On Wed, 14 May 2008, Tim Shoppa wrote:

On May 13, 8:03*pm, "Larry McGee" wrote:
After many years, my KLM Force5 HF transceiver has come home. Unfortinately,
the manual didn't come back.
Can anyone can tell me what year(s) these were manufactured? I have looked
for a manual copy from the usual sources but have yet to find one. If anyone
knows of a commercial reprint source for the manual or has a manual they
could copy, please let me know. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Out of curiosity, is this a marine SSB transceiver used that you've
adapted for ham use? Is KLM the same company that made the 2-meter/10-
meter OSCAR transceiver?

I have a vague memory, now that it's been brought up, of a rig in the late
seventies or early eighties that came under the KLM label. Kind of
squarish, and what I see in my mind isn't a photo, but a drawing.

It may turn out to be some other rig, if I felt like looking.

I always thought KLM was more of an importer, finding neat Japanese
equipment and putting their own badge on it. Not unlike what Drake did
when it brought over the TR-22, or when Henry Radio brought over Trio
equipment.

KLM was known for VHF and UHF antennas (and maybe preamps?) before
they started bringing over transceivers, and when they started
doing that, it seemed a logical extension, it being a period when
the US manufacturers were fading (so the VHF gear was gone or mostly
gone, all those Swan 250s and the Drake TR-6, and such) but before
the Japanese companies really took off in the US (the exception being
2m FM rigs, and the rigs made there but rebadged by US companies), so
they neither offered transverters or VHF transceivers.

At least the early offerings from KLM circa 1975 were odd little rigs.
Left you wondering why there was something so specific yet none of
the rigs seemed to come from an existing line of ham equipment. So SBE
had a six meter rig briefly circa 1972 or so, that seemed to be a modified
CB SSB set (I recall 23 channels and it was synthesized). I think
KLM later imported the 432 variant of that rig. Clegg had a
220 rig that had a tuneable receiver, and if I remember properly was
good for both FM and AM.

We never really heard anything about those rigs before they were
imported.

And later, they faded, instead all the Japanese manufacturers making
equipment that matched the rest of their line.

Michael VE2BVW