[R-390] Black Panel '390A and other rambling

[Steve Goode]

My understanding, which is fourth hand with no real facts, was that Motorola
was not disqualified from bidding.  They just lost the bid to other
companies.  The lowest bid/bids win.  I think my dad's complaint was that
Moto had two contracts of experience building 390A's.  They knew the costs
and put in a fair bid.  The other companies had no experience, except for
Collins which I don't know if they bid or not.  Helena-Rubenstein would know
better than Motorola what it cost to build an R-390A?

Is there any evidence that the later Motorola units were assembled poorer
than the earlier units?

Steve, K9NG


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob Camp" <ham at cq.nu>
To: "Steve Goode" <goode at tribeam.com>
Cc: <R-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, April 22, 2005 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: [R-390] Black Panel '390A and other rambling


> Hi
>
> The contracting on the 390A was very similar to a lot of systems. As
> time goes on the contractors are often less and less capable. There are
> a few cases this has not been true, but usually it is.
>
> Take Care
>
> Bob Camp
> KB8TQ
>
> On Apr 22, 2005, at 10:18 AM, Steve Goode wrote:
>
> > I talked to my dad last night.  Unfortunately the only info I was able
> > to
> > get from him was that I did not go to Augusta.  He took me to Clyborn
> > to see
> > the dew line printers.  There you go for remembering facts.  Although
> > I was
> > about 10 years old and really only knew I was going to where dad
> > worked.
> >
> > He could not remember anything about the 390.  I believe he only
> > worked on
> > the 390A's.  I vaguely remember him complaining that Motorola lost the
> > 390A
> > contract to some company that had no experience building them.  They
> > were
> > not even an electronics company! This could have been referring to
> > Helena-Rubenstein.  But it also could have been Stewart-Warner, or even
> > both.  A short time after Moto lost the contract my dad was laid-off
> > for
> > quite a while.  It was hard times for the family.  He was mad at the
> > world
> > and we were the closest part of the world.  I do not know why he did
> > not go
> > to Stewart-Warner and work for them on the 390As.  They were also in
> > Chicago
> > at the time I believe.  He was finally called back to Moto to work on
> > other
> > government contracts.
> >
> > So I would have liked to own a Motorola R-390A.  I never wanted a
> > Stewart-Warner.  If a Helena-Rubenstein actually exists, I'd only want
> > to
> > piss on it.  What I have is a nice depot-dog with no Stewart-Warner
> > modules.
> >
> > So much for history,
> >
> > Steve, K9NG
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Steve Goode" <goode at tribeam.com>
> > To: "Bob Camp" <ham at cq.nu>; "Les Locklear" <Llgpt at aol.com>
> > Cc: <R-390 at mailman.qth.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 9:52 AM
> > Subject: Re: [R-390] Yet another Black Panel '390A on the 'bay
> >
> >
> >> My dad worked at Augusta as a QA inspector.  I actually visited
> >> Augusta
> > when
> >> I was about 10 and saw the high speed printers for the dew line being
> >> tested.  I had a print out from one of them for many years.
> >>
> >> My dad also worked on the R-390As.  I am not sure that was at
> >> Augusta.  It
> >> may have been at Clyborn.  I will try to ask him about these things.
> >> The
> >> problem is that he at times does not recognize my brother or myself,
> >> so I
> > am
> >> not sure how accurate any information from him would be.  This is
> >> really a
> >> problem with anyone's memory.  Time plays tricks on what you believe
> >> is
> >> fact.  The only real believable way to prove the black front issue
> >> would
> > be
> >> an original contract with black fronts being specified.
> >>
> >> My 2 cents,
> >>
> >> Steve, K9NG
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
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