[R-390] FRR-59/WRR-2

[Jerry Kincade]

Roy has it right. OTOH, they seemed pretty reliable. We ran a pair of them
for 4 years without a single failure on my first ship, right alongside a
bank of four 390A's/CV-591A's (390A's worked reliably, too, but we hardly
ever used the SSB converters). They were all replaced eventually with
R-1051B's in 1965, as I recall. Thank God for that, because after looking at
the AN/WRR-2's and flipping through the tech manual, I didn't want to have
to work on one other than for routine performance checks. Pretty big units,
at first glance they more resemble a 1 KW transmitter than a receiver! You
would need some help to move one around, for sure.
73, Jerry W5KP

> - the biggest heaviest receiver almost anyone can have.
> - has one bazillioon tubes, with at least one fan to keep them all cool
> - very noisy to be near (see above)
> - mechanically and electrically very complicated.
> - rather astounding frequency stability, accuracy and re-settabilty.
> - NOT for band cruising
> - made by National
> - has independent sideband operation. This is a truly odd experience to
> listen to as you tune around and as propagation causes unequal fades
> and  other anomalies on AM signals.  The capability has little use for SWL
> or amateur people.
> - moderately uncommon, thus normally quite expensive
>