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

[Bob Camp]

Hi

Very interesting !!!

One of the things we need more of on the list is more "as used" 
information on these radios. A lot of this kind of stuff is very poorly 
documented elsewhere. Trying to re-construct it in the future will just 
get harder as memories fade.

	Take Care!
		
		Bob Camp
		KB8TQ


On Feb 13, 2005, at 8:37 AM, Tom Chirhart wrote:

> 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..
>
>
>
>
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