[Boatanchors] PTOs and calibration - PLUS where you get them

[rbethman]

< Frequency accuracy per se was not the issue Bob. <L>
<
< Frequency accuracy of  the R-390,  51-J class of receivers is extremely
< important and rightfully has a very large impact on the  value of said 
radios. <K>

Both of the above are *NOT* completely TRUE!

Asking the seller to turn on the calibrator and check it against the PTO 
*MADE*
it a frequency issue.  AND, it didn't necessarily test the *core* 
elements of
frequency determination!

*IF* I was the seller - I would have picked a band that *I KNEW* was 
reasonably
close - AND - told you how close it was.  All the time *KNOWING* that many
crystals were WAY out of spec., with calibrations being *far* off. 
<That is *IF* I was not a straight shooter>  / BTW - an indication of 
how much a straight
shooter I am Larry, I instructed *MY* E-mail client to <GO AHEAD> and 
send *YOU*
a receipt for your message. - *I* determine *if* the sender gets one or 
not -
*NOT* the sender.  I'm a Computer Scientist by profession.

E-Bay is *ALWAYS* a crap shoot!

It does *NOT* take special equipment or tools to put a 70H12 PTO or a 
Cosmos PTO
back into calibration.  It *IS* a Royal PITA.  By the same token, the 
calibrator
could ALSO have been the big bad culprit - requiring replacement of 
either the
crystal, or repair/replacement of the multiplier/divider circuitry.

When purchasing a radio of this caliber, it IS best to make a local 
purchase
WHENEVER possible.  There is(are) no magic piece(s) of equipment to pull 
one of
these into calibration.  It *REALLY* is a matter of time and patience!  
My '51
Collins R-390A St. J's survivor is a perfect example.  Nothing 
spectacular has
been wrong with it.  It HAS taken a great deal of time and patience to 
put it
back to where it needed to be.  It takes no more equipment than 
alignment tools, the manual, AND an antenna to pick up WWV!!  *THEN* the 
time and patience comes into the fray BIG TIME!

I did a local trade of a very good condition '67 EAC for a Northern 
Radio SP-
600, only to find that the two upper bands *DID NOT* work.  I didn't weep,
grumble, or post to the list over the issue.  I simply put forth a "little"
effort to locate the proper manual and schematics, and figured out the 
problem -
then got it working right.  *IF* there EVER was a pain to put on 
frequency the
*SP-600* climb either to the top of the list *OR* very close to it.

Larry, *your* frustration over a *possible* purchase, really *didn't* 
need to be
posted to the list, *NOR* with all the *HAM* comments.  *I* found it, in 
*my*
opinion, to be a poorly written post that *DID* slap the ham community.  
You
could have left out the HAM elements, posted it as an E-Pay grumble, and 
I bet
it would have gotten LESS attention!

Overall, I *AM* laughing at ALL of this!  It is proving to be an 
absolute riot!  
I *will* say that I *NEVER* had any intention of this becoming a week-long
thread.  I *DO* however, find it interesting how different elements 
climb out of
the woodwork.

As to the 51J4 purchase/procurement, it *really* is easy to get one *in*
calibration.  That is *NOT* to say that it isn't loaded with frustration 
*and*
aggravation!  Once again - *NO* special equipment required or needed!  
Only time
and patience.

Cheers!

Bob - N0DGN