[ARC5] Radio Frequency Laboratories Type B-3 Receiver

[Mike Morrow]

Has anyone on the list come across this receiver or any other RFL gear?

The Type B-3 is a small five metal tube aircraft beacon band receiver
covering 195 to 420 kcs.  It appears to be mid- to late-1930s technology.  A
picture of it is just under the biplane photo at:

http://www.rflelect.com/pdf%20files/Corporate%20Catalogue.pdf

RFL was a Boonton, NJ, aircraft radio manufacturer, but apparently (??) it
was not related to the Aircraft Radio Corporation.

The unit I have appears to be NOS, and it is very well constructed.  It
originally had a brass sealing rivit that prevented removal of the outer
case, even for simple tube replacement.  There is a metal info tag which
warns the user not to break the seal under any circumstances, and that if
the unit fails, the user should wire RFL for a replacement receiver.  I
guess RFL really didn't want anyone doing anything to the receiver except
RFL.

My unit had a sprung frequency dial mechanism that took me about an hour to
figure out how to put it all back together.  It had sprung when a front
panel screw that held everything together behind the panel had loosend.

This receiver is vaguely similar to the Type 185 beacon band receiver made
by another Boonton aircraft radio maker, Boonton Radio Corporation.

Anyone with more history and info on RFL and its Type B-3 receiver, or the
Boonton Radio Corporation and its Type 185 receiver, will be welcomed.

Mike / KK5F