[ARC5] WWII Airborne Radar

[Robert Eleazer]

Just finished reading a book "The History of Air Intercept Radar & the British Nightfighter 1935-1959." While I have read a number of books on the same general subject this one gives much more technical detail that anything else I have seen.

I found it especially interesting that the BBC planned TV broadcasts on 45 MHZ in the late 1930's and as a result the people developing radar took a TRF TV receiver and adapted it for ground experiments. When they decided to use 200 MHZ for the actual airborne radar frequency they added a converter stage ahead of the 45 MHZ TV set and made a superhet. As a result 45 MHZ became the standard IF frequency for British airborne radar sets for the rest of the war.

And of course after WWII the TVs that came out were VHF receivers that used a 45 MHZ IF. So the prewar TV receivers begat the WWII radar sets that in turn provided a basis for the post WWII TVs. Funny how things get continued long after no one recalls why.

By the way, the 1965 edition of the ARRL Handbook has data on how to use an SCR-274-N transmitter with a very simple plug in 6AG7 crystal oscillator module to replace the 1626. So Novices of that era could indeed use Command Sets with that mod.

WayneWB5WSV