[ARC5] Model 19 MKll

[wf2u at ws19ops.com]

This is a bit OT for the ARC-5 list, but since there is a discussion  
going on here about airplane radios in Jeeps, it's interesting to note  
that the British/Allied Wireless Set 19 had an official installation  
in reconnaisance aircraft, so it could communicate directly with  
ground forces. Wirelees Sets 22 (similar to WS 19, but without the UHF  
section and low power) were also used on light observation aircraft.

Is with any piece of equipment, it's a shame that many hams never  
bothered acquiring and/or reading the manual for that equipment. The  
manual is essential - besides the circuit diagrams and operating  
instructions - to understand the system and interconnections, and with  
that there is no need to hack up and modify a good piece of equipment.  
If the manual was used, there was no need to find out the hard way  
that there is voltage on the key. The original WS 19 keys are  
insulated and covered for that reason! So nothing has be rewired, just  
use the correct key issued with the system...

I own a number of may I add unhacked, original WS 19 (both MkII and  
MkIII) systems complete with all the accessories essential to their  
correct operation, including the original power supplies. I made  
Wireless Set 19 to WS 19 contacts with European WS 19 users, also  
check in with them into the weekly East-Coast Wireless Set 19 Net on  
80 M CW. Worked several DX stations with them on 80 and 40 M. The only  
concession to originality is the external audio filter I use for added  
selectivity on CW when the bands are very crowded.

As to the B set (the UHF section for 430 MHz), it was designed for a  
communication range of about 1000 yards, replacing visual flag signals  
between tanks in the same formation.
One word about the T/R switching in CW: having to insert the key plug  
in the jack to transmit makes sense in a crowded and bouncy tank or  
other vehicle. This was a positive way of preventing accidental  
transmissions by leaning on the key or any other T/R switch.

Of course, the WS19 was the first ever true HF transceiver with a  
single-knob frequency control achieved by mixing the receiver local  
oscillator with the IF frequency, resulting in a transmitter frequency  
equal to the receiver frequency.

There is a nice resource for WS 19 on the WS 19 Group website:
http://www.qsl.net/ve3bdb/  .


73, Meir WF2U
Landrum, SC

Quoting Donald Sanders <w4bws at yahoo.com>:

> Back in 1956 while in High School our radio club advisor, who taught  
>  mathmatics and Radio theory class, got a model 19 for the club. I   
> took the task to get it on the air. We had no manuals just the unit   
> and power supply. I quickly found out about the key voltage and   
> traced the wiring to find out why. Then promptly installed a keying   
> relay with low coil voltage to the key. I traced most of the wiring   
> just to find out how it worked. That was practice for many other   
> "reverse Engineering" jobs later.
> I was very happy to make contacts with that old girl, almost QRP but  
>  lots of fun. Yes, I got an A in the radio class. 
> Don W4BWS
>
>
> Meyer Gottesman wrote:
> I own a Wireless Set 19, Mark II. The "B" set is a rather useless   
> SUPER regen or "rushbox" as some hams call it. I find it utterly   
> useless. The "A" set can be made into a very nice 80 and 40 CW rig.   
> The 807 grid modulation makes AM less than useless but again, a nice  
>  CW rig. The screen grid voltage on the key is very dangerous and   
> should be rewired to 807 cathode keying. The original keying is a   
> non-starter and a real shocker, literally. Hi Hi!
>
> 73,
>
> Meyer Gottesman, W6GIV
> Macon, GA
>
>
>      
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