[R-390] Preproduction R-390

Barry Hauser Barry Hauser" <[email protected]
Tue, 29 Oct 2002 20:39:36 -0500


Hi Ray & list:

What Danny described was both the tag (I assume) with "PP-2" and the
stenciled stuff which is on the _side_, not the panel.  There's also that
PP-7 on the power supply.  An engraved (punched/stamped, etc.) is not
inconsistent.  If I'm not mistaken, only some Collins manufactured R-390A's
came with silk screened panels.  Weren't all the non-A's "engraved"?

It would seem there's some credence to this unit.  It's also possible that
small batches of pre-production units were shipped at a time, and as part of
the checkout process, modules may have been intentionally swapped to check
consistency -- plug 'n playability -- interchangability of parts, etc.
(consistency of machining, no custom tweaking causing one module to not work
optimally when just dropped into another radio, etc.)  This is something you
would do with firearms -- one of the first products of the industrial
revolution offering true interchangeability of parts.  This theory would
explain why the tag says PP-2 and the power supply says PP-7.

Now this was a privately owned radio.  It didn't come directly from the
gov't.  Some post-depot module swapping may have occurred over the last
several decades.  So it doesn't have to be 100% to have some validity.  Dave
W. pointed out that pre-production units were not put in service, just put
away.  But most R-390's have been around the block a few times since, in
civilian hands.

One way to tell is to put it up for auction and see (as someone suggested)
if it does draw enough  to pay a kid's college tuition -- and maybe some
extra money to buy/adopt a kid if you don't already have one.

I'm still waiting for a Helga Rubenstern radio to turn up, or a Maybelline,
Max Factor or even an Avon.

Did Gen. MacArthur have his own monogrammed R-390?  If so, did Harry Truman
confiscate it?
Or did it just fade away?  Or was it an SP-600?

Barry


> But when the R-390's went thru the depot, didn't they just pull the tag
> off the panel? Then when a radio rebuild was finished they pulled a tag
> out of the bin and slapped it on the panel? So except for finding the
> specifications of the original order (as to whether it called for silk
> screened or engraved panel) there is no way of knowing what panel came
> with what order. My old Imperial tagged R-390A was engraved and had all
> kinds of modules in it, not one of which I could identify as being an
> Imperial module. Played fine.
>
> Unless someone took possession of an R-390/390A direct from the factory
> and it has never been out of their sight, I don't think anyone can truly
> say they have an "original" radio with all "original" modules and the
> tag that matches.
>
>
>
> Richard Loken wrote:
>
> > On Tue, 29 Oct 2002, Danny Lunstrum wrote:
> >
> >
> >>This is my first message to the group.  I have been a subscriber and
have
> >>been reading messages for some time.  I went to a hamfest last Sunday
and
> >>bought what I thought was an ordinary R-390 (non-A) receiver.  The only
thing
> >>that was out of the ordinary was the serial number- "PP-2".  When I got
home
> >>with the unit I noticed a poorly stenciled notice on the side.  I cannot
make
> >>out every word in it, but it sounds like this is a "Preproduction"
R-390".
> >>Here is the what is stenciled on the side except for the few words that
are
> >>illegible.  "This equipment was tested as a preproduction sample by the
> >>Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories.  It is ??  ???? intact without
> >>alteration or improvement of any kind for use by the Signal Corps ????
by
> >>???."  The question marks indicate words I cannot make out.  The order
number
> >>is 14214-PH-51-93 and was manufactured by Collins Radio Company.  The
ballast
> >>tube, V-512, is marked 2HTF11B and is missing.  The front panel
lettering is
> >>punched, not silkscreened.  The power supply has a nomenclature tag with
the
> >>serial number PP-7 stamped on it.
> >>
> >
> > Sure looks the l@@k rare preproduction approval sample alright.
> >
> > I have an R390 Serial Number 2459 from Order Number 14214-PH-51-93 which
has
> > an engraved panel so the engraved part is not unusual.  I think this was
the
> > first order and they made a heck of a lot of them.  Did all orders
require
> > pre-production samples do you suppose?  Or only the first one?
> > ---
> >    Richard Loken VE6BSV, Systems Programmer - VMS
> >    Athabasca University
> >    Athabasca, Alberta Canada
> >    ** [email protected] **
> >