[R-390] New Member

[kenny]

kenny wrote:
> Barry Hauser wrote:
>> Dave Merrill wrote:
>>> Welcome Ken,
>>>
>>> The R-390 series are still relatively easy to obtain in the States but
>>> I would think they are harder to come by in NZ.  Care to give us the
>>> history of how you found them?
>>>   
>> I'd like to know also -- but one clue:  Someone once told me or wrote 
>> that R-391's were more common in Australia than R-390A's.  Early 50's 
>> were not long after the war years when there were a lot of Aussie 
>> listeners that were set up to monitor Pacific radio traffic.  I 
>> suppose that continued into the Cold War as the need for ears in the 
>> general neighborhood continued.
>>
>> Would surmise same went for NZ.
>>
>> Of course, now that I posted this, Ken will tell us that he won it on 
>> epay and paid a gazillion bucks for air shipment from Kankakee IL. or 
>> somewhere. ;-)
>>
>> Barry
>>
>>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Wow, thanks for making me feel so welcome! I got lucky in regards to 
> obtaining my 390s...There are very few of them here in New Zealand 
> that I know of, in fact one only in Christchurch where I live and the 
> owner understandably did not want to part with it. I had initially 
> started to look on ebay but the shipping costs some people told me put 
> me off. I had started to resign the fact that I was just going to have 
> to pay a lot more than I was comfortable with to get my hands on one 
> of these radios then I stumbled across a guy in the States whom I just 
> happened to ask if he would sell me one and he said yes! And the 
> shipping costs were less than half the average I was getting quoted on 
> ebay. To make a long story short...he gave me my start in 390s and I 
> bought my other three from him as well. To him I am eternally grateful!
>
> The AR-88s I found here in Christchurch one is a LF version in 
> remarkable original condition, it obviously has been well looked 
> after. The other one, well, the well-intentioned previous owner had 
> 'restored' it but it is a little unstable so that will be other 
> project for another time.
>
> I have a few manuals here including the Y2K and a few key websites 
> bookmarked, I have read the Cost Reduction Report and a few other bits 
> and pieces but I have so much more to learn about these great radios!
>
> Ken
>