[R-390] New Member, Robert Sisco

[Flowertime01 at wmconnect.com]

Robert,

Welcome,
Happy to read that you own one of these fine receivers.
Get yours working put a good speaker on it and listen to your radio.
Did someone tell you to get a good ground on the receiver?
Did someone tell you that with a good ground it will trip GFI breakers.
Did someone tell you they were built that way?

Things that are just not in the TM.

What is this list like? Before opening some mail, I warn my wife, set my 
butt on the floor, move all open containers out of range then open the mail to 
read. You will learn about these Fellows from experience. There are many 
more readers than posters. We posters all know this and thus it guides what we 
post. We know this stuff ends up in archives and is reread daily by new 
people. Worry not that you ask a question. There is nothing obvious, intuitive 
or well indexed. Some will remember where it is and post you a good answer. 
These receivers are 50 plus years old. The textbook sequence and cause just 
does not always apply any more. Read Tish and others writing about needing 
to massage every bolt on every ground lug to clean them up and fix problems. 
Not something needed in 68 on just 20 year old receivers. The TM's do not 
cover stuck slugs. The TM's do not cover where to find parts. 

If you need parts ask here. Many Fellows have bits. A few have good stock 
for sale at reasonable prices. A catalog just does not work cost and time 
exceeds return on investment. Copies would make the archives and never get 
removed. People would be asking forever for parts long gone. Ask for what you 
need here. The Fellows who can help will respond back to you directly. You can 
then get back to them one on one and arrange shipping. That way you home 
address is showing up in the archives.

Back when, military trained service people could do every thing an R390 or 
R390/A needed doing to it in about a real 4 hour hustle. This included free 
pickup and delivery back to the rack, a bath, full body oil rub, test, 
inspection, and massage. About 16 hours of reading and doing will restore a 
receiver to excellent working order. Know that at least half of that time is just 
cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. Time tracking down parts is extra.

Worry not. R390's and R390A's are very easy to work on. The only critical 
tool is a spline key that fits the knobs and clamp bolts. Obtain one of these 
before you start work. A simple key will do. Most like to cut a length of 
key stock off an L key and mount it in a long 6 - 8 inch handle.

Someone tell Robert what that key size is. Been doing it since 68 and still 
do not remember.

Some bolts may have been replaced with a head that is a size larger than 
the originals. OK as is. You just need to find a key to fit them if you have 
them. Some times plain cross head or Philips head bolts have been used as 
replacement parts. You just have to work with what's in the receiver.

Any good RF signal generator that will get down to 455Khz will work. You 
can get the receiver working on just the built in calibration tones. A DC 
meter and an AC volt meter is all the other test equipment you need. None of 
this test equipment needs to be calibrated or have exact levels. More is good 
but the receiver performance will not change with the quality of the meters 
hanging on the test points. A frequency counter does help. But these 
receivers were built, operated and maintained for at least 15 years before the 
frequency counter was available.

Because it is very long, I am going to post in 27 or so parts an inspection 
sequence. When you get to a step and go, say what? Just put up a post to 
the list here and ask a question. That will start a new thread and get you 
lots of experience from a whole group of Fellows. Know well they have been 
there done that and are commenting because they are trying to share some 
practical knowledge.

Consider the thread on the stuck slugs and cam racks. You can read the 
original TM's cover to cover for 35 plus years and still never find the bits of 
wisdom you need from reading the TM. That's why you need W Li pearls of 
wisdom. And every thing else on the r390/a.net pages.

I do have dial up. It is very slow. That's why I like the Y2K manual is its 
PDF sections. I can get a section down loaded complete while not exceeding 
my allocated beverage quota for the day. I hate waking up in the late 
morning and still finding a download going from the previous day.

Roger AI4NI

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