C. J. Clegg wrote:
I need something that can be used on certain military HF networks outside
the amateur bands. I have been told that (for some goofball reason) I'm
not allowed to say exactly which networks, but it isn't anything that
would be particularly hard to guess if anyone cared to give it a few
minutes of thought. :-)

Skip the receiver and get a KWM-2. Receive performance is not as good
as the R-390, but it will work fine out of band (they used to be the standard
State Department issue rigs at foreign embassies) and they are a lot easier
to work on. Also, it's a lot more convenient to use.

When that happens, much of the solid state gear (radios, computers, cell
phones, the Internet, packet BBSs, etc.) within a fairly large radius of
ground zero will be reduced to doorstops and paperweights.

Note that a lot of the newer solid-state military gear was designed with
EMP-hardening in mind. You can look for something like the Trans-World
sets (which replaced the KWM-2 at embassies) for example.

Of course, that begs the question of how I'm going to power the damn thing
if commercial power is down, but I guess I'll have to, as they say, jump
off of that bridge when I come to it.

I would worry more about long-term maintenance. The R-390A is a wonderful
rig and a great performer but I would not want to have to work on one.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."