[Boatanchors] Has anyone encountered "sabotage" while restoring/aligning R-388/51J-3's

Mon, 22 Sep 2003 06:04:10 -0400

Hi Rodney,

Actually, when we made up the open wires in "spaghetti tube", the idea 
was to simulate a cold solder joint rather than a defective component 
somewhere up the line. It was tough to create a "reliable" cold solder 
joint so the "open wire" was used to simulate it instead. This was to 
prevent someone from "assuming" a part was defective, replacing it, and 
still not getting the circuit to work. Sneaky, yes, but made the techs 
dig right down to find the true cause.

73, Ray  W2EC

Rodney Bunt wrote:

> BA's,
> 
> I did my Electronics Training in the Australian Department of Civil Aviation. We had practical
> exams with this sort of "sabotage". I'm still burned up about an exam I was failed on, when I
> found an open circuit cathode resistor, and reported that as the fault.
> 
> "No its not" was the reply from the instructor..
> 
> So I checked it again, It WAS an open circuit cathode resistor.
> "NO  its not, give up ?".
> 
> OK what is it then ?
> 
> An open circuit wire, inside some spaghetti tubing going to the cathode resistor!!!!!
> 
> Real practical example of a fault you were likely to find in the wild, I DON'T THINK!!!.
> 
> Rodney
> VK2KTZ
> 
> 
> --- "Ray V." <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>>Larry,
>>
>>Yes, the "sabotage" could very well have been intentional. The purpose 
>>was for training. When I was at Ft Sill as a comm officer in the Army 
>>(back in the good old days) we deliberately modified radios that would 
>>be used for technician training by going to the trouble of actually 
>>making fake resistors and capacitors as well as "bad or false 
>>connections" such as yours and installing them in otherwise perfectly 
>>good radios. These radios were then used in the classroom to teach new 
>>radio techs how to troubleshoot problems. Each test bench position had a 
>>radio with a different defect and the class would work its way around 
>>the benches until everyone had a chance to debug the radios and 
>>determine what component had failed. You may have gotten a hold of one 
>>or more of these "test mules" we modified for classroom instruction. 
>>They were still in use long after I moved on so I have no idea what 
>>would have happened to them when they were phased out. This was standard 
>>military procedure and not limited to just Ft Sill. My dad was Navy and 
>>he mentioned they used the same technique in Radioman School prior to 
>>WW-II so it's been going on a long time.
>>
>>73, Ray  W2EC
>>
>>
>>Lawrence Mayhew wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I am trying to finish up the last of my project Collins 51J-3 and R-388/URR
>>>receivers, and of course I saved the ones that had not been "easy the first
>>>time I worked on them" till last.
>>>I have a couple that had very subtle disabling modifications done to them,
>>>and I'm curious if any of you have experienced the same kind of thing.
>>>One, a R-388/URR, had the filament lead to the 6AQ5 (audio amp.) carefully
>>>severed and recovered with shrink fit tubing, and then hidden beneath the
>>>power transformer. No chance this was anything other than intentional.
>>>The other unit, a 51J-3, and a very nice "engraved" front panel in great
>>>shape, had the slave coupler to the crystal switch loosened, the band switch
>>>moved several steps, and then tightened again. Again, no way it just
>>>slipped. I don't need to explain what a bitch this kind of devilishness
>>>creates for the technician, especially when he is 70 years old.
>>>
>>>The only thing I can imagine as a possible motive would be to get the unit
>>>"surveyed" so that the saboteur could capture it in the subsequent surplus
>>>sale.
>>>Am I the only one who has seen this, or am I just the only one ornery enough
>>>to keep at it till I found the problem?
>>>Regards,..........Larry in Seattle
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
>>>** List Administrator - Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE **   
>>>** For Assistance: [email protected] **         
>>>$$ For vintage radio info, see the HCI web site $$      
>>>http://www.w9wze.org    
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Boatanchors mailing list
>>[email protected]
>>http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/boatanchors
>>** List Administrator - Duane Fischer, W8DBF/W9WZE **   
>>** For Assistance: [email protected] **         
>>$$ For vintage radio info, see the HCI web site $$      
>>http://www.w9wze.org    
>>
>>
> 
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