HAPPY BIRTHDAY MDYOUNGBLOOD!

Bought another TRAM D201A

This forum is dedicated to discussions about tube radios and tube amplifiers.
Post Reply
User avatar
PONY EXPRESS
Wordwide & Qualified
Wordwide & Qualified
Posts: 986
Joined: August 9th, 2007, 9:04 pm
Radio: GOLDEN EAGLE Mark IV
Contact:

Bought another TRAM D201A

#238913

Post by PONY EXPRESS »

Well I stumbled across another TRAM D 201A today that after looking at the picture for about 1 minute we had to do the BUY IT NOW .

I didnt have a owners manual for the one we just got or a mic so we had to have this one.
It looks really nice in the picture...........Hope it works as good as it looks.
They sure are a nice looking radio in person .I like the BIG RADIO case it has and front panel layout.


[Please login or register to view this link]
[Please login or register to view this link]
Its not a real radio unless it has tubes and USB/LSB on the front panel ....
User avatar
Doughboy
Duckplucker
Duckplucker
Posts: 193
Joined: August 16th, 2007, 1:43 pm
Handle: Doughboy
Real Name: Doughboy
Antenna: Maco 5000
Radio: RCI 2980
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#238920

Post by Doughboy »

We sure would love to own one of them too. Maybe one day when we hit the lottery..... :mrgreen:
Doughboy "2718 Mobile in the Karolina's"
"Touch My Tummy & you Die"
We Monitor Channels 6 11 21 26
Mobile: General Lee with My Gangsta Stick & 55 Antenna & 2 Watt
Base: Galaxy 44v & Connex HPZX w/ Maco KW w/ Antron 99
& 3 Element Homemade V Series Beam


[ external image ]
User avatar
Double D
Skipshooter
Skipshooter
Posts: 411
Joined: April 23rd, 2008, 8:09 pm
Real Name: Anonymous
Antenna: Isotropic Radiator
Radio: 2 Cans and a String
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#238971

Post by Double D »

Nice.... :cheers:
"To acquire knowledge, one must study;
but to acquire wisdom, one must observe."
User avatar
TheCBDoctor
Sponsor
Sponsor
Posts: 2,823
Joined: March 13th, 2009, 2:54 pm
Handle: Rick
Real Name: Rick
Antenna: Wilson 2000
Radio: HR 2510
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#239010

Post by TheCBDoctor »

Hi PONY EXPRESS

Another nice one. If it works how are you going to use two at a time? :icon_e_smile:
Respectfully as always,

Rick
User avatar
PONY EXPRESS
Wordwide & Qualified
Wordwide & Qualified
Posts: 986
Joined: August 9th, 2007, 9:04 pm
Radio: GOLDEN EAGLE Mark IV
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#239016

Post by PONY EXPRESS »

TheCBDoctor wrote:Hi PONY EXPRESS

Another nice one. If it works how are you going to use two at a time? :icon_e_smile:

SPLIT FREQUENCY :biggrin:
Its not a real radio unless it has tubes and USB/LSB on the front panel ....
User avatar
PONY EXPRESS
Wordwide & Qualified
Wordwide & Qualified
Posts: 986
Joined: August 9th, 2007, 9:04 pm
Radio: GOLDEN EAGLE Mark IV
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#239159

Post by PONY EXPRESS »

Tram #2 WORKS
Went to channel 19 to get a radio report
The guy who gave me a signal report just couldn't belive I was on a non amplified standard :biggrin:

Then he started telling me he hadn't heard a radio like that since the early 1980's. when his neighbor
had a old TRAM D 201A tube type radio :biggrin:
I then proceeded to tell him that was exactly what I was talking on.

Now if I could find the info to modify the MANUAL VFO for Transmit I wouldnt worry about aligning the old crystals for every channel :biggrin:
[Please login or register to view this link]
Its not a real radio unless it has tubes and USB/LSB on the front panel ....
User avatar
209 first class
Donor
Donor
Posts: 3,920
Joined: July 17th, 2007, 10:50 am

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#244849

Post by 209 first class »

hello, if you already had one, was there much difference in the receive/transmit sound ect? im curious how consistant they were. 209
2zero9 workin this top secret station in massachusetts.
User avatar
PONY EXPRESS
Wordwide & Qualified
Wordwide & Qualified
Posts: 986
Joined: August 9th, 2007, 9:04 pm
Radio: GOLDEN EAGLE Mark IV
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#244862

