[ARC5] What did they talk to ?? - 522

[Bob Macklin]

What I was told while in the USAF in the early 50s the HF was used to send
strike reports after the bombing raids. And only by the lead aircraft of
each group. There was no plane to plane chatter. And lights were used
instead of radio while in formation on the way to the target.

The fighters had no long range communication. The ARC-5/SCR-274 sets used in
fighters were preset and not normally changed in flight.

The VHF version of the ARC-5 was a little easier. It had 4(?) crystal
controlled channels. But again was not a long range radio.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ T/Sgt(Ret) USAF
Seattle, Wa.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gordon White" <gewhite at crosslink.net>
To: <jfor at quik.com>
Cc: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>; "ARC-5" <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>;
"Milsurplus" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>; "Wireless-Set-No19 @
yahoogroups.com" <Wireless-Set-No19 at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, May 02, 2005 4:53 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] What did they talk to ?? - 522


>      I think the 522 was short-range, as, originally, were the Command
> Sets, the name indicating use to command squadrons, groups, etc.in the
> air in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The liaison sets were
> longer-range. I don't think any VHF reached from bomber bases in the UK
> to Berlin, though HF frequencies certainly could. I'd guess the SCR274N
> sets could reach several hundred or a thousand miles, frequency-wise,
> depending on propagation vs frequency, but with their relatively low
> power and radio noise of thousands of aircraft, I doubt they reliably
> did. Although the antenna height was great, they did not fly much  in
> combat with trailing-wire antennae, but used at best  rudder to fuslage
> antennas that were not optimum.
>
> - Gordon White
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