[ARC5] arc-5 BCB RX seen

[Mike Morrow]

Mike wrote:

>... the adapter in the R-23 appears to be the MX-19,
>not the MX-20 adapter in the R-26 receiver to its left, since
>it lacks the plate to the right of the connector. 

I see now that is a MX-19 audio adapter for when the receiver is the localizer for the old Air-Track ILS (ZA, ZAX, or AN/ARN-9).  It would have been interesting to see a cable connected to indicate a rare example of use of this discarded ILS.  One of my R-23 units has the MX-19.  The MX-19 had no other use it could fill outside its ILS role, so it surprises me to see examples still around.

>Obviously the techs slapped in whatever made sense to them at the
>moment, since the MX-20 in an R-26 is a sorta strange animal.

I would almost have expected an ARA set, with all that other pre-JAN nomenclatured gear on board.  I've got two R-26 units with the MX-20.

Odd coincidence, my having a R-23 with MX-19 and a R-26 with MX-20, just as is shown in the photo.

>... this is a Privateer which was devoted to ELINT work, so precise 
>frequency recording was a requirement...

The C-26 control box outboard the ATC is for the R-26.  In this particular installation, isn't it likely that the R-26 is the receiver normally used with the ATC, not the RAX-1?  Within it's tuning range, the R-26 wouldn't be much inferior to the CG-46116.  The USN sometimes used the R-26 with the ATC elsewhere.

The RAX-1 and LM would then be completely free for ELINT use.

It appears on this PB4Y-2 that the pilots controlled the ARA/ATB command set and the R-23 beacon band set, while the radio operator controlled the R-26 and ATC liason set and the RAX-1 "ELINT-use" set.  I wonder what year and where the photo was taken.

73,
Mike / KK5F
PS:  Of course, this MF/HF stuff never got used...everything was VHF. 
     [   :-)   That's just to aggravate Dave!    ]