[R-390] Nolan's Flight of the Phoenix
Joe Connor
joeconnor53 at yahoo.com
Thu Jul 18 09:15:50 EDT 2013
That's what we're missing in today's world: real, honest-to-goodness characters.
All of us radio guys are probably (to put it charitably) a bit eccentric but we really need more true characters.
Joe Connor
>________________________________
> From: Chris Kepus <ckepus at comcast.net>
>To: 'Don Heywood' <wc4g at knology.net>; R-390 at mailman.qth.net
>Sent: Thursday, July 18, 2013 12:10 AM
>Subject: Re: [R-390] Nolan's Flight of the Phoenix
>
>
>Received the following response from Don in regard to a "Part 2".
>
>"Sorry Chris, ain't got it..... 73 Don"
>
>I'm glad Don kept Msg 1 of "Flight of the Phoenix Msg 1". As said by so
>many who actually had the pleasure and opportunity to interact with Nolan on
>the email lists, or like Les, who enjoyed a *most* memorable eyeball QSO
>with Nolan (thanks for sharing, Les), my initial exposure and nearly as
>immediate enjoyment of this unique individual's writing style was back in
>2003 (or so) after I had acquired a TV-7A/U and TV-10D/U. I stumbled upon
>his website that was loaded with good info on them. I remember being struck
>by his picture and Redneck demeanor. It was an immediate colorful experience
>in an otherwise pretty bland landscape of web sites. I wonder, now that I
>know of his unfortunate stroke in 2001, who was maintaining the site then?
>I simply don't remember if Steve's name was posted as the caretaker of the
>site. Perhaps it was.
>
>Anyway I ramble. I hope "the other Barry" is successful in resuscitating
>the old PC so he can hopefully extract his archives and share some
>additional priceless Nolan Lee commentaries....and maybe even find "Flight
>of the Phoenix Msg 2".
>
>73,
>Chris
>W7JPG
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>On Behalf Of Chris Kepus
>Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 3:44 PM
>To: 'Don Heywood'; R-390 at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [R-390] Nolan's Flight of the Phoenix
>
>Please send Part 2!, Part 2!!, Part 2!!!
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:r-390-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
>On Behalf Of Don Heywood
>Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 1:16 PM
>To: R-390 at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: [R-390] Nolan's Flight of the Phoenix
>
>Some one wanted to see the Flight of the Phoenix email from Nolan Lee, here
>is part one.
>I miss him too. Don WC4G
>
>Subject:
>> [R-390] Flight of the Phoenix Msg 1
>> Date:
>> Tue, 19 May 1998 17:30:22 -0500
>> From:
>> Nolan Lee <nlee at communique.net>
>> To:
>> R390A Gurus <r-390 at qth.net>
>>
>>
>> Starting a couple of days ago, I pulled what was left of my first
>> (aquired in the mid 1970's) R390A out of the attic where it's been
>> baking for 5 or 6 years or so at high temp, here in the Deep South.
>> Is it soup yet ma? You bet! Mmmmm mmmmmm good bubba!
>>
>> I had retired it after a rather spectacular IF deck meltdown. When it
>> went, it looked like a special effect from either Star Trek Next
>> Generation or an old Voyage to the Bottom of ther Sea re-run. Ever
>> wonder why they didn't used fuses on that submarine?
>>
>> After putting the fire out. I shut it down and stuffed one of the
>> spare IF decks in it. No good, it was gone. DOA bubba. I didn't feel
>> like looking for a cure at the time so I did something like was done
>> to Walt Disney's body. Since I was just a rather poor Redneck at the
>> time, and am still, I didn't have access to a cryogenic chamber to
>> freeze it. Instead, I stuffed it in the attic where a generous coating
>> of mud dauber nests and some of that there theroputic heat stuff would
>> preserve it for future generations in the event I died before I could
>> fix it.
>>
>> At any rate, a couple of days ago, I was up there fixing the attic
>> vent fan that died a couple of three years ago and I happened to see it.
>> It was setting there calling to me. "Fix me....fix me......" I sat the
>> quart of beer down and hauled the 390A down the ladder. I let it sit
>> in a low spot under a tree in the shade for a few hours to cool down
>> before I hosed it off. I didn't want to subject it to sudden thermal
>> shock. If might have damaged something. After it cooled (about 4 beers
>> later) I took it apart and used about 6 cans of Gunk on it. Sure nuff
>> looks purty now. All of the protective mud dauber nests are gone along
>> with the grease off of the geartrain. A side benefit was that I
>> finally got around to filling in that low spot that the wife's been
>> complaing about for ten years or so. I bent me up a mess of hooks and
>> then hung each of the modules on the clothesline to dry in the sun.
>>
>> I intend to go thru each of the modules and resurect this thing. Since
>> the RF Deck is a pain to remove for occasional repairs, I want to pay
>> special attention to it.
>>
>> Here is a list of questions concerning the repair of that there RF
>> Deck thing that I'd really appreciate yall answering.
>>
>> 1. I've checked all of the carbon resistors in it and will have to
>> replace
>> about a half a dozen or so of them. Since carbon resistors suck in
>> the
>> long run, what would be the best non-inductive resistor to replace
>> these with? Think it's worth the hell of changing ALL of them?
>>
>> 2. The three brown tubular caps suck (1 blowed up bubba, 2 cracked).
>> What's the best long term replacement for these?
>>
>> 3. What's accepted as the best grease for lubricationg the gears and
>> rollers. I used rifle grease for years, but remember, I'm a Redneck
>> so I'm sure that there are higher tech lubricants.
>>
>> 4. Ideas on the best oil to lubricate the bronze bushings in the gear
>> train where the various sharts extend thru the RF Deck panels? I
>> used 40W motor oil, jes' like the tractor.......ideas on something
>> better?
>>
>> 5. This deck is marked as having Mod 5 done. What exactly did Mod 5
>> involve? What's the oldest bulldog you know of?
>>
>> 6. I don't like the looks of several of the little coaxial cables
>> that extent to the other modules. Anyone know the specs on this
>> coax? I'd like to replace several of them.
>>
>> 7. I've never knowingly had a mica cap go bad in a 390A. Come to think
>> of it, I don't think I've ever had a mica cap go bad in anything.
>> Removing and checking every one of them with a bridge would take
>> forever. ;-( Should I even bother? I say know, but some of yall
>> are a lot sharper. What do YOU think?
>>
>> 8. Have I missed anything concerning the IF deck? Anything I should
>> look for that some of you guys that have repaired dozens of these
>> things have seen? Evil forces? The dark side?
>>
>> 9. I'd imagine that the chokes and ceramic discs are all OK. Comments?
>>
>> 10.See, you didn't think I could count that high with only 9 fingers,
>> huh?
>>
>> thanks in advance,
>> nolan
>>
>>
>> If an infinite number of rednecks riding in an infinite number of
>> pickup trucks fire an infinite number of shotgun rounds at an infinite
>> number of highway signs, eventually they will produce all of the
>> world's great literary works in Braille.
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