Post by PONY EXPRESS »

209 first class wrote:hello, if you already had one, was there much difference in the receive/transmit sound ect? im curious how consistant they were. 209
Only difference was when the channel was way out of alignment with old crystals that we could tell on Receive . That was quickly resolved by doing alignment
on the crystal banks.
Its not a real radio unless it has tubes and USB/LSB on the front panel ....
User avatar
polecat
Donor
Donor
Posts: 55
Joined: February 22nd, 2008, 8:19 pm
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#244872

Post by polecat »

I own 3 of these they are awesome rigs but drift a little and are difficult on sideband . My favorite is my oldest one it is the hand wired one with VOX made right here in Winnisquam NH USA . The other units were manufactured in Mexico .On the VOX unit the tubes don't plug into a PCB so no chance of lifting solder joints due to the heat the tubes put out . Sam's photofact #88 covers only the VOX or hand wired unit . I have compared the recieve with most of the newer radios on the market today ( I have a collection of about 75 radios ) and it blows them all away only my Browning Mark 4a and Cobra 2000 comes close . But on transmit you get a much better sound in my opinion through tubes . I bet Eddie Van halen uses a tube amplifier for his sound. Draw backs of these radios is that they are high maintenance. Bad electrolytic caps and the heat just plays havoc on all the electronic components but when they are on these radios can really bring it even barefoot. I guess why back in the 70’s they were selling for 750 bucks. I am not sure what that comes out to today but it is a heck of a lot of money. On your D201a look inside and see if your channel selector is black or white if it is white you are in good shape. If it is black it will eventually fail and then you will have a nightmare on your hands.

cheers POLECAT
User avatar
209 first class
Donor
Donor
Posts: 3,920
Joined: July 17th, 2007, 10:50 am

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#245218

Post by 209 first class »

neato... i agree the tram eagle and 2000gtl are the finest of performers. mine is made in n.h. too. i also agree that the tram has the smoothest transmit audio. its a tube compressor/audio preamp. , no wonder. also of no wonder, is that the tram uses 6l6gc tubes, one of the most popular guitar amp tubes ever made. i have not seen any other radio that uses 6l6gc, have you? nos 6l6 vintage are about 100$ each. i retubed the whole thing a while back. that was good info you gave, now i wont wonder if there is a better tram out there... mines a d201 with external freq counter and opened up to do 40 channels.. its the radio i can extract true fm radio dj sound from. the others still sound like cb;s to me... 209
2zero9 workin this top secret station in massachusetts.
User avatar
kb3ite
4 PILL USER
4 PILL USER
Posts: 20
Joined: January 10th, 2010, 5:17 am
Real Name: Dave

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#264395

Post by kb3ite »

TRAMS RULE!!!!!
[Please login or register to view this link]
User avatar
tx213
Skipshooter
Skipshooter
Posts: 223
Joined: January 10th, 2009, 7:38 pm
Real Name: Ron

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#264415

Post by tx213 »

How much is one of these worth? I know an old guy that has one that looks almost new. If I can get a good deal on it I might go buy it from him.

213
User avatar
Roger224
4 PILL USER
4 PILL USER
Posts: 28
Joined: December 11th, 2009, 12:11 pm
Real Name: Youngblood
Radio: Browning Mark IV
Contact:

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#264501

Post by Roger224 »

Fine looking rigs for sure. Is the D-201A the best of the bunch or just a matter of opinion? May run across one local,,,am a little leery of e-bay.
Browning Mark IV
Browning Mark II
Cobra 2000 GTL
Polytronics Poly-Comm
Galaxy DX 2517
Stryker 447 HPC
User avatar
kb3ite
4 PILL USER
4 PILL USER
Posts: 20
Joined: January 10th, 2010, 5:17 am
Real Name: Dave

Re: Bought another TRAM D201A

#264502

Post by kb3ite »

WellI have a Tram D-201A and a Mark IV side by side.I have done some A B testing over the air as well as receive and other than the ping I have most people tell me they cant tell the difference between the 2..As for the receive they are very close as well.I do tend to like the tone of the receive on the Tram a bit better but that could be just the speaker...But those 2 radio are the best you can get in my opinion...
Post Reply