[R-390] R390A not working at all

Wed Jan 3 10:26:41 EST 2007

Hi all:

It is good to be part of this group which keeps me in touch with my 390.
Seldom have much to contribute however as my MOS was a guided missile
repairman. If you have a defective Nike maybe I can suggest a solution.

Happy New Year to all. 

-----Original Message-----
From: r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of Mark Huss
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 1:34 AM
To: Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com
Cc: r-390 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [R-390] R390A not working at all

Just missed you, Roger. Hit Devens from Lost-in-the-Woods if Feb 75. 
Bricker was my first Instructor. That man could Teach! Having had a
lyrogectimy (sp.) he could not talk above a whisper. What he could do was
take ten guys in a room, whose education level ranged from a two room high
school in Arkansas to a guy who had joined in 68 because he ran out of
College Deferments. (One more semester, and he had four
Bachelors!) Another who could not change a fuse, to someone like me who had
several years working Electronics already. And Bricker could teach them all
simultaneously. No mean trick.
Remember Herb, too.
And Major Mosher. His talent was Math. You would have eight guys sitting in
front of him for ten days straight with totally blank looks on their faces.
Every day on the march to Barracks, we would commiserate our imminent
failure. Every one of us were completely lost. And on the last day before
the test, one by one, each student would suddenly exclaim "Ah!" And you
would suddenly completely understand everything the Major had told you for
the last two weeks. It was like a religious experience.
You may remember Russell, my older brother. He spent time in Phu Bia in
67-68 or 69, Can't remember. He is still Teaching down in Huachuca, where
they moved the School after Devens closed.
When I was going through school, they decided to merge all the courses, So I
got Receivers, Recorders, the Clock, etc. They dropped the R-390, just
teaching the R-390A. I remember the TNH-11, mainly because I was the only
one to get one of the Test bugs right. All the relays had 120V on them where
they should have had 0V, and 0V where they should have had 120. The bug was
a bad fuse, but everybody got confused by the odd readings. I figured out
that someone had wired the power to the Bench backwards!
After Graduation, I went to Ft. Hood ( a few miles from Home) to work
Tactical. The MLQ-24, mostly. Then Korea just after the Second Korean War.
Thats when I found out that it takes an Army to Really screw up. My orders
said Field Station Korea, Pyong Yang. Spent hours pouring over maps of South
Korea looking for Pyong Yang. And none of the guys who had been stationed
there were any help. They just broke out laughing hysterically when I showed
them my Orders! Figgered it must really be the Pits. Finally figured it out.
Getting Tankers to change it was a different matter entirely. "Orders is
Orders. You go where youse told. And no lip!" I got desperate when they
issued me tickets. Took me all day sitting down at Transportation while they
figured out there just weren't American Carriers to Pyong Yang. 
Finally got a MAC Charter to Japan. Transfer to British Airways to Beijing,
and finally CAAC into Pyong Yang! "Do not wear uniform (NoShit!). Orders Not
to be Changed in Transient unless directed by Commanding General Army
Security Agency" The day before I left, I got a rather desperate call from
Transportation and Personnel! Something about wanting those tickets back.
And all the copies of orders I had been handing out all over post telling
everyone where to send my stuff. And, of course, where my pay was to be
sent.
In the end, I got commercial all the way. Which meant no one there at Kimpo
to meet me. Remember, I was supposed to be in Pyong Yang, not Kimpo. So I
caught a cab to the bus station, found a Bus going to Pyong Tek, caught a
cab to Humphries. And called someone at the field station to come pick me up
at the gate. Wasn't comforting when the first words out of the Sgt.s mouth
is 'Who the Hell are You?!" Then it was back on the Bus for the Repo-Depot
back in Seoul.
There, after all the shots and the films, they decided that with a clearance
like that, I would make a cracker-jack Clerk. So I walked out, grabbed my
Duffle, and caught the Bus back to An-jong-ni. Told Personnel they were mean
to me up there, and I wasn't going back. They could fight it out.
After two years, I headed back to Devens, and worked the Shops there. 
Shop 6 across from the old NCO club and Mirror Lake. Ratt Rigs, R-725's in
the TRR-20's, and some other Tactical stuff, like those @*$#@ reel to reel
recorders in the TRQ-23's. Whose bright idea was it anyway to put a positive
ground (including the Tape Heads) tape recorder in a negative grounded case?
Some time in the old Commissary with the 98's, and finally over to Shop 1 to
support the Hogs and all their R-390A's.
Did a Stint at the Donkey Racetrack, and back as an Instructor. Got out when
the Army did the massive Force Reduction in the Intel branches right before
Desert Storm. After all, it was not like we would be going to war any time
soon.
Got to admit, it was a gas. And didn't get shot at (too much).

Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com wrote:
> Bill Hawkins wrote:
>   
>> Roger,
>>
>> Would you consider telling us something about how you came by this 
>> knowledge? It didn't come from a book . . .
>>
>> Happy New Year, God willing
>>
>> Bill Hawkins
>>     
>
> ----------------------------
> Once upon a time long ago (1968) I received a draft notice. It was a 
> time for draft dodging and so I to elected to dodge the draft. Being 
> polish I elected to enlist. I was given a whole bunch of test. After 
> the test some dude ask me if I though I could keep a secret. Being polish
of course I can do that also.
> So I enlisted in the United States Army Security Agency. That 
> organization I learned had possession of most of the R390 and R390/A 
> receivers on the planet at that time.
>   

-- 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people are like a Slinky .. not really good for anything,
but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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