[R-390] R-390A Census

[Les Locklear]

Look here: http://www.hausernet.com/r390faq/CONTRACTSL.htm

That should be what you are looking for.

Les Locklear
Gulfport, Ms.
DX'ing Since '57
http://www.hammarlund.info/

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dennis A. Deaton" <d.a.deaton at roadrunner.com>
To: <R-390 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 11:33 AM
Subject: [R-390] R-390A Census


> Good Morning Gents,
>
>
>
> I've been reading, with subdued interest in all the postings on the
> Fowler-built R-390As.  My question is this:  Is someone putting together a
> database of R-390A serial numbers?  If so, I would like to enter my R-390A
> from the first Collins contract into it.
>
> My receiver has an interesting story.  Unlike all the published ideas 
> being
> thrown around, the R-390A receiver itself was never a CLASSIFIED piece of
> hardware.  It was - and still is - a general purpose HF receiver.  Only 
> its
> application could have been classified.  If it was used as a piece of
> communication equipment on board a ship of in an Army communication van, 
> its
> application was UNCLASSIFED.  If it was used at a three-letter-agency
> listening post, its application was CLASSIFIED at the level of
> classification of the listening post.  The equipment remained 
> UNCLASSIFIED.
> To support this, let me tell you how I first met my own receiver back in
> 1962.  My father was taking an electronics course at night at our local 
> high
> school.  I was 15 at the time and accompanied him to the class.  I sat in
> the back of the classroom.  The teacher asked me if I was a ham and I
> replied "Yes" (WV6TQG at the time).  Se sent me into a separate room off 
> to
> the side to operate the novice station while the class was in session. 
> Some
> novice station!  If was a DX-40 transmitter and an R-390A receiver!  Many
> years later, I was working as an Electrical Engineer for the Naval Air
> Warfare Center at Point Mugu.  One of my old high school buddies was the
> head of the Industrial Arts department at our old high school.  He said 
> that
> he had orders to clean out all the equipment from that same school lab and
> asked if I wanted that R-390A.  After a short pause, I said "YES!".  Well,
> its in my garage in the early stages of clean-up and restoration.  I did
> some checking on how the school got the receiver.  All they did was
> requisition it through some Defense Department program to provide 
> equipment
> for technical education back in the late 50's.  DoD would never give away
> CLASSIFIED equipment.  Besides, all CLASSIFED equipment I've ever seen 
> (and
> I've seen a lot of it) has classification stickers and placards all over 
> the
> cases.  There are none of these markings on the R-390A's.  Hopefully, I'll
> soon have the unit up and running.  I don't have a DX-40 to go along with
> it, though.  But I do have a Johnson Adventurer.  Talk about an odd 
> couple!
> It should work quite well as a CW station.
>
>
>
> Dennis Deaton, WA6ACC
>
> _____________________________________________________________
> R-390 mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/r-390
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/faq.htm
> Post: mailto:R-390 at mailman.qth.net
> Unsubscribe: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/options/r-390
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.10/908 - Release Date: 7/19/2007 
> 6:10 PM
>
>