[Milsurplus] A USCG secure teletype room: 60's style

[Mike Morrow]

Ken wrote:

> One thing I've always found very interesting is that the entire
> run of R-389s, something under 1000 receivers, were built under
> an ARMY contract, yet the NAVY is the arm which used VLF almost
> exclusively.
>
> I've never been able to figure that one out.

I don't think of the R-389/URR as primarily a VLF (3 to 30 kHz) receiver.  It seems more purposely an LF and MF receiver.  But regardless, the USN had their own cold war era receivers that covered the same range and whose construction was more suitable for shipboard use:  AN/SRR-11, AN/FRR-21, and especially the AN/WRR-3*.  The submarine-service AN/BRR-3 is VLF only, with top coverage ending at 30 kHz. (The AN/BRR-3 units were the most important receivers onboard pre-mid-1970s ballistic missile submarines...possibly the most important receivers in the entire strategic force triad.)

So, I don't think the USN had any real need for the R-389/URR.  But the R-390*/URR was used almost everywhere before the mid-1960s, when the R-1051*/URR replaced it.

Cold war days are coming back.

Mike / KK5F