[R-390] NOS R-390A on the E-Place

[Cecil Acuff]

Anybody ever seen one of the EAC Rocketship radio's.  One that was sold to 
the public directly from EAC in the late production years.  I've never heard 
of one being seen, but I remember seeing the ads... It would be very 
interesting to see just what a radio that has never seen the Mil. 
Maintenance/Depot system looks like on the inside. Matching numbers?  Built 
to the same Mil. Spec's?

I would think it would be the standard for what one would expect a non-depot 
puppy to look like.

I have a couple R-390A's with all the same manufacturers modules 
inside...and a tag that matches but the numbers don't match...I'm not sure 
it's reasonable to expect they would.

I envision several assembly areas....one for each module type and would 
expect them to be numbered as they were built uniquely from each other.  I 
would think final assembly of the radio would be from a stock of available, 
tested modules with a resulting mix of numbers.....but as has been mentioned 
I would expect them to be close....within a few hundred of each other.

The bottom line is...due to the excellent design of the radio it doesn't 
make any real difference....except that the 67 EAC with all EAC modules is 
the youngest of the pack.  I have one of those that is close.....the audio 
deck is Collins if I remember correctly.  It's a true DOG.  It was in the 
pile at SJC and it did not stand up to the elements as well as the earlier 
radio's.  The plating on the chassis and modules is thin and didn't protect 
the radio.  What a shame!

Works pretty good but will never be pretty again!  Good platform for mods 
testing I guess.

Cecil...
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <eldim at att.net>
To: "Dan Arney" <hankarn at pacbell.net>; "Craig Westerman" 
<westerman at cableone.net>
Cc: <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>; <ToddRoberts2001 at aol.com>
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 10:40 PM
Subject: Re: [R-390] NOS R-390A on the E-Place


> Hello 390 Friends,
> How are we sure that a 390 ever had to, or even went to a Depot?  How much 
> abuse did these receivers receive?  In the fixed, in-place situations  or 
> duty assignments that I served in we were highly aware of taking care of 
> our assigned equipment.  That included pride in appearance as well as 
> meeting all technical specs. In my last assignment we had our R-390A for 
> nearly 7 years (73-80), and I don't recall ever even having to do a Module 
> change.  In fact, I don't recall having to do anything other than replace 
> aging vacuum tubes.  Of course we were an AIR FORCE Tactical Unit, and 
> this mighty fine receiver was an authorized piece of test equipment that 
> we used as a 'SELECTIVE VOLTMETER' for nulling out traps, searching for 
> birdies, and listening to AFN and the ballgames.  Of course our equipment 
> consisted of mostly Airborne Transceivers configured for Tactical Ground 
> Mobile use.  We also had an FM VHF (30-79MHz) Transceiver for 
> commnuication with our Army counterparts.  Plus we
> had portable man-pack FM, HF, and UHF Transceivers for use if we needed to 
> hoof it with the Army.  Our Maintenance rear area had a Collins KWM-2A to 
> maintain commo with our forward deployed units.  We also had one in SAC 
> (63-66) as part of our HF set-up (T-368 Transmitter) which in my 3-1/2 
> years don't recall any maintenance problems.
> I wonder if there are any security service personnel (radio maintenance 
> types) who wouod care to elaborate.  They had racks of these receivers.  I 
> also can't imagine that every R-390 that went to a Depot for overhaul, 
> required the front panel to be removed and redone.  Sounds like a forest 
> to me.  Of couse I can't speak for Depot Level maintenance, sine I never 
> had occassion to be assigned to one.  I would tyhink that they were mostly 
> civilians, at least that is what the Air Force had at their depots.
> Back to work.  You noticed I  didn't say, "REWORK".
>
> 73,
> Glen Galati, KA7BOJ
> Tacoma, WA
> eldim at att.net
>
> -------------- Original message from Dan Arney 
> <hankarn at pacbell.net>: -------------- 
>
>
>> Probably not.
>> My understanding is the Military Tag was installed after the radio was
>> an accepted item. For the purpose of inventory control for the Gov.
>> contract. And down the line when it came back as a DEPOT DAWG the tag
>> was removed so the panel could be refinished and then when it got
>> accepted again the QC man reached into the box of tags and lo and behold
>> the DAWG had a new number as it went out the door.
>>
>> And that is a possible reason that the Helena Rubenstien tags were taken
>> by the QC guys as a novelty for the girlfriend or the XYL's.
>>
>> Hank
>> KN6DI
>>
>> Back to my S&W with my EK-07 HiHi.
>>
>>
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