[R-390] Dave Curry R-390A Filters

[Phil]

I have had some experience with the Curry filters -
the 6 KC one - that I'll share.

If you buy it from ER [which stands for Electric Radio
- a boatanchor magazine which gives a lot of attention
to R-390/R-390A receivers, and also has an online
store] it should include a photocopy of two articles
in ER on how to install them.  The first was clear as
mud.  The second, written a few months later to try to
lend some clarity to the process - was not quite as
clear as I'm sure the author hoped.

One thing is clear however, with the Curry filters you
do not use the trimmer cap and fixed cap that are in
parallel with the filter!

However, before anyone starts stripping out
[electrically speaking] the fixed cap and the trimmer
cap, make sure the Curry filter works!!!  Mine did
not, I went to all the trouble of installing it and my
R-390A was dead on that bandwidth setting.  I had
bought the Curry to replace a dead 4 KC filter. I
pulled the Curry filter out, tested it with a signal
generator and a scope and it was dead.  Ray at ER gave
me a refund no problem - he is a good guy to deal
with.

Ray explained to me that Dave Curry had the misfortune
a while back to get some defective parts.  Apparently
these went into some of his filters.  

Thus be very wary of any Curry filters up for sale on
eBay.  

You will note that ER doesn't list any 6 KC filters on
its web store page.  Hopefully they will have some
more in the future.

Hopefully this will not discourage Dave Curry from
making these filters - they have a very good
reputation but for the defective ones.  I wouldn't
want a good reputation shot down by some bum
components.

As for me - I bought a used, tested 4 KC filter from a
nice guy in Israel - thanks to eBay.  Works great -
$35 very, very well spent.  For my MW DX of TAs
[trans-atlantic medium wave broadcast stations], the 4
KC filter is perfect.  Pulls in Virgin 1215 and
Croatia on 1134 every night without fail - even in summer.

Phil Rafuse, VY2PR 
PEI Canada

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