[R-390] R-1247 Nasa Receiver info

[Jerry K]

Bill, I was stationed in Hawaii as Communications Officer for the Navy's 
Manned Spacecraft Recovery Force Pacific (CTF-130) from 68-70. As you 
are probably aware, many of the at-sea recoveries for Apollo 8 onward 
(weather permitting) took place near American Samoa, with command and 
control of the at-sea forces coming from our command center at Kunia, 
Hawaii. We had rudimentary satellite voice via NASA satellite vans 
onboard the recovery ships (mostly as a backup link), but that was in 
the verrrry early days of satellite voice, and most of the command and 
control communications for the recovery forces were conducted via 24/7 
ISB HF RTTY and voice links (usually voice on one sideband and RTTY on 
the other) using the recovery ship's equipment (augmented by 
transportable transmitter vans on board with 5 and 10 KW transmitters). 
For the Hawaii shore end of these links we used remote 
transmitter/receiver services from Naval Communications Area Master 
Station (NAVCAMS) Eastpac at Wahiawa, Hawaii. They kept several 5 and 10 
KW transmitters on RLPA's on line for us, and my comm crew and I passed 
the QSY's to them. They did a heck of a good job for us. They were NOT 
using R-390A's for these circuits--I believe they were using some 
version of the R-1051. However, NASA also ran their own "private" 
point-to-point HF links out of American Samoa, and they may have been 
using 390A's and diversity RTTY for that. Nothing exotic, just plain old 
ISB HF, although of course very little receiver drift could be 
tolerated. NASA also had a boatload of Collins "suitcase" KWM-2 rigs, 
and they used those a lot when they could. The RF EMI environment aboard 
the recovery ships was a constant nightmare, too. Load 10 KW into a cage 
that's covered with salt spray and watch the fireworks at night. Ha. 
That was probably my most interesting (and challenging) duty tour.
73, Jerry W5KP    USN (Ret)

Bill Hawkins wrote:
> Group,
>
> I'm glad to know that the R-1247 functions as an R-390A by default.
>
> I bear the seller no ill will. NASA sets do not grow on trees.
>
> But I really wonder about the need for precise frequencies, when
> the R-390A is so well adapted to multichannel RTTY diversity 
> reception all by itself.
>
> Does anyone else know about the need for secondary conversion
> from microwave to precisely discover the Doppler shift from the
> microwave signal on the spacecraft?
>
> Would I really have needed the R-390A for SSB diversity comm in
> 1965? Who would I be talking to? I can understand the military
> adopting precise frequencies to get closer to perfection, but
> did NASA need it for site communication?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Bill Hawkins
>
>
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