 12BA6 IF amplifiers, while a TIS34 FET runs the VFO and transistors do the AVC and calibrator. Drake's manual says tubes can be swapped without realignment, and to find bad ones by substitution rather than trusting a tube checker.
- Power supply
- The supply is built in and runs on 120 or 240 V AC at about 60 W, so ask which it's wired for. W8UT's rebuild on WB4HFN covers the R-4A and R-4B main filter can, three 100 µF sections and one 22 µF section at 250 V. On an unserviced set, that's the part to ask about.
- Dial and display
- There's no digital readout. The PTO drives a mechanical dial, and only a working dial lamp makes it easy to read. WA9TGT describes Drake's factory PTO grounding strap for the 4-Line, and WB0IQK's PTO notes start with cleaning dried lubricant off the screw drive and fixing a wobbling dial.
- Filters and options
- Bandwidth comes from the passband tuner, so there are no plug-in filters to hunt for. What varies is the accessory crystals, so ask for a photo of the crystal sockets or a list of extra ranges. Rigpix lists the MS-4 speaker, FS-4 synthesizer and SC-2 and SC-6 VHF converters (with the CC-1 console) as accessories.
Should come with it
- An MS-4 speaker, since the R-4B has no speaker inside
- The instruction manual
- Any accessory crystals the owner added
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
What to check
W8UT's write-up on WB4HFN rebuilds the multi-section electrolytic filter can in the R-4A and R-4B, so ask whether yours has been done. When the tuning feels rough, WB0IQK's Drake PTO notes start with cleaning dried lubricant off the screw drive.
- 01Every band: Ask the seller for a short video tuning signals on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 m. Each band should bring up stations or band noise.
- 02Passband tuner: Ask them to switch through 0.4, 1.2, 2.4 and 4.8 kHz on a signal. The audio should narrow at each step without the signal vanishing.
- 03Tuning feel: Ask whether the main tuning turns smoothly from end to end. A stiff, jerky or wobbling dial means the PTO needs cleaning.
- 04Filter capacitor: Ask whether the main multi-section filter can has been rebuilt or replaced. A yes, with a photo of the work, is what you want.
- 05Accessory crystals: Look in the photos for crystals in the extra sockets, or ask for a list. Each one adds a 500 kHz range.
- 06Tubes: Ask whether any tubes have been replaced and whether spares come with it. Drake says tube swaps need no realignment.
- 07Mains voltage: Ask whether it's wired for 120 or 240 V. It should match your outlet before it's plugged in.
- 08Speaker and manual: Check the photos for an MS-4 speaker and the manual. There's no speaker inside, so without one you'll need headphones or a 4-ohm speaker.
- 09Model number: Read the front panel in the photos for R-4B. The R-4A and R-4C look similar, and the R-4C uses crystal filters instead of the passband tuner.
New to used rigs? How to check a used ham radio covers receive, the tubes and the dial, and buying vintage tube gear covers old capacitors, tubes and first power-up.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask whether it hears signals on every band, for a photo of the dial lit up, and whether the old capacitors have been replaced. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.
Search “Drake R-4B” on eBay ↗eBay searchCompare with
Drake
ReceiverDrake R-4C
- Launched
- 1973
- Power
- Receive only
- Features
- Tubes
$320–$900 typical ask
Drake
TransmitterDrake T-4XC
- Launched
- 1973
- Power
- 200 W PEP input
- Features
- Tubes
$110–$290 typical ask
Drake
Linear amplifierDrake L-4B
- Launched
- 1967
- Power
- 2,000 W PEP input
- Features
- Tubes
$1,500–$4,150 typical ask
Drake
HF transceiverDrake TR-4CW
- Launched
- 1976
- Power
- 300 W PEP input
- Features
- Tubes
Specs and what to check →