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{{short description|American radio communications manufacturer}}
'''Signal/One''' was a manufacturer of high performance [[Single-sideband modulation|SSB]] and [[Continuous wave|CW]] [[High frequency|HF]] radio communications [[transceiver]]s initially based in [[St. Petersburg]], [[Florida]], [[USA]]. [[Image:sigcx7.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Signal/One Model CX-7 circa 1970. Price when new: US$2395]]

{{Infobox company
| industry = [[Electronics]]
| parent = Electronic Communications, Inc.
| key_people = {{ubl|Dick Ehrhorn (general manager)|Don Fowler (project engineer)}}
| hq_location_city = [[St. Petersburg, Florida]]
| hq_location_country = United States
}}

'''Signal/One''' was a manufacturer of high performance [[Single-sideband modulation|SSB]] and [[Continuous wave|CW]] [[High frequency|HF]] radio communications [[transceiver]]s initially based in [[St. Petersburg, Florida|St. Petersburg]], [[Florida]], United States. [[Image:sigcx7.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Signal/One Model CX-7 circa 1970. Price when new: US$2395]]


== History ==
== History ==


The company started as a division of [[NCR Corporation|NCR]] in [[Florida]]. A key executive was Dick Ehrhorn, ham callsigns W4ETO and W0ID. Beginning in the 1960s with the Signal/One CX7, ("S1", as they were called) the company made radios that were priced well above the competition and offered many advanced features for the time,<ref name="Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum">http://www.wa3key.com/sigone.html ''Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum''</ref> such as [[passband]] tuning, [[broadband]] transmission, dual receive, built-in [[Telegraph key|IAMBIC]] keyer, electronic digital read out, [[solid state (electronics)|solid state]] design, QSK and RF clipping. A Signal/One radio was said to be a complete high performance, station in a box.<ref name="Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum"/>
Signal/One's parent company was Electronic Communications, Inc. (ECI), a military division of [[NCR Corporation]] located in St. Petersburg, [[Florida]]. Key Signal/One executives were general manager Dick Ehrhorn ([[amateur radio call signs|amateur radio call sign]] W4ETO), and project engineer Don Fowler (W4YET). Beginning in the 1960s with the Signal/One CX7, ("S1", as they were called) the company made radios that were priced well above the competition and offered many advanced features for the time,<ref name="wa3key">{{cite web|last1=Drechsel|first1=Norman|title=Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum. Signal/One Amateur Equipment|url=http://www.wa3key.com/sigone.html|website=wa3key.com|publisher=WA3KEY|accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref> such as [[passband]] tuning, [[broadband]] transmission, dual receive, built-in [[Telegraph key|IAMBIC]] keyer, electronic digital read out, [[solid state (electronics)|solid state]] design, QSK and RF clipping. A Signal/One radio was said to be a complete high performance, station in a box.<ref name="wa3key"/><ref name="K5OG">{{cite web|last=Hoffmann|first=Fred|title=Signal One|url=http://www.signalone.org/|website=Signalone.org|publisher=K50G|accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref><ref name="Tenny">{{cite journal|last1=Tenny, Jr.|first1=T.H.|title=The signal/one integrated station|journal=[[Ham Radio (magazine)|Ham Radio Magazine]]|date=May 1969|volume=2|issue=5|page=56|url=http://cahabatechnology.com/aa4pg/hrmag/hamradiomag/Ham%20Radio%20Magazine%201969%20Issues%201-12/05%20May%201969.pdf|accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref>


While marketed to the affluent radio amateur, it has been suggested that the primary market for Signal/One, like [[Collins Radio|Collins]], was military, State Department, and government clandestine (spy) communications. Although prized for the performance and advanced engineering, Signal/One's products did not sell as well as hoped, and the company gradually fell on hard times. From the 1970s though the 1990s, every few years, Signal/One was [[Spin out|spun off]], sold, and resurfaced at another location.<ref name="Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum"/>
While marketed to the affluent radio amateur, it has been suggested that the primary market for Signal/One, like [[Collins Radio|Collins]], was military, State Department, and government communications. Although prized for the performance and advanced engineering, Signal/One's products did not sell as well as hoped, and the company gradually fell on hard times. From the 1970s though the 1990s, every few years, Signal/One was [[Corporate spin-off|spun off]], sold, and resurfaced at another location.<ref name="wa3key"/>


== Collectors ==
== Collectors ==
The surviving Signal/One products are sought after and actively collected. These include the CX7, CX7A, CX7B, CX11 and Milspec models. The last Signal/One radio was a re-engineered ICOM IC-781.


