Drake's engineers argued over whether the TR-7 should use tubes, a hybrid design or go fully solid state. WB4HFN tells it as the younger college-grad engineers winning the debate. The result, part of the 7-Line Wikipedia dates to 1978, was broadband throughout, so there's no preselector or transmitter tuning anywhere from 1.5 to 30 MHz. It was also an early up-conversion design, with its first IF at 48.05 MHz. WB4HFN reckons Drake built about 10,500 TR-7s and 2,500 TR-7As. The TR-7A, from 1981, added a noise blanker and a 500 Hz CW filter as standard. TR-7A front panels have been sold loose, so check the serial and rear panel before believing the badge. Collectors look for a genuine A, the PS-7 and extra filters.
Bench check
Should come with it
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.
Low power and poor receive that get worse toward 10 m point at the PIN diodes on the high-pass filter board, which WB4HFN calls the hardest repair in the radio. On K8AC's set, power that faded to nothing on a long CW key-down was thermal runaway in the driver board. The first 2,000 or so cabinets used a paint that turns sticky with age.
New to used rigs? How to check a used ham radio covers power out, receive, the finals and the display, and what power supply a used rig needs explains the 13.8 V supply most rigs need.
Buying guide
Only two TR-7s are for sale, both with the PS-7 supply it needs, so the $420 to $725 band isn't a market read. cixelsid's auction sits at $271 delivered with 10 bids and will climb, and its photo shows the readout lit and a mic on top, though the title makes no test claim. hamandhifi's at $875 delivered is titled works and adds extra filters, so ask for a photo of the filter board to see which SL filters are fitted. On either one, ask for a wattmeter reading into a dummy load on 80, 20 and 10 m and a minute of steady key-down, since K8AC bought one described as excellent that made 40 W on 10 m and then faded to nothing.
$271.30est. delivered
The cheaper of the only two TR-7s, with the PS-7 supply, at $271 delivered on the current bid, and with 10 bids in it will climb. The photo shows the readout lit and a mic, but nothing is titled tested, so ask for a wattmeter reading before you bid high.
Drake TR-7 HF Amateur Transceiver Ham Radio & PS-7 Power Supply.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 15, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$271.30est. delivered
$136.00 + $135.30 shipping
Auction · 10 bids · ends in 16h 44m
Good buy
With the PS-7 supply, and the photo shows the readout lit and a mic. No test claim. Auction, so it will climb.
Seller: cixelsid
100% positive
Used$874.52est. delivered
$700.00 + $174.52 shipping
Buy It Now$700.00
Our take
Titled works, with extra filters and the PS-7 supply. Ask which SL filters are fitted.
Seller: hamandhifi
100% positive
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