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Drake SW8 Shortwave Receiver - $195 (Oceanside)
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The Drake SW8 was made in U.S.A. by R. L. Drake Company in Ohio from 1994 to 2000. Over the years, Drake made several improvements to this model. In March of 1995, they increased the sensitivity with the built-in whip antenna. In January of 1996, Drake extended the reception down into the longwave band and made a very significant change in the synchronous detection circuit by allowing the selection of either the upper or lower sideband. Selectable sideband synchronous detection is an excellent tool for fighting interference from an adjacent station. Accordingly, fully updated Drake SW8s sell for a premium over the older versions. Since my unit was manufactured in February of 2000, not only does it have all of the above enhancements, but it is also one of the last manufactured by Drake.
I have not listed all of the specifications of this radio. If you have read this far, you likely already know that the SW8 has legendary performance, including excellent audio from its powerful front firing speaker. It is highly regarded because it is often mentioned as the best of the rare “portatop” receivers. This means it can be used as a portable (with internal batteries) or a tabletop radio at home. The attractive orange backlit display allows operation outdoors in the evening or in a dimly lit room. The SW8 has been reviewed many times and has proven to be a worthy performer. In fact, it competes very well against other stand-alone analog shortwave or ham (amateur) communications receivers, such as those from Alinco, AOR, Icom, JRC, Kenwood, Lowe, Palstar and Yaesu. In addition to the longwave, mediumwave (AM broadcast band) and shortwave bands, the Drake SW8 also receives the FM broadcast band and the aircraft band, which makes it more entertaining and interesting than most other receivers.
Following are four items that distinguish this radio from new. These problems are not that unusual with this model and do not affect the reception of the receiver.
1. There are two small cracks in the plastic faceplate bezel. They are on the top (not the front) of the receiver on the left and right and can be seen in the photos of the antenna and the sides of the receiver. I have noticed photos of similar cracks in the same area on other SW8s. They might be caused by the top cover pressing against the bezel when the radio is stood up vertically on its rear feet.
2. The previous owner left alkaline D cell batteries in the radio for an extended period of time. Typical of alkaline batteries in this situation, they leaked. That is how they got the nickname "alkaleaks." Fortunately, Drake designed the radio with the battery holder on the bottom of the radio so there was no internal damage. There is only minor corrosion at the battery hatch. The battery holder works properly. I used the radio with rechargeable NiMH batteries to prevent this problem from occurring again.
3. A few of the buttons exhibit what is known as “keypad bounce” if not pressed firmly in the center. This means that more than one entry can occur with one press of a button. I did not notice this issue previously. It may have occurred because I have not used the radio recently. As mentioned, the buttons usually work properly when they are pressed firmly in the center (as they are meant to be pressed). Since several Drake receivers use this type of keypad, there has been some documentation on restoring operation by removing the keypad and cleaning the contacts. Unless the problem gets significantly worse, however, I would not bother with this procedure.
4. The handle on the SW8 can be rotated to several position, including propping up the front of the receiver for tabletop use. It can also be removed in a few seconds without tools for tabletop or bookshelf use. The handle on this radio has missing tabs on the left side that help locate the handle in the various positions. The tabs on the right side, which are still intact, are sufficient for the handle to function properly. If you find another handle, it can be easily replaced in seconds without tools, as mentioned above. This is a very common issue with the SW8. Many users replace the broken tabs with small screws that are claimed to be stronger than the original plastic. As with the keypad, I would not bother replacing the handle at this time, since it operates properly. In fact, you would likely not be aware of this issue if I did not point it out as you can’t tell the tabs are missing by looking at the radio.
Unfortunately, this radio has a problem in that will not turn on when it is cold. At normal room temperature in your home, it works properly. For example, it will be difficult to initially turn it on outside after it has cooled down to ambient temperature on a cold day. Once it is is turned on, it will remain on and can be cycled off and on repeatedly (probably due to the internal warming of the energized circuits). If you bring it outside from your warmer home or car and turn it on before it cools down, it will work properly. I have read where this could be a simple matter of cleaning contacts on connectors, but that is up to the new owner. If you already have an SW8, you may also want to consider this unit as a backup radio or a source of parts.
Due to the above items and to avoid the additional time and effort involved with listing the receiver for sale or auction elsewhere, I am offering it at a very reasonable price.
The SW8 comes with the original Drake box and power supply. The Drake power supply is a linear type design (not an inexpensive switching type) and does not introduce its own noise to the receiver. These power supplies are very difficult to find. One sold on eBay for $49.95.
Since the Drake SW8 runs on batteries (as well as AC), you can fully test the receiver when we meet to ensure you are comfortable with your purchase. If you have any questions that you would like to discuss by phone, please provide your phone number.
Here are links to a two-page comprehensive review from Monitoring Times magazine and additional information from Universal Radio:
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Short-Wave/Monitoring-Times-IDX/90s/Monitoring-Times-1996-11-OCR-Page-0110.pdf
https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Short-Wave/Monitoring-Times-IDX/90s/Monitoring-Times-1996-11-OCR-Page-0111.pdf
https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/commrxvr/0088.html