[R-390] Trip down R-390 memory lane, a Navy Radioman story from the operator side of the R-390 world

[Tom Chirhart]

A trip back down memory lane, delete if you don't want to read about the
operator side of a Navy Radioman and R-390 user...long winded

Not to offend the potential Navy Electronics Technician (ET) that is on
the list, but I was on Radioman (RM) on a tin can (destroyer DD-938) and
when we were about to leave port the bridge announced on the 1MC, (ships
announcement system), "Underway Shift Colors", most of our ET's did too
and retired to their racks. One even lived in the ET shop, and was
normally so sick he strung a hammock across the space and rocked himself
to sleep and lived there on crackers. No he didn't make the Navy a
career, he went back to Minnesota.  (Herbie, hope you're not on this
list..or are you?...you were always sick) None of the techs wanted to
pull an R-390 from the rack in the rough seas most tin cans experienced
so we'd log the equipment down, call an ET and grab another receiver,
(if we had a spare). Removing an R-390 was a two man job, in a cramped
space. There was evidence of damage from "slightly dropped" R-390's with
gouges in the deck or operator position desk top from those pointed case
corners... ooops... and dents on top of the "Mill" (typewriter) at the
CW operators position... it was bad enough in port or in light seas, but
bad went to worse on a North Atlantic patrol in winter or in stormy
weather. The ET's paid the price when we hit port, no liberty call for
them until the Preventive Maintenance and Repairs were done...same went
for us RM's... but there was nothing to stop the ET from tagging the
gear out as Inop Awaiting Parts then go order a ballast tube or
something else and scurry off the ship on liberty. Our (ET and RM)
biggest worry was when we would loose power when a SSG (Ships Service
Generator) would fail and the lights would go out... it was a case of
"lets see what gear won't come back up". I don't recall one time that
the 390's failed.  CW was already gone at this time, the Navy pulled our
only WRT-1 MF transmitter and replaced it with SATCOM gear. We still had
to monitor 500 KHz for distress traffic and keep the 5 minute entries
and twice hourly silent periods, but had no way to communicate with a
ship in distress if we had to. We retained CW drills on HF, when in port
or at refresher training. Morse code was no longer a requirement in RM
school, it was open for volunteers, or if there were not enough to fill
a class you were volunteered... those that graduated carried the NEC
2304 qualifications code.
The snipes down in the machinery spaced didn't like Radiomen because we
had cool spaces to work in and their normal 135 degree environment "down
there" was wicked so when things went to he!! up in Radio Central they
probably smiled. That was in the tube Navy, a long time ago.. there may
be ET's left but the Radioman rating is gone and I believe the sparks in
the rating badge is gone too... During my first week on that tin can I
had a one-on-one collision with the Captain (Commander O-5), RM3 VS O-5,
all over CW... but I'll relate that story another time..
One item to point out... the R-390's we had on the tin can I was on had
an off green/grey front panel, not the typical Collins grey face, can't
remember the manufacturer of the ones we had. Would love to find one of
these green/grey faced 390's, anyone got one? 
Keep em glowin'
73
#0001
BT
NNNN
Tom K4NCG, RMC USN/USCG retarded...err retired..