Note
QST, Sep 1959, p. 143.
References
The Cosmophone 1000 is one of the rarest and visually striking "white whales" of vintage amateur radio history.
While often referred to as a transmitter, it was actually a dual-VFO, self-contained HF SSB transmitter-receiver (not a true transceiver) and 1 kW linear amplifier in the same cabinet. Manufactured by Cosmos Industries, Inc. of Long Island City, New York, it was introduced in September 1959 and is essentially a high power version of the Cosmophone 35/50.
Only a handful of Cosmophone 1000s were ever produced (with some estimates suggesting single digits), making it significantly rarer than even the notoriously scarce Cosmophone 35.
One of the big talking points about the 1000 was it's independent dual-VFO tuning. This allowed the operator to seamlessly split transmit and receive frequencies, receive on two frequencies simultaneously, or track them together—a advanced DXing feature for the era.
The Astronomical Price Tag: In September 1959, the Cosmophone 1000 was listed at a staggering $1,550.00 (with its matching external power supply). Adjusted for inflation, that is just over $16,000 today (2026). Because it cost as much as a decent car, almost no one bought them.
The following specifications are taken from advertising, as no manual has been found as of this writing (2026).
Transmitter
– Input: Full 1 kw on voice peaks (meters read 2500 V at 400 ma) into a pair of 4X300A glass/ceramic finals
– Unwanted sideband: 42 db down
– Distortion (SSB): Third order products approx. 32 db down
– Frequency stability: Drift less than 100 cycles
– Calibration: Built-in 100 kc marker
– Audio characteristics: 200-3100 cps
– Mike input: High impedance
– Vox: Built-in
– Level: Automatic level control
– Metering: Screen, plate, and grid current, plus RF output
– RF output: 52 ohms
– VFO's: Dual VFO's permit transmitting on the receive or any other frequency--
Receiver
– Sensitivity: 1 microvolt for 6 db S/N
– Selectivity: 3.1 kHz mechanical filter plus a T-notch filter
– Stability: Drift less than 100 cycles from a cold start at room ambient
– Tuning knobs: Coarse gear ratio of 20:1, fine ratio of 100:1 gives a 1 kHz dial reading per division gear
– Calibration: Built-in 100 kHz marker
– Image and IF rejection: Better than 50 db
– Audio detector: Balanced detector for SSB and CW, diode detector for AM
– Mode switch: Selects up or low SSB, or up low AM, or CW
– Dual reception: Two VFO's permit reception of any two frequencies on one band with the flick of a switch
– BFO: Crystal controlled
– Metering: S-meter
Power supplies: Packaged separately, can be placed under operating desk
⚠️ A note on the attached review: CQ didn't actually have a Cosmophone 1000 in its possession. The author of the review got a tour of the factory and was shown the unit. All the specifics were provided by the factory, and were not independently verified by CQ staff. So to call it a "review" is a little disingenuous.
Review. CQ, Oct 1959, p. 54.
