[R-390] What have I done?

[jgedde at optonline.net]

I bought another.  Is this the start of a disease?  This time it's not an
R390A, but a bona fide Collins R-390 (not A).  And, it doesn't work - needs
repair.  My wife saw the fun I had restoring the R390A and encouraged me to
get the R390.  Especially after I explained the history and the cost
reduction program and said the R-390 was less than 10% as common.

 

I'm wondering if the r390 front panel is engraved or silk screened and if
the latter how I can re-do the lettering?  My R390A has mods: AGC, BFO, AF
stage, better AF tube, gloss paint, etc. etc. but the R-390 I plan on
restoring to all original.

 

What have I done?  I bought a receiver with nowhere near the online support
material available and parts availability is near non-existent.  Ugh.  Yet I
can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!

 

Last night I redid the knobs on the R390A and it looks really good.  All I
have left to do is put it into its newly restored DX-100 enclosure.

 

I tried the diode load AF amplifier hi-fi method tonight and was stunned
over how much better the R390A sounds that way.  If you haven't tried it
with yours, do it!!!!  AC couple the diode load output through a
electrolytic capacitor to a good AF amplifier and a hi-fi speaker.  Wow!  I
won't say it's FM quality, but it's really, really good.

 

Cheers,

John