‰ NOW 30 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JULY 2015 QST PAGE 99 ‰ AGREEMENT WITH SOUTHCOM GRANTED ATLAS ACCESS TO THE SC 130S TECHNOLOGY. THE ATLAS 180 ADAPTED THE MAN PACK RADIOS DESIGN FOR AMATEUR USE. AN ANALOG VFO FOR THE 160, 80, 40, AND 20 METER BANDS REPLACED THE SC 130S STEP TUNED 2 12 MHZ SYNTHESIZER. OUTPUT POWER INCREASED FROM 20 W TO 100 W. AMONG THE 180S CHARMS WAS ITS SIZE. IT MEASURED 9R5 X 9R5 X 3 INCHES. THATS NOTHING SPECIAL TODAY, BUT IT WAS A TINY RIG IN 1974. THE FULLY SOLID STATE TRANSCEIVER FEATURED NO TUNE OPERATION. THE VFOS 350 KHZ RANGE REQUIRED TWO BAND SWITCH SEGMENTS TO COVER 75/80 METERS, BUT WAS AMPLE FOR THE OTHER BANDS. IN ORDER TO IMPROVE IMMUNITY TO OVERLOAD AND CROSS MODULATION, THE 180S RECEIVER HAD NO RF AMPLIFIER STAGE THE ANTENNA INPUT CIRCUIT FED THE RADIOS MIXER DIRECTLY. A PAIR OF SUCCESSORS EARLY IN 1975, ATLAS INTRODUCED THE 180S SUCCESSOR IN REALITY, A PAIR OF THEM. THE NEW 210 COVERED 80 10 METERS, WHILE THE OTHERWISE IDENTICAL 215 COVERED 160 15 METERS HEREAFTER, WHEN THE 210 SERIES IS MENTIONED, THE 215 IS ALSO IMPLIED. BECAUSE THE 210 USED THE SAME VFO AND BAND SWITCH AS THE 180, SQUEEZING IN FIVE BANDS SACRIFICED PART OF 80 METERS. THAT BAND STARTED AT ‰ END OF 30 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