[R-390] 3TF7

[Gregory W. Moore]

Agree 100%. Someone in the deep black zone knows ALL about EMP. Considering the possiblilities which arose after 9/11, and the possibility of a terrorist use of WMD in the ionosphere.  I can't believe that what is left of the military communications outfits of all services have not come to the conclusion that one can't harden everything, but hollow state survives all the time. If that horrible day ever comes, someone is going to realize about MF/HF CW and the doorbells are going to
begin ringing.
BTW do you remember the bruhaha that surfaced over the defecting MiG pilot who landed in Japan. As I seem to recall, all the gee-whiz engineering types who were building the  single use, disintegrating totem poles to complete the man-moon-decade requirement were rather amused by the "backward" Soviet Union and how they equipped the MiG with Vacuum Tube equipment. The laughter stopped abruptly when the word "Nuke" was mentioned. Frankly, I would have loved to see the expression on their
faces when they realised that fried silicon with melted input diodes does not make a chip work any better.
I fully believe that somewhere, as I write this, someone is disseminating a "request for bids", or more likely, contacting all the old contractors to see who might have some of the manufacturing fixtures stored away for the day they knew was coming. We just might yet, see a return of US tube availability. The audiophiles have never forgotten the even harmonics, and who knows, retro sells big. Real big. I have actually heard an owner of one of the modern "cathedral" radio reproductions,
now, of course, with FM and a CD player, who knows Nothing about electronics, actually say, "Hey, this would have been neat if they made it original, with those tube things". Actual quote.
Do Not Lose Hope!!!  The 80, 25Z5, and the 50C5 ,117N7  (as well as the 3TF7) may live again, in a brand new millenium.
One can always hope for a gateway to a nearby  parallel universe, where the events of 1947 never occurred :-)
73 de Greg WA3IVX

CORYHINE wrote:

> If Amperite is still making the 3TF7 tube, then the Government must still be using R390A radios......  I wonder if the CIA repair shop (don't even ask how I know) is still refurbing them.  There could still be thousands out there.  One thing about the U.S. Government is that they know a good thing when they have it.  Shades of the B-52 which is still going strong.  And yes, it is my understanding that the line in WA. is still maintained if there should ever be a need for more......
>
> Did you know that there are radio stations in NYC that are still using the Collins transmitters they bought in 1945?  Amazing, this good stuff just never dies.....
>
> Cory/N2AQS