[ARC5] Re: RAT-1 Production

[David Stinson]

-----Original Message-----
>From: LI WHA HO WALLY <k5op at yahoo.com>
>Subject: RAT-1 Production
>
>...Please note the Navy bought NO transmitters in this frequency range, 
> so the receivers were NOT for aircraft communication.. 

> The receivers in this range were used for signal intelligence... 

I hate to gainsay Wally; he was researching Command Sets when I was
learining to read.  And I owe him for a ton of excellent information.
But, humbly:
The RATs had both missions.  
There were some transmitters- one of the middle runs of GO,
I think it was- that had ranges up to 27 MC.
I do have documentation on this.
The RATs started at 13.5 MC because that's where the RUs petered out.
They needed a receiver that would work better then the RUs and
would be light enough to fly in light, fast aircraft.
Radios available "off the shelf" for 20+ MC that were stable 
enough to do the job were scarce and heavy.

Not so humbly:
I have an eye-witness account, gotten by such accident 
it almost counts as a minor miracle, 
of the RATs being used in about 1940-41 in signals intelligence.
I won't recount it again because it was greated with snide remarks
and I'm too old to put up with that crap anymore.
I believe the man and, frankly, don't give a RAT's rear who doesn't.

Don't yell at me , Wally.
I still put you right up there with Gordon :).
73 Dave S.