[R-390] The Rant & the dreaded black ukkumpucky, too

[DAVEINBHAM at aol.com]

First, the ukkumpucky.
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" > You forgot the dreaded black ukumpuky.  (I am sure I spealed it wrong)
> Cecil..."
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Yes, Cecil, you did. It is spelled " UKKUMPUCKY "
I am kinda persnickety about the word because I think I may have 
inadvertently invented it several years ago here on this list. 
For the benefit of newcomers, ukkumpucky, or more correctly, " the dreaded 
black ukkumpucky " ,is the black goo inside the plug in electrlytic can 
capacitors in your 
R-390A.

Now, the rant.

Personally, I enjoyed the recent humor. I even tried to make a modest 
contribution to it. I am not, however, enjoying the rant about the humor. 
Kibitzers please rest assured the list moderator will come out of the 
woodwork and electronically bite your butt if you go too far with off topic humor. I 
know. Been there, done that. I have the teeth marks to prove it.

So, let's all just cool it and go back to " normal", if anyone with a thing 
about 40+ year old radios can be called " normal."

Toward that end, a question. We all assume the purpose of the ballast tube 
was to regulate the filament of the oscillator tube, not just to increase the 
price the government paid for the radios. We all know that due to the god awfull 
prices we have to pay nowadays, we can stick a wire in the tube socket where 
the ballast used to live, and replace the oscillator tube with a 12 volt tube 
and the radio works. 
Now, after much preamble, my actual question. Has anyone who has done this 
noticed any real discernable difference in the operation of the radio ?  Is the 
ballast tube superfluous ?
Comments, humorous or otherwise.

Kindest regards, 
Dave

Biological Instruments, Inc.
Home of the R-390A ReCap Kit.
SP-600 ReCap kit coming soon.