[Milsurplus] R-390 vs. R390A

[Ray Fantini]

Thousand years ago I had a R-390 that I bought as a basket case, Had the manual and tried and tried to get the mechanical systems aligned on that radio but was never able to get it to work right on all the bands. Endless cams, gears and some strange issues that when you got the radio to work in one band segment it refused to work in another! 
Have been told of the nicer sound filters and superior B+ regulation and the like on the R-390 but have to say after that trauma of trying to get that R-390 up and running will stick with the R-390A, maybe it's just memory but the R-390A at least for me is about a thousand times easier to work on and have the striping, cleaning and mechanical alignment down to a simple process that's all easy to follow from the manual so I will stay away from its non "A" brother.
This entire R-390A operation on my part is only an attempt to try to generate revenue to have additional funds to piss away on other projects and to try to offset the high cost of shows like Dayton.  
But starting to think about what I have to shell out for radios that have been in storage for decades, the labor involved in just getting these radios cleaned up and working again and the logistics of loading up and dragging them around starting to question the wisdom of the entire project. 
At the point now of thinking that at $400 to $500 each am just breaking even but do have the small satisfaction of seeing radios that have been languishing around in storage for twenty or so years coming back to life and maybe being useful to someone else. 
Funny thing, you would think that the radio just sitting around and not being used for a long time would not have as much affect as it does but just think about it, if you parked a car and did not do anything with it for twenty years do you think you can just get in it and drive away?

Ray F/KA3EKH



-----Original Message-----
From: r-1051-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:r-1051-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Lester Veenstra
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2018 10:40 AM
To: 'R-1051 Discussion Group' <r-1051 at mailman.qth.net>; 'Military Radio Collectors Association' <mrca at mailman.qth.net>; 'milsurplus' <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [R-1051] Frostfest AAR

I bought the "Ratty" looking R-390/URR ($200)!!!.  Better receiver than an A
(INHO) and a little surface dust accumulated in storage is a minor step in getting it back in service.
But  first I still have to get these two R-1051s singing.   I good fest and
I hope the have the courage to grow it back to the two buildings it used to occupy.

http://r-390.com

Lester B Veenstra  K1YCM  MØYCM  W8YCM   6Y6Y
lester at veenstras.com

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