The AM Forum

I find it interesting to read this months ER mag. about the Fowler R-390A's.  I would better guess that if 5 such units did exsist, someone bought them from some  NOS distributor.  I think that Ted Dames co. was selling them back then.  What strike me funny is that the decal SYNC was misspelled SWNC.  I vividly recall a set I got from Fair Radio back in the late 90's that came from the St. Julian auction.  It was a real late manufactured set with epoxy dipped/filled caps, and real cheap rotary switches that were molded plastic and popular in the early 70's, It to had a Cosmos vfo, and a Artisian BFO, The front panel was a cream color, and the lettering for the knobs looked like a stenciled job.It too had the misspelled SWNC;  It lacked the quality construction of the earlier units.  From what I could tell, it was manufactured by Capehardt Corp. However with all the sets that came from St Juian auction the tags were removed and so were the meters, and many other identifing tags such as MOD tags.  I was under the felling that these sets were from some Depot that was using them as parts units or something, as neither of the two I bought worked, and had mulitible problems, of course Fair Radio had the chance to pick these over first as well.  I think I would be real cautious of any one trying to sell me a Fowler unit, as I bet there are alot of parts units out there and plenty of ways to fool someone by making one appear as such.  Like I said, I think all the sets that were sold at St. Julian were striped of all identifcation(demilitarized).  And left in the wx of all things, I think the unit I had was under water, but thats what you get for $125... I no longer have this set, I sold it to KI8BQ a few years back.

Anyone with the same thoughts???

73's Mike/N8ECR

Would like to hear more of you guys on Am Phone soon (75 m).....

Hey Mike, good to see you on here.

Yes, I was nonplused by the article. About 90 percent of it was retold folklore and factual material from previous Marcotte and Locklear text.

I enjoyed seeing the other 10 percent with the photos and the documented differences in the Fowler examples. It's a plausible conclusion that Fowler probably rounded up five sets of modules and re-manufactured the receviers from odd bits here and there, and then slapped their own label on the panel with the contract number.

Did you notice that the Fowler units included meters made by a company called A & M Instruments? They're still in business out of an address in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I bet it would cost a fortune, but they might do a run of R-390 and R-390A panel meters to fill some holes.

(http://www.mmc.ws/pg6.jpg)

(http://www.mmc.ws/pg7.jpg)

http://www.mmc.ws/aandm.asp

(800) 288-1662, or e-mail us at sales@mmcmetlab.com

R390A guru and restoration expert extraordinare Chuck Rippel, WA4HHG, is also located in Va. Beach. Maybe we should drop him a line to encourage him to make some contact in the neighborhood.