Sort of OT-but fascinating

[Scott Johnson]

I am suprised it was that cheap. I don't think I would have bid that low in 1984.  Parts acquisition had to be a nightmare, and there are so many assemblies that needed to be re-invented.  I'm sure Rockwell didn't help.  There is a tendency to trivialize a tasks such as this, they are indeed enourmous.  I know this from experience, even when a contractor that built a particular widget has to resume production after a brief period of time, the headaches are enormous.  Imagine, all that work to retool, for five radios!  I would guess that today, that contract would be worth at least a cool mil.

As to the requirement, I believe it had to be a contracting screw up, as there were plenty of R-1051's around as GFE, and certainly in that time frame there were still hundreds if not thousands of R-390A's still in the federal supply system.   I wouldn't consider the R-390 to be a tactical radio anyway.  I don't think it would meet the vibration, thermal, and salt fog tests.  Seems odd they were even carried on ships.   I don't want to get into an argument with the R-390 enthusianst (I am one, I have five of them), but let's face it, it was designed to sit in a rack, in a room, maybe a hot, sticky room, but a relatively benign environment nonetheless.  

It all makes for a good story, but the bottom line is, you can bet it was a government functionary that caused the screw-up, Fowler just capitalized on the screw-up.  Or maybe not, they may well have lost there butt on that one.

Scott W7SVJ
---- tom norris <r390a at BELLSOUTH.NET> wrote: 
> They had to retool, from what I understand.
> 
> Then there are the two magic words "military contract" hehe
> 
> The R-1051 had been around for many years at that point, so I wonder  
> it it was a question of use or a slip of a pen when the contract was  
> sent out?
> 
> Tom
> 
> 
> On Jul 25, 2007, at 9:46 AM, Jack Taylor wrote:
> 
> $38K for a 1984 rebuild?  A little bit overboard don't you think.
> Especially when
> considering the plans were already available.  Wonder how much an  
> R-391 goes
> for these days as there is more 'heft' and, less produced, to one of  
> these
> than in an R-390/A?
> 
> Jack  -  N7OO
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: tom norris
> To: BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
> Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 8:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [BOATANCHORS-TEMPE] Sort of OT-but fascinating
> 
> 
> What's so special about that Fowler radio is only 5 were built.
> 
> What makes it extra special is that those 5 were built in 1984!
> Fowler had a special contract for a short run of these --- this thing
> is "hen's teeth" as only 2 more (I think) are know to exist.  I'm
> afraid to see what it goes for, and there is a lively discussion on
> the R-390 list on the thing.
> 
> The guy isn't blowing smoke with his description other that going a
> bit overboard about the ships.
> 
> Tom
> 
> On Jul 24, 2007, at 9:19 PM, Ed Tanton wrote:
> 
> I don't know how offended the powers-that-be will be at my mentioning
> this,
> but there's a receiver presently going for $8,277.58 on ebay. More than
> that, it's an R-390-A. Interested yet? How about one of five ever built?
> Then, how about likely being the only remaining example out of the 5?
> It is
> gorgeous by the way. I guess it ought to be.
> 
> It is a "FOWLER INDUSTRIES, R-390A, SERIAL#2" and is item nr:
> 220132158407 .
> It started at $1000 and so far there have been 63 bids! But even at that
> price, the Reserve has not been met. Wonder if it's $10K? I totally
> have to
> be a spectator for such things, but it will be interesting to see what
> happens. There are 12 photos, and only 3 days left to take out that 2nd
> mortgage.
> 
> Ed Tanton
> 
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