Classic SSB on 2m

Thanks to the donation of the extraordinary radio described below, I've recently become interested in operating on 2m SSB with older (than 25 years) equipment.
There are a few of us around the North-West of England using the "classic" equipment described below, and we'd be very pleased to hear from any others - so dust off that old radio and give us a call around 144.3!

The DL6HA homebrew SSB transceiver

This is the radio which kicked off this whole idea.
It was kindly donated by the late Clive M0VCF, and is a handmade set based on a series of articles published in VHF Communications magazine back in 1970:
A(n) SSB Transceiver With Silicon Transistor Complement.
It covers the SSB end of 2m, with USB and LSB (even AM is included in the design, but not built into this model).
The chassis and case are hand-made in folded aluminium, and it also includes a homebrew PA with around 8W PEP output. 		The complete transceiver, with a copy of the original source magazine
The radio is built entirely with discrete transistors, and is nicely made on individual single-sided PCBs, in some cases mounted in (home-made) tin screening cans.
The upper section (opposite) includes the 9MHz SSB boards and the 14-144MHz transmit/receive converter.		 The upper section of the chassis
The lower half includes the 5MHz VFO, 144MHz PA, 130MHz oscillator and audio amplifier.
The radio must have cost a lot to build at the time: according to an advert in one of the magazines, kits of parts (excluding the PA section) would have cost around 450 Deutschmarks back in 1970 (for comparison, the RSGB's VHF/UHF Manual cost 14DM).		 The lower section of the chassis

Commercial VHF SSB transceivers of yesteryear

IC202 USB/CW portable
They cost £169 in 1976, and I wish mine was in as good condition as the one in this picture!
 This amazing little radio with its "upright" design is unique! It was first manufactured around 1975, and I bought mine third-hand (and rather worse for wear) back in 1983 and am still using it today!
It's a battery-powered (from 9 x C-size cells) set with 3W output, and has three or four VXO ranges, each providing 200kHz tuning coverage.
I often use mine portable in the RSGB 2m "Backpackers" contests, and I know that these sets are also well-used as tuneable IFs by microwave enthusiasts.
Later models (202S and 202E) had LSB too, and even a sidetone for CW!

TR7010 SSB mobile

 This radio dates from the 1970s too, but there are still three operational within our local net.
It uses a series of crystal-based VXOs, which give limited coverage of the lower end of the 144MHz band, and has around 10W output.		 Click-stop VXOs are not good for sweeping across the band, but great for mobile!

TS780 multimode dual-bander

 Cost a massive £935 in 1984, and well worth all the space it takes up in my shack! This 2m/70cm multimode was first produced in 1982 (I've had mine since 1996).
It's officially a "mobile" (as it can run off 12V DC), but it also includes a mains power supply. It gives out 10W on either band, and it's a lovely receiver with which to tune across the band.

FT290R multimode portable

 This ground-breaking radio was first sold in 1981, and there are probably thousands if them still in use.
A very robust set with 2.5W output, but the 100Hz click-stop tuning is not so easy to use on SSB.		 Cost £239 in 1981, and who's not used one of these at some time?

FDK Multi-750 multimode mobile

 Cost £299 in 1981, and still working after 27 years An early 10W multimode mobile set from FDK.
The XX model has 20W output.

Belcom Liner2 SSB mobile

 The epitome of SSB mobile from the 'seventies! For £145 in 1976, you got a 10m set with built-in 2m transverter

TR9000 multimode mobile

 Cost £345 in 1981, and these still fetch £100 on eBay these days! A 10W mobile from Trio (now Kenwood).
The later 9130 model had 30W output.

FT480 multimode mobile

 A 10W radio, notable for its multicoloured LED S-meter. For £345 in 1981, you got an S-meter which reads in apples oranges and cherries!

IC260 multimode mobile

 £339 in 1981: a solid radio, but dim LED display A 10W multimode mobile set from Icom.
I used one mobile myself in the mid-nineties, along with a Microwave Modules 100W PA and a halo antenna. I remember that its noise-blanker was particularly effective.
The later IC290 had higher output (30W?)

FT221 multimode

 An early (1976) 10W VFO-controlled multimode, DC or mains powered. Also available in black!

IC211 multimode mobile

 An expensive set in its time: £558 in 1978 A 10W multimode set from Icom, DC or mains powered.

TS700 multimode

 A 10W VFO-controlled multimode, DC or mains powered. A chunky no-nonsense radio

FT225RD multimode

 £565 in 1981, and only the display is digital! A 25W multimode base station from Yaesu, with digital display.

FT220 multimode

 A very early (1974) 10W multimode, DC or mains powered. watch out for the mains terminals inside!

TR9130 multimode mobile

 Cost £479 in 1985, and these still fetch £100 on eBay these days! A 30W mobile from Trio (now Kenwood).
An updated version of the TR9000.

FT101 and transverter

 A classic HF radio with matching VHF transverter. could it be more classic?

FT726R multimode

 Introduced in 1983, and still cost over £800 in 1987! A tri-band (6m, 2m & 70cm) multimode from Yaesu.
The fore-runner of the FT736.

The Classic SSB net

On 12-Mar-2012 the Bolton Wireless Club Monday-night net featured radios with a combined age of 370 years, some of which have been with their current owners for more than thirty years:

I did some work on the DL6HA transceiver's calibration, so I could find may way around the band without a frequency counter...

The DL6HA graduates at last!

Then in 2023, I passed the set on to Steve G4AQB, who gave it the full "Repair Shop" treatment and made it look lovely too:

The DL6HA in its new livery!

In February 2024, we repeated the BWC "Classic SSB" net, this time approaching 300 years of radio heritage: