[R-390] Registries and R-389 Info

[Don Reaves]

I know of no one keeping a formal registry for any of the R-3xx series
radios, so keep that in mind.

As for my previously mentioned R-389 "registry", its informal, casual,
started years ago for myself trying to estimate how many R-389s were extant
in the world.  This interest came about after listening to tall tales from
Wally Chambers about how many R-389s and R-390s he had personally pushed
out of military cargo planes into international waters while departing
VietNam for the last time.  I never knew if Wally was exaggerating,
bragging, or sharing secrets.   <grin>  Wally was a lot of fun to be
around.

My criteria for tracking R-389s was it was recorded in my database if I
could obtain a picture of the front panel with nomenclature tag, clearly
indicating serial number.  Data sources were hamfests, individual owners,
flea markets, surplus stores, and in later years ebay.  I kept few
ancillary notes, especially not who owned what, or the disposition of any
unit except my own.   So, here are the serial numbers I can account for:

10, 23, 28, 33, 47, 48, 79, 89, 107, 120,
148, 157, 165, 177, 185, 206, 209, 277, 280, 287,
295, 301, 350, 406, 429, 439, 460, 478, 490, 493,
532, 558, 559, 565, 590, 592, 625, 627, 671, 695,
699, 706, 723, 733.

Also I have a couple more candidates but the serial numbers are obscured or
images too grainy to positively identify.  There may be a few others in my
stash of pictures yet to be sorted and recorded.  I own one R-389 with
serial PP-4, which I take to be a prototype that probably wasn't counted in
the total production numbers.

So, out of a total production of 856 R-389 receivers, the number of known
survivors is relatively small (< 7%).  I don't rule out that there are many
others out there unknown to me or that I failed to observe in the past 25
years of sniffing around, but I conclude these receivers are indeed in
short supply.

Updates welcome.



-- 

Don Reaves  W5OR WD2XSH/15
8101 Barrett Rd. Roland AR 72135
Fiber: 501.244.3574
Radio: 501.952.8573
Diode Don:  I rectify all problems.