mecograph wrote:
Hi everyone,

I have an R-390a. When tuning "through" a CW signal, the CW signal
warbles and is distorted. Once I've stopped tuning and set the audio
response to "NARROW" and the bandwith to about 200hz,, the signal
sounds like a pure DC note.

A friend of mine who services lots of boatanchors including the R-390a
says this is normal. He says I've got the RF Gain set too high and
that's causing the signal to be distorted. I'm not so sure. Even
with the RF gain set lower, I still hear the warbling and distortion
as I tune "through" a CW signal. If I turn the RF gain *way* down, I
don't hear it (but I don't hear the CW signal much either).

AM reception is just fine and SSB reception using the BFO is just
fine...no distortion or warbling as I tune through a SSB signal.

So...my question for those of you that have R-390As or know them well,
when I tune "through" a CW signal, should I hear a nice DC note all
the way through or should it warble and show some distortion.

You should hear a nice pure tone that changes pitch smoothly as you tune...
no warble.

The AGC and all that is fine, because you don't hear warble when you tune
the bfo knob.

The warble could be caused by the PTO needing a lube job, or it could be
caused by the gear train for the main knob needing cleaning and lubing.

The main tuning knob should tune smoothly without any "gear" feeling...
when was the last time I used an R390A that felt that way!

Chuck