A fellow on one of the QRP mailing lists was asking if anyone had a TR-45L CW transceiver they would like to part with. This due to the fact that John, WA3RNC went QRT on radio production last year when he retired. You can’t buy them new from the factory anymore. I happen to have one that I purchased in April of 2024. Mine being the skinny version. One option for the standard version is a built-in tuner making it a little bigger.

I didn’t need the built-in tuner since I outsource all my auto-tuning in the field to a little Elecraft T1, don’t tell President MuskTrump!

I have another transceiver, the TR-25, from the same source and have been happy enough with it though now that I mention it, I haven’t seen it in awhile… Anyway, not long after getting the TR25 John announced the TR-45L and teased it out with a few photos of what would be coming “soon”. The retro look, all the controls on the front panel, the simplicity. Better still, no SDR. I’m genuinely sick of SDRs. Those tiny little transceivers that cover all bands and modes with even tinier displays that can’t be read in sunlight and is the only interface to the 2000+ functions buried deep in a labyrinth of touches, taps and long presses. And the more marvelous the SDR, the larger the market for specialty “how-to” manuals that are always an order of magnitude larger than the radio itself.

Seriously, if I was stranded on a Pacific island with only an SDR to call for help I’d just learn to love coconut and body surfing with the sharks.

So I ordered a TR-45L and when it arrived I used it to make a dozen or so contacts then promptly put it on the shelf with a collection of other QRP transceivers all begging to be used. So when I saw the email I thought maybe I would sell mine. I replied to the guy on the mailing list and turns out he really wanted a “fat” boy model. But he told me he would get back to me if he doesn’t find one. No problem, I’m in no hurry to move it out of here. Our email interaction did cause me to fire it up this morning, just to make sure all is still well with the little rig. Powered it up for the first time in months, set the power to five watts on 20 meters and used the CHA-MPAS Lite ground mounted vertical so no tuner required.

Then I called CQ…

No replies. Even spotted myself on QRPSpots, nada. But the RF was being pretty evenly distributed around North America. With nothing more to show for it than ReverseBeacon hits I went hunting POTA. Bingo! Three fast contacts bagged in no time. I expect to work ten today using the TR-45L.

This transceiver is really sweet and it would be okay by me if that guy lets me know he doesn’t want mine. There are worse things in life than owning a beautiful little CW transceiver. When I bought it I imagined using it out on a patio table on lazy, warm, summer days with pencil and paper for logging and a pitcher of ice-cold margaritas nearby. I can still see that.

After all, a retired guy has got to have a hobby, right?