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When it Rains It pours

Snow

Snow

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Oddly enough after over a year of finding nothing on CL or through other sources locally I bought a few more items today after my score on some audio gear a week or so ago. I got roughly 75 vacuum tubes a TV7-U tube tester, two Collins R390 receivers a Hallicrafters S-27 receiver a very rare Western Electric oscilloscope I believe the model is KS-15512-L3A it is branded Pollard electronics or some such but is for sure made by WE and three other tube receivers I forget what models they are now.

I will have some pics up tomorrow of some of these items if anyone wants to see pics just say so.


Regards Snow
 
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Could be people are moving back to Craigslist due to the new taxes on Ebay sales. Sounds like you got a pretty good score - depending on prices!
 
Collins R390 or R390A's? I think the R390 is the more desirable.
I spent 2 years leashed to a pair of R390A receivers. When I got out, 50 years ago, I never wanted to see one again, but if I had the opportunity now I'd grab one.
Finding one in working condition must be getting pretty rare.
bjdawgops51969.jpg
 
The R-390 was the 1st original series run, they were revised as R-390A to make them somewhat less costly and easier to service with equal performance. Differences included regulated B+ in the 390, unregulated in the 390A, and four BW Collins mechanical IF filters in the A vs switchable BW L/C IF filters in the early 390. The rack slugs are interchangeable in the A, not in the early version, iirc.
All versions are mechanically fascinating.
 
JamVal said:
Collins R390 or R390A's? I think the R390 is the more desirable.
I spent 2 years leashed to a pair of R390A receivers. When I got out, 50 years ago, I never wanted to see one again, but if I had the opportunity now I'd grab one.
Finding one in working condition must be getting pretty rare.
View attachment 2559899
Click to expand...
Yes you are correct the R390 is the most desirable.

Pio1980 said:
The R-390 was the 1st original series run, they were revised as R-390A to make them somewhat less costly and easier to service with equal performance. Differences included regulated B+ in the 390, unregulated in the 390A, and four BW Collins mechanical IF filters in the A vs switchable BW L/C IF filters in the early 390. The rack slugs are interchangeable in the A, not in the early version, iirc.
All versions are mechanically fascinating.
Click to expand...
Yes you are right the original 390 also had 32 tubes versus 26 tubes for the 390A I think these are all in working condition, the fellow that had these in storage was an electronics tech for the FAA and everything a friend of mine got works perfectly so fingers crossed.
Regards Snow
 
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With the economy on the ropes there should be more offerings on whatever venue one chooses to stalk.
 
Ok a few pics of the items I drug into the house. The TV7-U tester is working great not sure on the other items I have not tested any of the other items yet, one is a R390 the other Collins is a R390A and the Hallicrafters AM/FM S27 Receiver and Western Electric KS15512-L3 made by Polarad for WE.



SAM_7477.JPG SAM_7481.JPG SAM_7483.JPG SAM_7484.JPG SAM_7485.JPG SAM_7488.JPG SAM_7492.JPG SAM_7476.JPG


Regards Snow
 
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JamVal said:
Collins R390 or R390A's? I think the R390 is the more desirable.
I spent 2 years leashed to a pair of R390A receivers. When I got out, 50 years ago, I never wanted to see one again, but if I had the opportunity now I'd grab one.
Finding one in working condition must be getting pretty rare.
View attachment 2559899
Click to expand...
Love the cig on the keyboard! The old days!
 
Strongly suggest obtaining TMs for the receivers before servicing anything other than tubes. I recall a green gear mounted separate in the R390 to lock the tuning gear train before disassembling, the A doesn't require it.
 
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Also, audio out is iirc 600 ohm with a few watts at most, headphone listening was the normal mode of use.
Milspec Telephonics sourced 600 ohm headset 'phones are surprisingly good.
 
Between the 390A and 390, the R-390 is definitely the better of the two. There's also the R-391, which is a R-390 with autotune (needs a separate 24VDC supply to run the autotune motors). I have one of each.

Start looking for some 6082 (24V fil version of the 6080) as if they're not weak now, they eventually will be. They are the B+ regulator, mounted upside-down, and create copious amounts of heat.

Better audio can be had by running the line audio or - thru a .5 uF or so capacitor from the diode load output - to an external amplifier. The internal audio is weak, and 600 ohm impedance - it'll drive an 8 ohm speaker but not well.

The S-27 can actually produce some decent FM audio... if only there was something on FM worth listening to anymore.
 
w3jn said:
Between the 390A and 390, the R-390 is definitely the better of the two. There's also the R-391, which is a R-390 with autotune (needs a separate 24VDC supply to run the autotune motors). I have one of each.

Start looking for some 6082 (24V fil version of the 6080) as if they're not weak now, they eventually will be. They are the B+ regulator, mounted upside-down, and create copious amounts of heat.

Better audio can be had by running the line audio or - thru a .5 uF or so capacitor from the diode load output - to an external amplifier. The internal audio is weak, and 600 ohm impedance - it'll drive an 8 ohm speaker but not well.

The S-27 can actually produce some decent FM audio... if only there was something on FM worth listening to anymore.
Click to expand...
Neither of the Collins receivers came with power cords it appears to be a specialized type of cord any idea as to where to find one of them? and do they have a name? So I wont look like a fool when I try to buy one. The S-27 powers up but no sound through the headphone jack I suppose next is hook up a speaker to the rear and see if I get anything there.


Regards Snow
 
Real, Collins manufactured 390 and 390A, nice score...my 390 is a Collins, my 390A is an EAC.
 
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