[R-390] R-388 knobs, etc

[Barry Hauser]

Hi Bruce & List:

You wrote:
> OK, here is another horror story courtesy of UPS. The
> R-388 that I purchased was sent to me via UPS. The box
> was apparently dropped and the front panel was
> impacted.

That's why the rigs should be braced at their corners or other strong
points.

 The result was that the two large knobs for
> tuning and band switch were cracked and one of the
> small knobs for selecting selectivity was also
> cracked. Can anyone tell me where replcements may be
> obtained? I get the impression that they are hard to
> find. I hope not.

They should be the standard fluted knobs which are not hard to find. Does
that small knob have a metal pointer at its base?  (Like the filament
voltage knob on a TV-7.)

 The scary thing is that the PTO
> shaft may have also been bent.

That is scary -- though probably fixable.  Was the PTO damaged?  It's bad
enough when knobs break or there's other front end cosmetic damage.  But the
shafts and the switches and pots were not built to take the weight of the
radio driving them backward.  Imagine what would happen to the typical
Hallicrafters bandswitch that goes right straight through from front to back
PTO's don't like to be jammed either.

 The man who shipped the
> R-388 to me told me that he would double box it.
> However, he ended up putting it in a heavy cloth wrap
> and surrounding it with peanuts in one box. Of course,
> the receiver shifted in shipment and the panel was
> apparently quite close to one side when it was dropped
> or hit.

Why is this so blankety-blank familiar, along with "I've shipped many of
these things, with no problems, yadda yadda."  I've had a few misfires come
my way.  Try an SP-600 with the bottom corner square inch of panel broken
off and a 2 inch crease in the rear apron for fun in the evening.  Many,
many near misses -- stuff arrived OK by the grace of the chief engineer in
the sky -- not packed as advertised.  Beanbag box syndrome -- UPS people can
hardly pick the thing up because it has no corners or edges.  Then, on top
of being inadequately protected, it's more drop-prone.

 So much for my dream of being able to open up
> this box and behold a beautiful, ready to go Collins.
> Also, has anyone had any dealings with UPS as to
> filing for damages?

I've had no direct experience.  Reason:  The few times there was damage, it
was the fault of the packing, or at least the packing was so clearly
inadequate it wasn't presentable to the authorities.  That SP-600 came in a
U-Haul box made for light duty use -- not even a true shipping box and said
so in six inch high letters so the UPS claims guy could see before he got
out of his car.  They will want to see what it was shipped in - y'know, the
thing with the UPS label, bar code and tracking number stuck right on it.
If it's as bad as it sounds, you may not have a chance.  I'm told the fact
they accepted the parcel for shipment means nada.


 The man who shipped it said he
> would call and make a claim. It was insured for $400.

The knobs, when you find them, won't cost much.  Check the usual sources.
I'll check later on a couple and let you know.  PTO is another matter.  One
of the problems though, in making these claims, is establishing cost to
repair.  You can't very well trot down to the nearest Collins authorized
repair center for a quote - not unless you have a way-back machine.  If the
PTO is bad, that could be expensive and difficult to find.  The R-388 units
are not as plentiful as the Cosmos's for the '390A's.  Once the total climbs
past a certain point -- and the packing was OK -- they may offer to pay the
full amount -- but they take the merchandise.  It's like collision insurance
with a car.  At some level, it's "totalled" even if it still runs.

Chances are, the claim will be refused outright, but that will establish
officially that the fault was in the packing.  (If UPS has any standard,
from what I've heard, it's "original packing" (yeah, right) or in-place
foam.)  So you may be out of luck from the get-go.  However, you then should
seek compensation from the seller.

> I would appreciate any comments about those knobs and
> UPS. I have no plans to turn it on now. I'm going to
> test the tubes first and give it a close going over
> before that.

Yup -- work around it for now, and look for other concealed damage.
Hopefully there will be none, but it took a bad hit in the worst place.
Incidentally, those old knobs are Bakelite and may be decently repairable.
I've repaired the fluted knobs like those with epoxy.  Don't use krazy glue.
Mix up the epoxy well and apply quickly before it starts to set up so it
will flow as you press the pieces firmly together.  Don't worry about the
excess right away.  After it sets, take a razor or Xacto knife and trim away
the excess glue flush with the surfaces.  Don't try to take it all.  Let
them cure at least a day, maybe two.  Then you can sand them smooth with
very fine sandpaper or emery -- or those abrasive pads.  What this approach
does is to fill any voids from crumbling around the cracks or tiny missing
pieces.  Re-shine with Brasso, plastic polish or auto compound.  You can
stop at this point, or do some more detailing with hard shoe polish. There
are a bunch of other ways to restore the finish.  Some paint them gloss or
satin black and bake to harden the finish.  (Of course, then they'll
eventually chip like '390 knobs.)

If it's just the knobs and no damage to the PTO or anything else, I suggest
you "settle out of court".  Ask the seller to repay you for the knobs.

Barry