K1LKY — R-390 Restoration Authority & NIST Engineer The Professional Engineer Roy Morgan, K1LKY (of Western Massachusetts, formerly at the National Institute of Standards and Technology), brought professional-grade engineering discipline to the R-390 community. His restoration guidelines for the R-390…
AGC Engineer & Circuit Analyst Ending the Moment of Silence David Wise is one of the most technically rigorous contributors in the R-390A community’s history. His signature achievement is the landmark document “R-390/R-390A AGC — Ending The Moment Of Silence,”…
N5OFF — R-390A Production Historian & Document Preservationist The Historian Tom Marcotte, N5OFF, is one of the most important historical researchers in the R-390 community. For years, he has been diligently amassing production data — contract numbers, manufacturers, quantities, and…
W5OR — R-390 List Manager & R-389 VLF Receiver Authority The List Manager Don Reaves, W5OR, served as the manager of the R-390 mailing list — the primary online gathering place for the R-390 community for many years. In this…
The Collins R-390A is arguably the finest tube-era military HF receiver ever built — but it was designed in the early 1950s for AM and CW reception. As amateur and military communications transitioned to single-sideband (SSB), several aftermarket solutions emerged…
R-390A Aftermarket SSB Adapters: A Comparison Guide Mike Peace · March 9, 2026 · Amateur Radio, R-390A.NET The Collins R-390A is arguably the finest tube-era military HF receiver ever built — but it was designed in the early 1950s for…
The Boatanchor Legends series honors the individuals who built, preserved, and shared the technical knowledge that keeps the R-390A, the Collins S-Line, and their sister equipment alive. From the editors of the Y2K Manual to the archivists who saved disappearing…
Boatanchor Legends — A Tribute Series Barry Hauser New York Y2K Manual Co-Editor • Reflector Voice • Community Historian Barry Hauser brought two rare qualities to the R-390A community simultaneously: the editorial discipline to co-produce the definitive R-390A technical reference,…
Boatanchor Legends — A Tribute Series DW Holtman, WB7SSN Y2K Manual Contributor Technical Illustrator • Digital Draftsman DW Holtman brought a draftsman’s precision to the R-390A community’s most important document. As a credited contributor to “The 21st Century R-390A/URR Technical…
Boatanchor Legends — A Tribute Series Gary Gitzen Y2K Manual Contributor Technical Knowledge • Community Expertise Gary Gitzen is one of the credited contributors to “The 21st Century R-390A/URR Technical Reference” — the Y2K Manual — the R-390A community’s definitive…