[R-390] Pricing Question - First R-390A

[Adam Vaughn]

I'm sure some of you have heard this before, I'll add my story to this growing pile of R-390A acquisition stories. About six years ago, while attending a technical high school, I happened upon a big grey radio in the back room of the electronics shop (where I was taking a course). I was intrigued by the digital-mechanical dial, as well as the multitude of tubes and knobs. Also back there was a smaller green set which looked to be similar to the grey one. I looked up the model numbers of the two sets (R-390A and R-392, of course) on the internet, and was astounded at the amount of information out there.  At the time, I was rather new to the tube game, having built a small tube amplifier for a science project, and just beginning to collect smaller tube radios. I knew very little about them, except what I read on the websites. My instructor told me that they were not working, and that I couldn't try them. Disappointed, I left them alone.

About three years later, during a renovation of the shop, I remarked to a friend about the radios I had seen. He told me to go back there ASAP, and ask about them, so I did. As soon as I entered the shop, my old instructor said, "Hey, would you like these old radios?" I immediately parked my 1991 Dodge Spirit behind the shop, and hauled them into the back seat. I was relieved that they hadn't been junked or salvaged, like so many other pieces of vintage gear which have inhabited said shop (the only things missing from the R-390A were a pair of 5814s). Once I replaced the ballast tube, and pre-emptively replaced the usual problem parts, the R-390A immediately came to life, and I've been hooked ever since. The R-392 is still awaiting restoration. Had I not found them there, I wouldn't have been able to afford them otherwise, and definitely wouldn't be able to now. I'd probably still be using my lowly Hallicrafters S-118 to cruise the ionosphere...
-Adam

--
Adam Vaughn 
Collector of old computers, video game systems, radios and other electronic
equipment... 
Visit my page at
http://www.electronixandmore.com/adam/index.html


> My first acquaintance with the R-390A was when I went to college in
> the 80's.  There was a club station there, mostly the used equipment
> was a bunch of modern digital-display ICOM's and Yaesu's, but back
> in the corner was a bunch of disused stuff, older Heath's, Drake
> Twins, some assorted mil-surplus VHF stuff (heavily modified already)
> and a pristine R-390A that I was told had been given to the station
> for MARS use in the 60's but had hardly ever been used.  I tried
> to power it up, ran into some problems, called the folks at Fair
> Radio (whose dymo-labeled catalogs had been the source of much
> desire on my part for years) who got me some needed parts (including
> some parts that I had lost, like the Oldham coupler and some springs!)
> and I got the radio fired up again.
> 
> Then I got sucked into computers for about 20 years. Finally in the
> past year or so my ham interest has been re-invigorated and to my
> amazement I've come into possession of two R-390A's of my own. After
> cleaning out all the computer junk I'm getting things cleaned up for
> radio again here :-). Most of the equipment is the stuff that I desired
> in the 70's after first getting my license (with the exception that
> nothing digital is gonna come in!)
> 
> Tim.
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