[R-390] (no subject)

Tue Jan 9 11:02:06 EST 2018

He needs a Rohde & Schwarz EK-07....

Actually I would like to have one myself....what am I thinking....the wife can’t lift the R-390.

Cecil

Sent using recycled electrons.

> On Jan 9, 2018, at 9:22 AM, Bob kb8tq <kb8tq at n1k.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi
> 
> Ok, well, that’s a different question. Compared to anything made in similar volumes, the
> R-390 or 390A did quite well by comparison. It also did quite well compared to a lot of 
> radios made in significantly lower volumes. There were a few radios designed for specific 
> tasks that did better in this or that respect (selectivity, sensitivity, stability, dynamic range). 
> Even the R-390 got re-worked for various tasks to improve it in some areas for this or that
> mission.  Since they were produced over several decades, there are a lot more examples
> of “better” later on than earlier. In the 1970’s it would be tough to call them “best” vs a number
> of other radios. In the 1950’s there were a few that were better, but not many. 
> 
> Generally when asked about this or that issue with the radio, the stock answer to the question
> was: We did what was in the spec. It was designed to a specification and (almost) did everything
> that was asked. It did not get a bunch of stuff (trimmers on the crystals is one example) that was 
> not in the spec. Cost was an objective and the radios were made by the low bidder. They made
> a *lot* of R-390A’s so it’s not a big surprise that they worried about cost. 
> 
> Some parts of them (the PTO’s come to mind) were remembered with a definite lack of fondness 
> 30 years after the fact by those who built them …. Even with cost constraints some of the bits 
> and pieces were a major challenge to run down the production line. Since this is a PG list, I 
> will not repeat the exact comments from the line girls …. Needless to say, they had a *very*
> hard time understanding why anyone would play with one as a hobby. Even for a cost driven
> design, they still did put a lot of “good stuff” into the radio. 
> 
> Bob
> 
>> On Jan 9, 2018, at 12:30 AM, Stan Gammons <s_gammons at charter.net> wrote:
>> 
>> That was an awesome post!
>> 
>> Yeah, the new stuff may well outperform the R-390A; but that wasn't my question.  I asked how it compared performance wise to radios of the same generation.
>> 
>> Personally, I don't really care for any of the "modern" stuff. I'll keep my R-390A, Drake TR7, TenTec Omni VI and keep those running for as long as I can get parts for them.  It's not that I can't work on SMT, I can. But, I'm getting old and I can't see as well as I did 25 years ago.
>> 
>> Thanks for the offlist email Perry!
>> 
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> Stan
>> KM4HQE
>> 
>> 
>>> On 01/08/2018 10:35 PM, Perry Sandeen via R-390 wrote:
>>> Yo Again Dudes,
>>> My Learned Friens Wrote:
>>> Well, the ?gotcha? is that the alternative is no longer a $9,000+ super duper box. There are a lot
>>> of sub $300 SDR alternatives out there.
>>> Yes the SDR can be sub $300.  The "gotcha" is that you also need a 27" monitor (minimum) $175, a good PC for $450, a better video card $185, Rb or GPS $200. A good backlighted keyboard $125 and a wireless mouse $30.  Less see Ahum...$1465 + tax.
>>> You forgot the XYL factor.
>>> XYL  What's that?
>>> You:  That's my new SDR radio.
>>> XYL:  What's that funny screen?
>>> You: That's a water fall disply of the radio frequencies I'm looking at.
>>> XYL:  Can I watch re-runs of I Love Lucy on it?
>>> You: Uh no, not really.
>>> XYL:  Well that doesn't seem like a good deal.
>>> You: Well it is as it's the latest technology.
>>> XYL: OK, Whatever
>>> You:Locked to something good (an Rb or a GPSDO) they are way better than any of the ?old stuff?. Selectivity wise ? yup ? Dynamic range ? gulp ? take a look at the numbers. Sensitivity keeps getting better. If you live on planet Earth with normal noise levels and antennas, not much wrong with SDR sensitivity wise. Want to demodulate this or that weird signal? ? not a problem.
>>> Me: Yes but that's only if you need it. My point was maybe 90% don't
>>> You: Something new comes out next week? Download new software.
>>> Me.  If they are still in business and will it rus when MS does a forced update on Win 10?
>>> You: Price wise, less money than an R-390 on eBay. Yes, you will do a bit of this and that. You also will
>>> poke a bit at than 390 ?
>>> 
>>> Me: I just proved that is incorrect.
>>> Now, I'm not trying to sell anybody a SDR board or get them to toss out their R-390. Far from it actually.
>>> 
>>> You: One is very much not the same as the other. Both are projects, they have different ends and stops on the way.
>>> 
>>> Me: My original point.
>>> You: I?m just pointing out that there has been a lot of change in how you do a radio, even in the last
>>> decade or so. If you are going to decide ?best? by the numbers (which I happen to think misses
>>> a lot of stuff), it?s really hard to beat the newer SDR boards ?..
>>> 
>>> Me: It depends.  You can't move a mouse as fast as you can twiddle the knobs.
>>> Me: You're forgetting the $9K ricebox and the XYL.
>>> Wife: What's that?
>>> You: That's my YIK 9000 Limited edition receiver.
>>> Wife: It seems to have a lot of buttons.
>>> You: Yes.  I think I counted 33, not including the multi-function ones.
>>> XYL: What do they all do?
>>> You:  They allow one to maximize the best possibility to hear the other guy.
>>> XYL:  Gee, and I thought my micro-wave was complicated.  Well good luck with it.
>>> Boat anchor scenario:
>>> XYL: What's that your doing?
>>> You: I'm restoring this antique R390A to it's original condition.
>>> XYL:  Wow, there's a lot of gears in there. Is is like a cars manual transmission?
>>> You:  That exactly describes what it does to the radio signals.  It was break-through marvel in it's time. Unfortunately there will never be another type of that radio again.  That's why I'm preserving it so our kids and grand-kids can see how far we've come.
>>> XYL: Gee, that's neat.  Good luck with your project.
>>> You: Thanks, I think it's going to be worth the effort.
>>> XYL leaves to watch TV and you get to do your radio stuff with her blessing.
>>> Regards,
>>> Perrier
>>> 
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