[ARC5] 1940 Light Aircraft Radio Prices

[D C *Mac* Macdonald]

The "sophistication" lies in the mechanical
and electronic precision with which they
were actually constructed.  Compacting
all this into a sturdy, reliable, and stable
package capable of withstanding a combat
aircraft environment and producing it in
unbelievable quantities is just amazing.

Comparing them to a simple table radio of
the same vintage is similar to comparing
a Swan 175 to a Collins KWM-1.


D C "Mac" Macdonald, K2GKK
Licensed since November '53


----Original Message Follows----
From: Neil Barnett <neilba at clear.net.nz>
To: ARC-5 <ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [ARC5] 1940 Light Aircraft Radio Prices
Date: Sat, 06 Jan 2007 11:34:16 +1300

>Actually the SCR-274-N was pretty sophisticated for the time when it was 
>designed, in 1937-38,

That's not quite what I said. I referred to "sophisticated
by 1940's standards". It had no bandswitching (to its
credit rather than detriment), no noise-limiter, no crystal
filter, a very noisy front end, and an AGC system that can
only be described as adequate.

If you ignore the fact that the SCR-274-N receiver was a
radical concept and neatly packaged and beautifully built
unit, you end up with a receiver which, apart from the
addition of a BFO, was no more sophisticated than a
6-tube household receiver of the time.

I love those receivers, but they were really just a basic
6-tube superhet.

73 de Neil ZL1ANM