"Brian Hill" wrote in message
...
|
| "Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote in message
| news:SJKld.16037
|
|
| You know, Brian, I can't "read" the frequency down to 10 Hz, but the
lack
| of synth noise really helps - that's another advantage of the old toob
| radios,
| also. I really have GOT to get my R390A recapped, aligned, lubed, and
| repainted. THAT is a real radio! I'm also going to start looking for a
| '390
| (non-"A" type) next year. I have a friend, an old broadcast engineer,
who
| lives in Kansas, near Manhattan, KS, and I've spent some time listening
to
| his ex-NASA R-390. The audio is so sweet, and it's an incredibly
| sensitive
| receiver.
|
|
| Yep. I've had a couple R-390s myself. You can wear your arm out tunning
them
| but a properly working R-390 is the quitest radio ever built. I would have
| to argue they were the best tube radio ever built.
|
|
| Of course, I am planning on building an Elecraft K2 this Winter;
| I'm just not sure where I'll get the TIME for all of this!
|
| Those look like cool kits. If I was a ham, I would be tempted.
|
| But, as to the Frog, you bet - the "D" cell compartment is in good
shape,
| and if I leave the dial lights off and wear headphones (instead of using
| the
| speaker), I can get a couple of days' continuous use out of the rig. I
am
| thinking again about going on a "mini DXpedition" on Lake Pepin (Maybe
| in Lake City), if I can find decent lodgings that will allow a wire
| antenna
| of
| 100 feet or so.
|
| That would be good. Are you in any clubes around here? I was thinking of
| joining the MDXC? I got the ap.

I'm in a number of the ham clubs here, and have actually considered
MDXC - their loop antenna site is particularly interesting, and they
have some fun-looking get-togethers in the Twin Cities.

As to the R-390A, it's dead - quiet and hiss - free. I spent about
10 total hours listening to my friend's R390 and decided that either
that or the R-390A were radios I'd love to have. But, yes, you're
absolutely right: I never thought "Torque" would be considered a
DXing skill!

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, Minnesota


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