[Milsurplus] blind sow finds an R-808

[third Eric]

de N4TGC Eric

Even tho I live in the "armpit" of America, as far as mil-surp (and other
things)  goes, I do luck across some goodies occasionally: a mostly nice,
clean, apparently un-issued R-808/GRC-14, in this case.

For those not familiar with it, which I wasn't, (there's only a few lines
of description, and no picture, in the '83 and '83 Fair Radio catalogs),
it's a four-band, analog-dial, 1.8 - 34 mc receiver, powered by 26.5vdc or
115vac, with RTTY jacks and tuning meter.  It measures (HWD) 13.5x10x17.5",
and weighs 62 lbs, in a steel case, and was aparently used only by the
Navy, in only the GRC-14 application (what Tx might have been used with it,
if any?)  It uses a mounting system unlike the GRC/VRC rigs I have.

It has an input post and BNC for hi- or lo-Z antennas; moveable fiduciary
for calibration, and a 6-posn ops sw: cal., sharp CW, broad CW & FSK,
PH/MCW, etc.  The four bands, 1.8 - 4.04, 3.9 - 8.5, 7.2 - 16.4, and 15.8
-34.0, have 2, 5, 10, and 20kc divisions, respectively, from which one can
easily interpolate 1/4 amounts.  Note that no Ham band is split - one of my
gripes with the R-390 (I'm sure they did that on purpose, in both cases ...
haha)  The 2x2-1/4"  "film-strip" analog dial takes 42 (!) turns, more or
less, lock to lock.

Fair offered the R-808 for $250 and then $215, in 1983.  It's been awhile
since I've seen one FS: anyone else?  I have no plans to sell it, but it'd
be nice to know ... I will have to replace the power/control connector, as
some doofus attached a brown zip cord, and then potted it in an ugly blob
of silicone glue, which has corroded the plating of the jack!  I will
probaby have to dig the mess out, just in order to know what number to look
for ... anybody have a manual for this thing?  Fair Radio reprint?	e