[R-390] More Fowler Fodder, Letterhead, Map

Barry Hauser barry at hausernet.com
Fri Jul 20 17:32:10 EDT 2007 

Fowler sold out to Cardwell Condenser according to that letter.  
Cardwell is still in business in Lindenhurst, about 15 mins. from me.

I found their website and emailed them.  I thought maybe I could get an 
invite to look in their back room or something. 

Emailed me back already saying the Fowler inventory was disposed of many 
years ago.

Thought maybe there were some spares, like S/N #6, #7, etc.  (as in 
"I'll give ya' fifty bucks for those crates back there... <coff, coff>). 

No dice.  Better to stick with kielbasa.  I did spot a couple ol' 
sausages in the freezer.  They may have to do to provide proper 
nourishment to go with a couple of cold ones.

Barry




Tom M. wrote:
> Les is correct.  They made the whole radio.
>
> I spoke with the plant manager many years ago.  He told me they used the Thomas
> Register to find parts.
>
> One of the Fowler guys I spoke with was Pete Kozak.  I have his phone number
> but will resist posting it here lest he get bombarded with ebay type questions.
>  
>
> I remember one of his quotes, "look, this operation was no Collins Radio." He
> said the building barely had a sign. It was called Fowler Industries because it
> was on Fowler Street (corner of Front and Fowler).  Sounds like I'm making this
> stuff up but I'm not.
>
> I got a copy of a letter from them which is posted here:
>
> http://www.r-390a.net/fowler-ltr.pdf
>
> This is the google map link
>
> http://www.google.com/maps?q=78+Front+St,+Port+Jervis,+NY+12771,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title
>
> Tom
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --- Les Locklear <leslocklear at cableone.net> wrote:
>
>   
>> Helena Rubenstein: The gentleman that originally posted that information is 
>> very credible. They were built by Collins, shipped the naval Security Group 
>> in Bremerhaven Germany. If (they probably were) surplussed out overseas, the 
>> nomenclature tags were usually removed. The modules would have Collins on 
>> them. They are probably out there, but nobody would know about it.
>>
>> Fowler: When Tom Marcotte spoke with the Plant Manager he commented that 
>> they had particular problems obtaining JAN tubes, in particular 26Z5W's and 
>> 3TF7's. Remember, that they were considered "unobtanium" in the late 80's 
>> early 90's. Then the government released surplus tubes and Fair Radio was 
>> selling them at reasonable prices (they went quickly).
>>
>> They potentiometers were made in Mexico, the meters were A & M Instruments, 
>> the quality of the wafer switches were not as robust as the runs during the 
>> 50's and 60's, Dittmore-Freimuth made the mechanical filters (as they did on 
>> many later versions), as well as the ones the built themselves, which were 
>> 67 EAC receivers with Dittmore's filters.
>>
>> I can't say if what they obtained, but can assure you they didn't purchase 
>> any in the crate R-390A's. Even though they were available at various 
>> locations throughout the country. When you bid on a contract the Government 
>> lets, you fill the requirements, and they inadvertently left the R-390A spec 
>> in the bid offering.
>>
>> Avondale Shipyards probably didn't think to do a search for "in the crate" 
>> R-390A's and put out a request for bids to build five R-390A's. Fowler 
>> Industries was Clavier and prior to that Capehart, so they had experience 
>> building R-390A's and suppling R-390A spare modules (Clavier).
>>
>> Tom Marcotte can pick it up from here, as that is about I can remember or 
>> verify from back when we did the ER articles.
>>
>> Les Locklear
>> Gulfport, Ms.
>> DX'ing Since '57
>> http://www.hammarlund.info/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Barry Hauser" <barry at hausernet.com>
>> To: <paul at pdq.com>
>> Cc: "R390list" <r-390 at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 9:51 AM
>> Subject: Re: [R-390] Rare R-390 radios
>>
>>
>>     
>>> Has it been determined that the Helena Rubenstein contract was an urban 
>>> legend?  (suburban, rural ?)
>>>
>>> I don't want to cast any aspersions on that Fowler #2, but that late in 
>>> the game, it's doubtful that anyone could tool up to make everything from 
>>> scratch.  I rather doubt that they hand-carved and wound five PTO's.
>>> More than likely, when Fowler got the contract for the five destroyers, 
>>> they went shopping, and late-contract, "NOS" and possibly still-crated 
>>> R-390A's were around.  There may still be some crated ones, but that's 
>>> also the subject of urban legend.
>>>
>>> Again, it looks like the real deal, but I suspect what they consisted of 
>>> were some late contract (EAC '67 or '68) units, which were re-badged in 
>>> the time honored tradition of re-branding tubes -- (the  tube number is 
>>> etched in with acid, the brand names were painted on.)  They may have also 
>>> tested everything and provided for backup modules and parts.
>>>
>>> It's not a big project with R-390A's.  There's the front tag and all the 
>>> other ID is rubber stamped or silk-screened on the back panel and the 
>>> modules.  In all probability, the original manufacturers worked between 
>>> one another rather than build all the modules themselves -- which I would 
>>> suspect particularly in the late 50's to '61, when the highest number of 
>>> contractors were producing them concurrently, or nearly so.
>>>
>>> Also noticeable that the modules in the Fowler have labels rather than 
>>> imprint ID's.  At the time, PC's, ink jet and the first laser printers 
>>> were available, as well as computerized typesetting and printer make-ready 
>>> equipment, so that it would be actually easier to make up adhesive labels, 
>>> than rubber stamps or stencils.  There are some companies that specialize 
>>> in making paper, plastic and metal labels such as Seton.  Maybe the 
>>> minimum order is 100, but for $30K, you can toss 95 away.
>>>
>>> This is not to detract from its perceived value, it's still a rare bird. 
>>> But, I doubt if they could be sold to the Navy at $30K each if they had to 
>>> cover the tooling and setup costs spread over only five units.  The manual 
>>> shown looks like the '85 Navelex manual I OCR'ed as a starting point for 
>>> the Y2K edition, which by itself doesn't mean anything.
>>>
>>> How else would they whip up a batch of 5 -- at all?  Any thoughts.
>>>
>>> Barry
>>>
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>>>       
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