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Reviews For: Collins R 392

Category: Receivers: non-amateur adaptable for ham use

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Review Summary For : Collins R 392
Reviews: 11MSRP: unknown
Description:
Military HF rcvr, essentially a small version of the R 390 with 28 VDC as the plate voltage.
Product is not in production
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# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00114.7
IW2NZR Rating: 2020-09-05
Super receiver! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have one from 1982. Super receiver, that I used and continue to use for broadcasting listening and dxing. I love the very low background noise of the receiver, the smooth and clean audio, the selectivity (filter aren't so sharp and even selecting the bandwidht of 2kHz the audio is fully pleasurable even in AM mode). Insuperable.
SWL377 Rating: 2019-11-12
Very solid reliable HF rcvr Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had hard core experience with R 392s as backup HF SSB rcvrs on commercial fishing boats. They are sensitive and stable, but the low B plus voltage means stage gains are low and for loud audio to a speaker you will need an outboard audio amp. The great thing about R 392s is how rugged they are. Ours would get really filthy (imagine tuning with fish blood and slime on your hands). The R 392 is pertty close to a hermetically sealed rcvr. Even the knob shafts have seals on them. When they would get really gross we would just hose them down with detergent and fresh water. Try doing that with most rcvrs and you'd end up with a mess inside. The R 392 interiors remained pristine, just like new. The R 392 has LC tuned ckts instead of mech filters for IF selectivity, so dont expect razor sharp edges on the filter curves. Still, it is a fine receiver. The tuning accuracy was outstanding and it stayed calibrated despite all sorts of assaults and insults. These were available for about $200 from Fair radio at a time (early 70s) when a good marine HF SSB radio with any kind of numeric tuning cost easily 10x that amount. Accordingly they found there way onto a few fishing boats. We tuned around for clandestine freq fishing comms and it paid off handsomely a few times. At night it was a fine BCB DX rcvr. As I recall it had 2 RF stages on certain freq ranges. We had two, one Collins and one Motorola as I recall. No discernable performance differences. We tried the military solid state replacement for the audio output tube. Oddly, it worked fine in one set and not at all in the other. The squelch is a carrier squelch and pretty useless on SSB. SSB is demodulated using the BFO. Works fine. The R 392 has no voltage higher than 24-28 VDC inside. I noticed better performance on 28 VDC than 24. I have heard that hams have experimented with higher plate voltages with good results keeping the filaments at their rated voltages. The PTO tuning is just like the R 390 and your wrist can get tired. I'd recommend the R 392 to anyone who wants a good tube HF rcvr that can take a beating.
WB4IVG Rating: 2019-09-22
One of the Best Ever Made Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have and do own more HF radios than anyone that I have ever known. I'm not bragging just saying that there is almost no radio ever made since 1940 that I have not at least played with at one time or another so that gives me a lot to compare this and other radios to. The R392 ranks in the very top of the heap. There are things that this radio is not, nor was it ever meant to be. It is not a sit back and tune the band kind of radio. It will wear out your wrist trying that one, But it was never meant to be used that way neither was the R390 series. As far as rock solid never drifts and will hear any signal that is on the band if it can be heard by any radio, then this is it! There are some things that I like better about my R390A, BUT the same is true with this radio. I LOVE the Squelch feature on the R392. I can set this radio on a Net Frequency and go about my business knowing if and when a signal comes on I will get it. Now if it is tuning across the band you want then I'd used my R388 you can spin right down the band taking it all in, However that said if you want to scan the bands then it is not for you either. For that I use my HQ-180 or SP-600 those lend themselves to that application much better. Often I'll scan the bands find an active band and jump on my R388, or find a signal, net or group I want to listen to and dial it in on the R390A or R392. Mostly the 392 sits on a particular frequency Squelched waiting for the action to start. Yes I have others to play with like my Icom, Yaesu, and Kenwood stuff, Yes those almost all have squelch so does my RF Harris RF3200 that I have on ALE but they are dedicated to different uses and applications. Like they say "every dog has it's day" and My R392 has it's day sitting on one frequency or another such as 11.175.00 mHz just waiting for the action to start! Laurin WB4IVG.
NM9P Rating: 2018-11-26
Great old boat anchor! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one from a ham in Indianapolis back in 1978 to use for code practice as I was upgrading from Tech to General.

It was "futuristic" looking at the time, and offered much better performance in most categories than the Allied A-2516 I used in 1974 as a novice.

I copied amateur frequencies from 160 through 10 meters using about 16 feet of wire strung around my college dorm room. I also spent a lot of time listening to short wave broadcast and utility stations.

It was my first quality general coverage receiver, which was really nice. But my thumbs got blisters from changing bands so often -- it was a real pain clicking the MHz selector from 28 MHz down to 3 MHz and then moving the VFO knob from 0 to 910 to listen to some of my buddies on 75 Meters after having listened to CW on 10 meters.... Certainly not a band-scanning rig.

Decoding SSB took a bit of practice, finding the right set point for the BFO within the IF Filter slot. But once I learned how to tweak that and the RF gain, "donald duck" began to sound more human.

