[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Dual Inspections (on USN DZ)

[Mike Hanz]

On 12/8/2010 8:59 AM, Mike Morrow wrote:
> Dave wrote:
>> Here's an example of a piece of gear (Navy) bearing inspection
>> stamps from both the Navy and the Signal Corps:
>> http://cgi.ebay.com/270676779179
> The interesting thing, IMHO, is that ANY component of the DZ-series
> radio direction finder would be used by the Army Signal Corps (or
> for that matter, would be used *even* by the Navy).

I have a somewhat different opinion, Mike.  The DZ was a pretty 
sophisticated design in the antenna area with the nested goniometer 
loops - better than the simple loops that Bendix used, especially at 
lower frequencies.  Remember that this receiver covered 15kHz to 
1,750kHz, not the smaller range of the Bendix products.  In any case, 
the seller obviously mistakenly linked the DZ rather than the ZB-2 and 
ZB-3 he should have said.  I don't have any records of a DZ-3... :-\

> The USAAC's 1937 SCR-242-A (BC-310, BC-311) RDF by Bendix is a far
> more modern design than the USN's 1939 DZ-series RDF by RCA.

It was certainly more mainstream in its concept than the DZ, but 
performance has to be defined carefully when comparing two dissimilar 
receivers.  The performance of the BC-310 loop is pretty miserable at 
15kHz...:-)

> IMO, a "dream" pre-war aircraft radio installation for a collection
> would be a SCR-*-183 command set, a SCR-238-A liason set (BC-224-A
> receiver, BC-307-A transmitter), and a SCR-242-A RDF set (BC-310-A).

I would agree with that.  The only other thing I would add to the list 
would be a BC-AA-191 transmitter to cover the entire spectrum.  The 
BC-307 was really only a command type of transmitter from a power output 
perspective.  A pair of 801's in parallel don't go very far...

73,
Mike