[ARC5] Re: More SCR-522

[Mike Morrow]

Clare wrote:

>I just wish those panels on the rack were aluminum rather than steel.

I think they all were light steel.  At least the four SCR-522 units I've
owned have been.

>It seems to me somebody brought up the question of which VHF frequencies
>were used in various parts of the world by the Air Force during or just
>after WW II.  I don't remember whether there was an answer but my CS-80 has
>grease pencil writing on one end showing what the channel assignments were.
>What must be the earlier set is now crossed out and is somewhat hard to
>read but looks like:
>A - 134.1

That's a standard SCR-522 channel.

>B - 137.95  The .95 is a guess

That's not standard.  The standard channels at 137 mc were .16, .34, .52,
.70, and .88.

>C - 126.19  Could be 136.18

Those are not standard.  The standard channels at 126 mc were .00, .18, .36,
.54, .72, and .90.  The standard channels at 136 mc were .08, .26, .44, .62,
.80, and .98.  Maybe it was 126.18, a common guard channel at the time.

>D - 142.02

That's a standard channel.

>The second set is not crossed out and is clearly readable:
>A - 134.1
>B - 121.5
>C - 142.02

All three of those are standard channels.

I guess yours was missing the crystals.  They all seem to be.  It took me
hours of pawing through a collection of several hundred CR-1A/AR crystals to
come up with four matched transmitter and receiver crystal sets for the
following frequencies which are in my best SCR-522 now.  This info has NO
historical value, however.
A - 122.76
B - 132.30
C - 121.50
D - 136.80


I have a "Pilot's Radio Information" booklet for the Ninth Air Force in the
ETO, dated 15SEP45.  It states in part that "The VHF radio sets [Note -
Channel A through D below implies SCR-522] of all Headquarters Ninth Air
Force aircraft are crystalized as follows:

Button A
Channel No. 723 [Note - this is the first three digits of the transmitter
crystal frequency, i.e. 7230 kc]
(130.14)
1.  Ninth Air Force Guard Channel

Button B
Channel No. 651
(117.18)
1.  Air/Sea Rescue Channel

Button C
Channel No. 755
(135.90)
1.  For contacting control centers of the XII Tactical Air Command.

Button D
[Either of following three]
Channel No. 645
(116.10)
1.  World Guard Channel
             OR
Channel No. 736
(132.48)
1.  XII TAC Common Number 2
2.  Emergency homing to XII TAC airfields
            OR
Channel No. 740
(133.20)
1.  9th Air Division Common Number 1
2.  Emergency homing to 9th Air Div airfield."

The book also has a tabulation by frequency of all channels in use.
134.10 is shown as "27th Fighter Group common."
126.18 is shown as "World Guard."

While I'm tabulating, I'll list what I suppose may have been common PTO Navy
VHF frequencies.

1.  Every R-28/ARC-5 and T-23/ARC-5 I've ever seen that had original
crystals in them were set for the following frequencies:
A - 116.10
B - 126.18
C - 140.58
D - 142.74

2.  Every RT-19/ARC-4 I've ever seen that had original crystals was set for
the following frequencies:
P-P 1 - 140.58
P-G 2 - 142.02
P-G 3 - 142.56
P-G 4 - 142.74

73,
Mike / KK5F