[GreenKeys] Using the R390/A for RTTY ...

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

AN/URA-6 is contemporary with the AN/URR-11, 12 and 13's, which were replaced 
in part by R-390A/URR (for shipboard use). AN/URA-6, 7 and 8 are 
contemporaries and share many subassemblies in the converters plus all use the same 
CM-14/URR Comparator if set up for diversity. AN/URA-8A is one of those cases where 
a new nomenclature should have been assigned. The URA-8 and URA-8A share 
nothing above the component level.

The R-390/URR was being bought by the Army around the time that the Navy was 
buying the RCA rigs. The Navy, on the other hand, bought most of the A's. I 
recall USS VALLEY FORGE (LPH-8) having 90+ of the A's aboard and in use. A large 
percentage were Stewart-Warner.

You could certainly use the CV-60 (p/o AN/URA-8) with an R-390A but not the 
CV-57 (p/o AN/URA-6) unless you modified it as it only tunes up to 470 KC. You 
could, and the Navy did at least briefly, use the CV-57 with an RBB or RBC, 
though.

It just occured to me that one other converter that might have been used by 
NSA with the R-390A was the Boehme Model 5C, which is an audio type with 
continuously tunable shift.  I have one somewhere, but never had the cabinet for it. 
 It will also copy high speed CW, but I never had a reader to go with it.

In a message dated 10/15/2006 1:43:15 PM Central Daylight Time, 
w5jv at hotmail.com writes: 
> Regards the Navy's use, don't forget the dependable URA-6 which was true 
> baudot demodulation. The URA-8 was the Navy's entry into tone conversion 
> (an electric modem) which is not the same thing.
> 
> Seems to me if you are going to all the trouble to employ an R-390 for 
> reception, why not get it right and balance the act with a period 
> demodulator, either Army, Navy or Maritime. The M28 series is correct so go 
> first class and employ the 28ASR.
> 
> If you keep telling yourself you have space problems, just get a blasted 
> cell phone, donate the electric radios to someone else and spend your time 
> watching football and playing the lotto ... you might win you know :-) ...
> 
> 
> >
> >AN/URA-8A or AN/URA-8B. Barely in the zone would be early production of
> >AN/URA-17. And as an aside, the correct terminology is "Converter" or 
> >"Receiving
> >Converter". "TU" was the draft dodging civilian term.
> >
> >In a message dated 10/14/2006 7:40:24 PM Central Daylight Time,
> >jack.rubin at ameritech.net writes:
> >>I've just acquired a nice R-390A (Stewart-Warner manufacture, 1960
> >>vintage) receiver that I'd like to use with an M28 for RTTY reception.
> >>What would be an appropriate TU interface for this setup? Is anybody
> >>else using an R-390A and if so, how do you have it set up?
> >>
> 


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