[ARC5] cleaning radios

[Mike Morrow]

I've found a coating of a weapons cleaner known as "CLP-Break Free" often
does wonders for restoring the appearance of dull black crackle paint and
some plastic nomenclature plates such as found on late BC-348-R sets.  This
oil is available in better sporting goods stores, or as military surplus.

>...I now have the series T15 to T-23,some very 
>good but most are average.Please don't tell me there's a T-14,T-13, 
>etc.I want to be done with the search! and get to the work!

In the JAN nomenclature system, no component ID, such as "T-14" is assigned to
than one specific item.  So yes, there is a T-14, but it is a T-14/TRC-1,
not related in any way to an AN/ARC-5 system.  (Its matching receiver, the
R-19/TRC-1, is also just before the start of receivers assigned to the AN/ARC-5
system...R-20 to R-28/ARC-5.  Of course, R-20 to R-22/ARC-5 were more or less
developmental models whose functions were actually filled by the common R-25 to
R-27/ARC-5 units.)

There is one more AN/ARC-5 transmitter that saw actual service use (as opposed to
the unsuccessful T-89 and T-90/ARC-5 VHF prototype transmitters) and that is the
T-126/ARC-5.  It is the same as the VHF T-23/ARC-5, except band coverage was
designed to support more of its four channels lower in the VHF-AM band.  It
covers 100 to 146 MHz, compared to the 100 to 156 MHz coverage of the T-23.
The T-126 is uncommon, but a couple have been on ebay in the past few years. 

I have only a T-16/ARC-5 in that scarce category.  I got it new for $10 at an
Ohio hamfest 25 years ago.  I didn't know it was particularly hard to find at
the time, I only knew I'd never heard of one outside an article in a 1960's
"CQ" magazine, written by our Gordon White.  His surplus articles were the
only reason I bought "CQ" back then.

Mike / KK5F