[R-390] Those R-390's in Turkey

[Clemens Ostergaard]

It is no wonder there are many exemplars of the rx in Turkey. The country
was front-line during the Cold War, adjacent to the Soviet Union's
'underbelly'.

Turkey was the first country in Asia that CIA had Sigint-agreements with
(secret at the time I think). There was for example a base at Sinop, by the
Black Sea, and later a Wullenweber antenna array at Karamursel AB,
near Izmir, run by the USAF, from1966 and said to be dismantled in 1977.
There would be banks and banks of R-390A's installed at these and other
stations in the 50'es and 60'es. Turkish military would inherit them, and
later, much later,  pass them on to amateurs, DX'ers etc, or direct to the
junk yard. Since NSA and others were involved in their use, it is natural
that the BFO micro-dial is found on some of them.

Clemens S. Ostergaard
Copenhagen, DENMARK