[R-390] Brought Home a R-390 Today (along With a Viking I)

[Joe Foley]

> Things to look for?  Leave solid state
> modification?  Other mods to do or
> look for?  Site for R-390 restoration?
+++++++
Don't put power to it again until you find the short!

Pull the covers and do a very careful visual examination, clean while you're at it, then clean some more.  Use your nose you might find a burnt smell near the culprit.

GET THE MANUAL!!  Do the resistance tests listed for the whole radio.

These two procedures will also let you get familiar with the radio.

Check, clean, and tighten ALL grounding points, even the bolts that hold the tube sockets.

Check all solder connections you can see,... it won't take that long.

Read the -10 and -20 manuals there is an unpacking procedure there that will take you through a basic knob twisting routine, good for an unknown radio.

Take the covers from all of the module plugs and check for broken wires and tight bolts.

Yes, check for foreign modifications, document them, and post them for discussion here.  Even if it is something that just doesn't "look" right, someone may have seen it before,.... we've seen lots of such things.

Check for broken gear clamps, check the ten-turn stops on the KC and MC CHANGE knobs.  Turn these two knobs carefully toward the stops in case the stops don't stop!  The PTO may be out of adjustment and you may stop against something that will break!

Check for any broken slugs in the RF deck.

Check for bent racks or slug springs in the RF deck.

Check carefully that all racks actually move properly.

Marvel at the gear train while checking for proper operation and any binding.  Observe the Geneva drive for same.  Ask.

Check that the knobs aren't pushed back tight to the panel.  Check the bellows coupler on the BFO for cracks and that it is working right.  Check the clamps on the BFO and BANDWIDTH shafts.  Check that the shaft on the KC CHANGE knob is true, loosen the bushing nut just behind the knob, there are three bushings on that shaft, they tend to bind easily.  That shaft being an easy target for sideways bashing causes the shaft to bens slightly.  A scraping noise there will be the brake disc.

That's enough to start with,

Joe