The AM Forum

Once again I'm chasing serial numbers in an attempt to
track the true production numbers of a Drake Radio and
I need your help.  

If you are an owner of a Drake SW-4 or Drake SW-4A
this may be of interest to you.

 From published information I have always thought that
500 to 600 SW-4 receivers were built before the change
to the SW-4A version.

  I no longer believe this is true.

  I have acquired a SW-4A with a S/N of 451, this
then would mean that 450 or less SW-4's were built
before the change to the "A" version. I was surprised
to learn recently of a SW-4A with much lower SN.

 The owner was kind enough to send me plenty
of pictures of this radio, it is clearly a SW-4A
and sports the SN of 251.

  This would mean a much smaller number of SW-4's
were built before the change to the SW-4A.

Here then is my quest, To find more information about
the SW-4's true production numbers.

Do you own a SW-4 or SW-4A?
If so can you send me your SN and version?

Their are 4 versions of the SW-4A and it would
be fun to track the SN breaks on these as well.

SW-4A differences:

1) Earliest type has Dial window and PTO knob like a R-4A
2) Next version is like the R-4B in the Dial window/knob
3) The C-Line type Dial and knob is next.
4) The last version is minus the NewYork Radio WW logo.

 Almost 40 years ago in 1966 when the SW-4 first
appeared it was way above the means of a 14 year old
paperboy. I had to settle for a Knight-kit SpanMaster
at one-tenth the cost of the Drake. ( I still have it!)
  Still I dreamed of someday owning a Drake receiver
and like many of us now I do, many times over, HI!

I will post the results of the survey in a few weeks.

Hi Jim,

Is it possible that Drake may have began the SW-4A sn sequence at or near 0001 ???

Bud Hi,
            That is one of the things I'm wanting to find out.
I'm pretty sure they just kept on going from 001 with the
first SW-4 right into the SW-4A like they did with the R-4 and
on into the R-4A, R-4B and R-4C.

I have yet to hear of a SW-4 with a serial number above 225,
or a SW-4A below serial number 230. So I'm thinking that less
than 230 SW-4's were built.

I have collected 30 serial numbers  starting from 001 owned
by LA6OP to 2904. Not a very good sample yet, but a good spread
of numbers showing some promise on not only the "how many"
question of the SW-4 but also the different styles of the SW-4A.

Just a nitch that interests me.

Thanks for your input.