My rig had a transformer in the speaker cabinet that transformed the military impedance to more common speaker ranges, so I didn't have trouble getting enough audio, though most of the time I used headphones so as not to disturb my roommate.

After about 6 months, I had passed the General Class 13 WPM Code, so I traded this toward a used Hallicrafters SR-150. I had paid $85 for the R-392 and traded it and $200 boot for the SR-150. Not a bad deal overall!

The cool thing about the R-392 was the look on the faces of other guys in the dorm when they saw it sitting on my desk and asked if I was a spy for the CIA or something!

I have lots of fond memories of my college days listening to this rig. But now my favorite toy is my Flex-6500. My how Amateur Radio has changed!

Ken - NM9P
XE1ZLG Rating: 2015-01-14
Great low noise receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just to add more after 2 years of ownership.

This radio is designed for short antennas, a short 3 meter whip or a long wire no more than 18 feet ( coupled to 50 ohms with an UNUN ) or magnetic loop is all you need for receive any sinal that is in the air. More than that get easy overloaded by ONLY STRONG out of the band signals ( AM BCB ).

Signals inside de IF 455 khz filter can not overload the receiver if the RF gain is used properly. Signals do not jump from the noise like in DSP radios, they get smoothly out from the noise. If you want to get the best from this receiver you need to take it away from the city noise pollution. From 14-30 mhz this receiver ears every signal my IC 7800 can also ear. From 9 mhz to AM BCB the IC 7800 has better front end, but both has almost the same sensitivity.

Keep them glowing... 73 XE1ZLG

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Earlier 5-star review posted by XE1ZLG on 2013-08-18

Just to add.... Hifi audio.... full audio response.... 0.1 microvolt sensitivity in all HF spectrum..... At 4 kHz BW . Ultra nice Ssb modulation recovery in SSB at 4 khz BW. AGC works in SSB very good. Do not overload, ......use a short whip. I have here a Ftdx 5000, Sienna. Dzkit and Collins 51j4......... this radio has the best audio and AGC...is inmune to noise... NB works very good.... a little R 390 . Inside.... I have not seen this ultra-high end-ballet proof completly shielded desing in other radio. Yes, for me the better receivers ever built... Collins R 390, R 390 A and R 392. Forget for a Contest. 73
WB6ZRP Rating: 2012-09-15
Great solid receiver Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I got one back in the 70's. I loved it's performance. Since it worked on only 28 volts I actualy went in and changed all tubes except the pto for FET transistors. It worked realy great. I realy reduced the heat and current draw dramaticly. I used a radio shack 6 to 12 volt inverter and used it to up 12 volt to 24 volts, and it worked!! I finaly sold it at a local Ham fest. I considered it one of my better mods LOL.
W8KX Rating: 2012-01-22
Lean green and mean Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The very embodiment of a rugged military radio. The impression that the R-392 makes transcends whatever limitations it might have as a communications receiver. In the context of 1950's technology these limitations were few. Frequency meter type accuracy and stability far in excess of many more modern designs.
Despite the obvious mechanical complexity these radios are a very conservative design which long outlive their designers, builders and owners and would be impossible to duplicate today.
AAV4PC Rating: 2012-01-20
They just keep on truckin Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have a number of Collins R-392 receivers on line as monitors,all operating off a verticle and
RF multi-coupler box.
I Set these up years ago, with full alignment bringing them all up to origional or better spec's.
The only physical modification was vent holes cut in cases to reduce internal heat.
These receivers have run for years without a burp, survived a move, and now are again set up and operating.
I have one I use on my test bench, as a standard, as this receiver is as stable as a rock.
I have all manuals and test gear to keep these old work horses up to specs,
along with lots of Experience with the R-390's, 391's,and 392's.
Some may think these are boat anchors, but the old rig will withstand EMP's and other spikes and jolts,
the new gear will not.
Also found with minor rework, the old T-195 tranmitter makes one heck of a great auto tune 100W RMS amplifier.
Put it in tune, apply a couple watts excitation, and watch it tune up.
Biggest drawback on this gear, do not drop it on your toe, and it requires a 28vdc supply,
as does most military equipment,( big quiet 24vdc-80A supply under bench ).
KP4FAR Rating: 2011-12-28
Still an excellent rcvr in 2011 Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned two of these. They work just as good as any r390urr. Excellent sensitivity and good selectivity plus stable as a rock. My present r392 is pristine both in and out. Someone did an excellent solid state mod for the audio only and not only eliminated heat but also improved the audio a lot. This mod has a name that I don't recall but it was a common one. I never had any problems with my r392s. They are like Sherman tanks. Get one if you can. The prices are still reasonable.
W5DTW Rating: 2011-07-20
Tough receiver Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased one at a flea market in Waco in the 70s for 20 bucks, it took me a while to figure out that it ran a 28v plate ( remember time before the internet?)
Anyway I loved it for BC DX and it was very stable, I’m not sure why I sold it but I just picked up another off of fleabay and can’t wait till it gets here.
I give it a 5 for the fact it does what it was designed for very well and so many have survived, I rarely see a parts rig for sale only complete units!