The surviving Signal/One products are sought after and actively collected.<ref name="K5OG"/> These include the CX7, CX7A, CX7B, CX11 and Milspec models. The last Signal/One radio was a re-engineered ICOM IC-781. Information available indicates there were 1152 Signal Ones built: 850 CX7, 112 CX11, 168 MS1030 (number of "C" versions is not known), 6 MilSpec1030C, 15 MilSpec1030CI Icom IC-781 conversions and 1 Milspec1030E DSP Icom IC-756 Pro conversion.<ref>{{cite web|title=Signal/One|url=http://rigreference.com/en/mfr/signal-one|website=Rig Reference|publisher=RigReference.com|accessdate=24 May 2017}}</ref>
==Notes==
<references/>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 18: Line 26:
*[[Vintage amateur radio]]
*[[Vintage amateur radio]]


==External links==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*[http://www.hamanuals.com/S1/links.htm www.hammanuals.com] Links to Signal/One resources on the web
*[http://rigreference.com/manufacturers/view/62/Signal_One Signal/One rigs]
*[http://amforever.com/ amforever.com] Signal/One CX7 Operation and Maintenance Manual
*[http://www.k5og.com/signal%20one.html K5OG Signal One Site] K5OG Signal One Site


{{DEFAULTSORT:Signal One}}
[[Category:Amateur radio companies]]
[[Category:Amateur radio companies]]
[[Category:Radio electronics]]
[[Category:Radio electronics]]
[[Category:Defunct manufacturing companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct electronics companies of the United States]]




{{US-company-stub}}
{{US-manufacturing-company-stub}}

Latest revision as of 04:23, 24 August 2024

Signal/One
IndustryElectronics
Headquarters,
United States
Key people
  • Dick Ehrhorn (general manager)
  • Don Fowler (project engineer)
ParentElectronic Communications, Inc.

Signal/One was a manufacturer of high performance SSB and CW HF radio communications transceivers initially based in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States.

Signal/One Model CX-7 circa 1970. Price when new: US$2395

History

[edit]

Signal/One's parent company was Electronic Communications, Inc. (ECI), a military division of NCR Corporation located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Key Signal/One executives were general manager Dick Ehrhorn (amateur radio call sign W4ETO), and project engineer Don Fowler (W4YET). Beginning in the 1960s with the Signal/One CX7, ("S1", as they were called) the company made radios that were priced well above the competition and offered many advanced features for the time,[1] such as passband tuning, broadband transmission, dual receive, built-in IAMBIC keyer, electronic digital read out, solid state design, QSK and RF clipping. A Signal/One radio was said to be a complete high performance, station in a box.[1][2][3]

While marketed to the affluent radio amateur, it has been suggested that the primary market for Signal/One, like Collins, was military, State Department, and government communications. Although prized for the performance and advanced engineering, Signal/One's products did not sell as well as hoped, and the company gradually fell on hard times. From the 1970s though the 1990s, every few years, Signal/One was spun off, sold, and resurfaced at another location.[1]

Collectors

[edit]

The surviving Signal/One products are sought after and actively collected.[2] These include the CX7, CX7A, CX7B, CX11 and Milspec models. The last Signal/One radio was a re-engineered ICOM IC-781. Information available indicates there were 1152 Signal Ones built: 850 CX7, 112 CX11, 168 MS1030 (number of "C" versions is not known), 6 MilSpec1030C, 15 MilSpec1030CI Icom IC-781 conversions and 1 Milspec1030E DSP Icom IC-756 Pro conversion.[4]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Drechsel, Norman. "Virtual Signal/One Radio Museum. Signal/One Amateur Equipment". wa3key.com. WA3KEY. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b Hoffmann, Fred. "Signal One". Signalone.org. K50G. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  3. ^ Tenny, Jr., T.H. (May 1969). "The signal/one integrated station" (PDF). Ham Radio Magazine. 2 (5): 56. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Signal/One". Rig Reference. RigReference.com. Retrieved 24 May 2017.