[R-390] The best

[jbrannig]

R-390A tuning is "too"Too fast for tuning in SSB or CWToo slow for cruising the SW bands.
73,Jim


Sent from my Galaxy Tab® A
-------- Original message --------From: Stan Gammons <s_gammons at charter.net> Date: 1/6/18  8:27 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: "Todd, KA1KAQ" <ka1kaq at gmail.com> Cc: R-390 List <r-390 at mailman.qth.net> Subject: Re: [R-390] The best 
Hi Todd,

Yeah, I guess I could/should have been more specific.  I meant best as 
most sensitive, best selectivity, dynamic range and so forth.  I have no 
experience with the SP600 or the RA17. All I know about them is from 
what I've heard and read about them.

Yes, changing bands and tuning kilohertz on the R-390A can be brutal.  
While not great quality, I have listened to some decent sounding audio 
on local AM broadcast stations with the bandwidth set to 8 kilohertz on 
the R-390A.

Thanks for the links.

Happy new Year to you too!


73

Stan
KM4HQE



On 01/06/2018 06:27 PM, Todd, KA1KAQ wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 4, 2018 at 12:16 AM, Stan Gammons <s_gammons at charter.net 
> <mailto:s_gammons at charter.net>> wrote:
>
>
>
>     I know we all like our R-390A and it's arguably the best of the
>     tube receivers.
>
>
> 'Arguably' being the key word here, Stan. "Best" is a pretty broad 
> definition that means different things to different people.
>
> Best at what? Best how? As a member of this group since last century, 
> I can assure you the discussion has been had here and elsewhere, many 
> times.
>
> While the R-390 family of receivers definitely excels in several 
> areas, it falls flat in others. While areas like appearance are more 
> subjective, aspects like ease of use and fidelity are not.
>
> I think in areas like stability, sensitivity, and selectivity, the 
> R-390 and later, cost-reduced A models are at the front of the pack.
>
> When it comes to ease of use, something like the SP-600 leaves it in 
> the dust. If you're not already familiar with the term, do a google 
> search for 'R-390 Wrist'.
>
> Same goes for fidelity - the pre-war push-pull audio output Super Pros 
> with their continuously-variable bandwidth are tough to beat here, and 
> good receivers in their own right. Or the SX-28 with its P-P audio and 
> flywheel tuning, or NC-240-D, NC-183, etc etc.
>
> And that's where the slippery slope of 'best' takes over. I think for 
> balance and aesthetics, the SX-28 is about the nicest looking receiver 
> out there, for example.
>
> But I'd never be without my R-390 and later A model - they are 
> keepers, definitely in the top...5 ? keeper sets for me. And yet 
> another reason to have a few receivers kicking around.
>
> To your question about comparing the numbers - I'm not aware of any 
> definitive source out there for comparison of all period sets. 
> However, Jay Rusgrove/W1VD has done some comparisons on sets that he 
> has gone through and brought up to spec. The R-390A and SP-600 are 
> both in the list. It can be found at:
>
> http://www.w1vd.com/BAreceivertest.html
>
> I know Jay personally, he is very thorough and professional. And a 
> decent guy as well. Happy to answer questions, give pointers, 
> explanations, and so on. You can read a bit more about him here:
>
> http://www.advancedreceiver.com/page11.html
>
> From personal experience, along with the SP-600 I've also used the 
> RA-17. Though not a clinical or technical review, I would certainly 
> put it in the same class as the R-390 series. It's extremely quiet and 
> sensitive, also quite stable if the Wadley Loop circuitry is 
> performing correctly. Excellent build quality, but like the SP-600, it 
> suffers from its own version of COC (Crappy Old Capacitors) syndrome. 
> It is not easy to service, either. Takes a little getting use to with 
> its tuning arrangement, but when it's working well, it's a truly 
> wonderful set to use.
>
> Hope this info helps. Happy New Year to you and the list, as well.
>
> de Todd/'Boomer',  KA1KAQ/4
>
>

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