[R-1051] New R-1051B(?) owner with questions

[Adam Vaughn]

Thanks for the reply! My responses are listed below:

On Apr 26, 2011, at 8:28 PM, Geoff Fors wrote:

> Bendix, under contract for General Dynamics.  These are not like R-390A's 
> with a bunch of manufacturers.

In all likelihood, yeah. Some of the connectors on the back have "Bendix" embossed in between the pins, which makes this likely. I wonder what the story on this is; something akin to Motorola making R-390s and R-390As under contract for Collins, or something else? It seems to be a fair departure from the original design, which makes me wonder how it ended up being made by Bendix rather than it's original designer, as well as how the changes made for it ended up being applied to future variants.

> You might as well power it from the "Aux" connector and forget about using 
> the multi-pin one as that type is a bit obscure as well as pricey.  The 
> power input switch inside is set to use the "Aux" power input if you do 
> that.  I have the MS- connector number at home and can look it up later if 
> nobody mentions it in the meantime.

Whoever had it before the guy I bought it from indeed went that way. This receiver currently has a short 2-wire (yikes!) line cord somehow attached to two pins of J3. I'd like to find a proper mating connector for either this 3-pin jack or the multi-pin one, so that I can fit this set with a more-suitable 3-wire line cord. I'd also like to find proper audio connectors, so that I can use something a bit more trustworthy than slip-on pin connectors. Any ideas what the official designations for these might've been, as well as the pinouts?

> Probably a "B," those were the most common.  Later models have a plastic 
> chain drive inside, and only one meter, among other things.  I forget which 
> suffix the changes occurred at.

I figured it'd probably be a 'B', judging by process of elimination based on the contract list at the Navy Radios page. I was just hoping there'd be a way to find out for sure, along with what it's serial number might possibly be. 

> DRMO in its wisdom stopped letting any R-1051 series receivers out, about 
> 1994.  What showed up after that was what was found in scrap metal skips "by 
> accident" or imported from overseas sources.  The ones without the 
> nameplates are usually that way because they came into the private market 
> illegitimately and the original procurer wanted to keep it from being traced 
> back to him.  Today they are all being smashed up and shredded rather than 
> being salvaged, although ships being sent to Alang, India for the most part 
> have all the electronics still aboard and it is then sold by the pound at 
> electronics scrap yards there.  Which doesn't do us much good.

It's a damn shame what's happened to these fine receivers. I wonder if there's any way to find out how many of these sets might've been made, and how many might survive today. Oddly enough, the guy I bought this set from has another one, which was purchased from the same place, and it still has it's original nameplate which identifies it as a B-variant. I'm guessing the tag from mine either fell off at some point due to dried-out glue, or as you mentioned, the set made an exit out the 'side door'. Mine still has several stickers left on it ("USN Minor Property" with a barcode and various numbers, a circle stating "Validated SECAS" (what might this mean?), and the field changes one, which I'd still like to find info about).

> Fair Radio might be able to peel a nameplate off for you.  At one time they 
> had a pile of scrap 1051B's.  Maybe gone now.

I'll have to check with them. I do know that they have R-1051Bs listed on their website as being available (for $695 apiece!), but it's not listed in the normal HF receiver section, so who knows. Another possibility I was contemplating involved making a reproduction based on the nameplate still present on the receiver I mentioned earlier, but modifying the listed serial number for what it's actual one might be. Once again, thanks!
-Adam

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Adam Vaughn
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