[R-390] Another old R-390A pic ! In Canada !

[Albert Solway]

Jordon and All,

Need a favor. I have acquired, what I think,  is one of those SP-600s that you
mention. It's an SP-600-J-3. On the side marked in pencil is what I hope is the
NAATO Stock number for the SP-600. The number is 5820-21-041-1103. The 21
indicates Canada as the country of origin. This I am sure is not the
manufacturing country, but the country that assigned the number. If I am right
then then this is radio is one of the canadian SP-600s you mention. The favor I
need is do you know of WWW site that has the catalogue of Canadian Military NATO
Stock numbers. I have used Google but all I can turn up is procedures on how to
use NATO Stock numbers.

Must tell the story of how I acquired the SP-600. Early last summer got a call
from a friend mine whose is a Ham and a Canadian Naval officer. He informed me
that he was on his way to Colorado Springs on 3 or 4  year assignment. He was
taking most of the ham gear which is a substantial.  He  had weight limit for
moving personal effects that  the military assigns. He was sure that he would
exceed the limit. He offered me the SP-600 to restore and to keep in  my
possession for as long as I wanted. This I could not do, but offered him lunch
for him and his wife. He accepted. So got the radio for the cost of a lunch ($85
CDN) for 4 people that included our wives. Not bad.

He told me how he got the radio early last spring. Him and a friend of his
attended a city auction in Halifax. Up for auction were stolen items picked up by
the police, unclaimed lost items and anything else the city puts on the block. In
this case after the city auction was over the auctioneer put his own stuff up for
auction. Some of the items included ham gear from a silent key. One lot consisted
of a 19 inch rack with a Racal 17 and an SP-600, an SP-600 in a cabinet and
Hallicrafters S-22R. They bid and  were the only bidders. They got the lot for
$35 CDN including taxes. There were no other hams or anybody there that knew the
value of the lot. BTW I also got the Hallicrafters which is very good condition.
His friend kept the other SP-600 and the case.

Al VE2TAS

Jordan wrote:

> I've heard stories about the dismantling of the DEW line where they'd put
> 50-60 390s and 390A's , and a few tons of other gear, on a frozen lake, and
> bet on the date they'd be heavy enough to break through the ice...
> 390A's were used extensively in the Canadian Diplomatic Corps as well... I
> have two of them , both '67 EAC's... neither has ever seen a depot...
> I have seen 51-J's , SP-600s , 390/390As, Racals, etc all surplussed from CFB
> stores..... 73 de Jordan...
>