[R-390] R-389 Sold For $3550.00 on eBay

[Gregory W. Moore]

GA, Cecil,

BRAVO ZULU!!! well written, and of course, I agree 100% with what you 
have to say.

That being said, I am the owner of 2 R392's, and am extremely happy with 
them,  However, I seem to have waited too long for the R-390. Well, 
maybe next year I will make that a priority, grimace, and pay the 
freight.  I had, previous to this year, planned to be in the position to 
be a volume purchaser, to restore the radio spaces of the USS America 
(CV/CVA-66) which our Foundation had hoped to secure as a Museum Ship. 
Sadly, we were unable to accomplish this fact, and she was sunk in live 
fire testing, allegedly for proof of concept experimentation to assure 
increased survivability for those serving in the next class of carriers 
coming down the ways.

As a Aeronautical/Electrical engineer, as well as a commercial pilot, 
albeit retired disabled, I firmly see the necessity for such tests, but 
being a vet of said carrier, it was sad to see her leave on her last 
deployment.. The only good that came out of it for me personally, is now 
I have acquired a good deal of equipment which was to be used in the 
restoration, as I had started the ball rolling with my own funds, to 
attempt to generate interest in others to match funding/begin a donation 
program of their own, etc etc. I did wind up with a great pair of 
URA-17's, a pair of URA-8's, a couple of antenna multicouplers, but, 
alas, NO R-390s.....

I kind of see a point in the beginning of '06 where I will enjoy a spike 
of discretionary income ;-) and what could be better discretionary than 
an R-390 and a CV-591 [huge grin] having worked on these fine pieces of 
hollow state excellence for many many years, original condx really makes 
no never mind to me, except I wouldn't want a REAL "depot dawg" that was 
virtually unfixable....my only other desire would be to stumble upon a 
pair of for real (gasp, horror) radium filled meters, but anything that 
works would do......


This is, of course, all in the future.....thanks much, however for a 
great reply about EBay and hamfests, I sure do miss the old ways...but 
then I miss the electronic store areas with helpful SK's on ships and 
shore stations as well ;-) fill out the 'ol IBM card, and 3TF7's 
miraculously appear on the shelf of the bottom half of the doof... ain't 
it wonnerful?????

again tnx much

de Greg

Cecil Acuff wrote:

> Hi Guys,
> 
>        Well in the good ole days most of this stuff had to be sold off 
> the back of the tailgate and at Hamfests which limited the market and 
> exposure for potential sale of the item. (keeps prices low)  I remember 
> going to a local hamfest here on the coast and a local guy always could 
> be depended on to have a pickup backed up inside the pavilion with 
> R-390's stacked up on the back for sale.  That was back when you 
> couldn't give away tube gear. (late 70's early 80's) He went home with 
> the stuff usually...we were all too busy drooling over the Kenwoods and 
> Icoms...
> 
> He's still around and has a warehouse full of 390's and a nice KWS-1 
> that I foolishly traded him as a kid. (for an NC-183D my disease started 
> early) He's just sitting on the stuff with no real interest in it but 
> try to buy a piece and he wants the sun and the moon.(if he'll even talk 
> to you)  None of it's restored and been stored for the last 30+ years.  
> He's said to have a couple hundred 3TF7's and probably as many 26Z5W's 
> but he's unapproachable.
> 
> Back to my other thoughts about Ebay....
( s n i p for brevity)
-- 

Happily turning electricity into RF energy for almost 40 years,
on land, sea and air, professional and amateur,
around the clock and around the world. KEEP CW ALIVE!
Become an Elmer today!!! http://www.fists.org/
FISTS #9404

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
                                                    --Edmund Burke
Greg Moore NNN0BVN PA
U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
Official Pennsylvania Area Website:
http://pages.prodigy.net/nnn0fbk/mars.htm
Official Northeast Area Website:
http://www.navymars.org/northeast/index.htm
Navy-Marine Corps MARS: Proudly Serving Those Who Serve."
E-Mail (MARS) nnn0bvn at navymars.org
E-Mail (ARRL) wa3ivx at arrl.net
******************************************************************************************************

PRESERVATIONS OFFICER: USS AMERICA (CV/CVA-66) MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Please visit us on the web at http://www.ussamerica-museumfoundation.org

SIGN OUR GUESTBOOK! KEEP HER MEMORY ALIVE!

THIS YEAR, THE FINEST CARRIER THAT EVER SAILED THE 7 SEAS WILL
BE GONE FOREVER, HER CALLSIGN NMIB (LATER NUSA) NEVER TO BE
HEARD AGAIN, NOR BE SEEN FLYING PROUDLY FLYING FROM THE HALLIARD
WHILE ENTERING OR LEAVING PORT.

SHE MAY BE SUNK, IGNOMINIOUSLY, BY THE NAVY, SANS COLORS, SANS HONORS
BUT WE, HER LOYAL CREW, AND SHIPMATES, WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HER FOR
CARRYING US INTO HARMS WAY, AND BACK AGAIN WITH OLD GLORY FLYING AT THE
GAFF, AND WITH HONOR APLENTY.  AT LEAST WE TRIED TO SAVE YOU FOR A 
MUSEUM, AS BEFITS A SHIP CARRYING THE NAME OF OUR GREAT REPUBLIC.

      BUT SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T WORK MIRACLES WITH MORONS.
  THEY WOULD RATHER POLLUTE AND FOUL THE SAME OCEANS THE USS AMERICA
          OMCE SAILED HONORABLY, WITH NAVAL SPIT AND POLISH
          AND TOTAL PRIDE FROM EVERY OFFICER AND ENLISTED MAN

             NERK NERK NERK DE NMIB NMIB NMIB SK SK SK