[ARC5] Old-Age Math and the SCR-183

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Morrow" <kk5f at earthlink.net>
>....
WECO built RU/GFs appear to have been better
> executed than the late SCR-*-183/283 gear.

True, but remember the Pols with the money were,
as always, "fighting the last war," dreaming of battleships
with gunnery spotting and scout planes,
and gave most of the money to the Navy.  
The Army was the "poor step child" of the 1930s.
Many don't know that the story of the Army copying 
the Navy ATA/ARA to SCR-274N,
then A.R.C. coming out with an improvement 
they called the AN/ARC-5, was actually a repeat performance! 
A.R.C. first produced the Navy "GF Set," which was the first 
of what we call "GF/RU" and it was very like the first SCR-183,
2 watts out with VT-25s and all, for a good reason:  
the original SCR-183 was copied from it wire for wire. 
The Navy got plenty of money to continually improve 
the set until they got to the quite serviceable late GF/RU.
The Army got just enough money to improve the original 
SCR-183 a *little,*  but only so much as made the set 
cover its intended missions. And, to be fair, it did that pretty well.
A.R.C. even sub-contracted to WECO and Stromberg,  
among others, just as they would do again in 1941-43.

73 Dave S.