[Premium-Rx] WTB: Watkins Johnson 8940 Tempest Rx System

[Jeff Kruth]

Hi Steve!
 
OK, "Done in" as in killed or done in as performed? In either case, never!
 
According to another learned individual who contacted me, Tempest never stopped being done. Evidently some aspects were changed to reflect COTS cost savings, but critical systems were still being qualified which continues to the current day. Evidently, if you have the needed clearances, training and skills, there is a good job market for you!
 
My experiences were different which led to my comments. It is known when the "mom & pop" shops go under for lack of jobs, the market in the particular area has sagged or tanked.  I saw a lot of this happen in the Balt.-Wash. area in the 90's to 2000's time frame. I was good friends with the test techs at DEC who did the TEMPEST work, used to see them when they would travel down to NSA re-cert periodically. They said the work they were doing had slowed to a crawl and were afraid of being out of a job. Mid 1990's time frame.
 
Posting to the group to clarify and correct my earlier comments. Evidently the individual who contacted me did not experience this in his company. YMMV
 
73,
Jeff
WA3ZKR
 
In a message dated 5/24/2018 2:25:52 PM Eastern Standard Time, steve at radiorobots.com writes:

 
Hi Jeff,
 
Approx what date was TEMPEST done in?
 
Tnx es 73,
 
Steve
 
KL7JT

On Wed, May 23, 2018 at 4:34 AM, Jeff Kruth via Premium-Rx <premium-rx at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
Hi Bruce!


 I have two of them and would part with one.  They cost me a bit back in the day. Complete system, desk and all, cables etc.  I may even have some documents for loan to copy. We can discuss the price. Shipping would be by freight or you could pick it up.  These were functional units when I bought them, and have been in storage (in my lab) ever since. Never got around to using them, so they have sat in the corner. Not many were made, and at one point WJ had a sale for one of mine to Denmark, as WJ did not want to build a one-off. It was from this that I learned they were $300K. Did not come through. This was back just at the time the Clinton Admin killed the Tempest requirement.
 They are really quite the thing!
  
 73
 Jeff Kruth
 WA3ZKR
  
 In a message dated 5/22/2018 8:29:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, ka2ivy at verizon.net writes:

  
 I happened upon a brochure for the Watkins-Johnson WJ-8940 receiver in 

 the desk console. Has anyone seen one of these, and even more important, 
 does anyone have a project one they are willing to part with? It looks 
 like a neat rig, restoring one would be quite a project but that's the 
 kind of puzzle and challenge I would like.

  Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

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