Galaxy V / Galaxy V Mark II
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| Frequency | TX/RX: 80/40/20/15/10 m |
| TX power | 300 W (DC input by variant: original V ~300 W PEP (pair 6GH5); Mark II ~400 W PEP (pair 6HF5); Mark 3 ~500 W PEP (pair 6LB6). External PSU required (12-pin Jones).) |
| Modes | USB, LSB, CW |
| Weight | 6.4 kg (14.1 lb) |
| Connector | SO-239 |
| Year | 1964 |
| antenna | SO-239 |
Galaxy's answer to Swan and Drake. About 300W PEP DC input from a pair of sweep tubes on the original V (the Mark II rates ~400W PEP input). Affordable SSB transceiving, with the Mark II significantly improving the receiver. Galaxy was based in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Galaxy had quality control issues. Some units work beautifully; others were never right from the factory. The sweep tube finals are unconventional and some operators distrust them. Galaxy went out of business in 1972. Documentation is sparse.
The underdog. Galaxy tried to compete with Swan and Drake on price while offering more power. Some Galaxy Vs are excellent radios; some are paperweights. The Mark II is the safer bet. A minor footnote in a decade dominated by Collins, Drake, and Swan.
The Galaxy V is a popular American HF transceiver of the mid-1960s, made by Galaxy Electronics of Council Bluffs, Iowa (a company tied to the well-known WRL / World Radio Laboratories). It is a five-band SSB and CW transceiver covering the 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meter amateur bands. The original Galaxy V appeared in 1964; a Mark II followed in 1967 with an improved receiver, and a Mark 3 in 1968 with more power.
The variants differ mainly in their sweep-tube finals and power: the original V runs a pair of 6GH5s at about 300 watts PEP DC input; the Mark II uses a pair of 6HF5s at roughly 400 watts PEP input; and the Mark 3 steps up to 6LB6 finals and about 500 watts input. All need an external power supply (there is no internal one) connecting through a 12-pin Jones plug, and the antenna uses a standard SO-239.
Galaxy aimed to undercut Drake and Swan on price while offering more power, and the radios went through several revisions over the run; quality was uneven, so a good Galaxy V is a capable rig and a poor one can be a headache, with the Mark II generally the safer bet. It is a discontinued classic. Compare it with the Drake TR-4C and the Gonset GSB-100.