[ARC5] History and Context of the ARC-5 sets

[arc5 at ix.netcom.com]

Like most history, that of the "ARC-5" sets is much more complex than
is usually perceived.  It is human to look at historic events in aggregate;
as though there were "snap-shots" of circumstances and events with 
sharp changes and decision points between them, like looking
at a photo-book where pictures of our children have been added by date.
We see them born, then one, then six, etc., and anyone who 
was not there will form a mental image based on this.
Napoleon is usually summed-up in Waterloo, 
which is a bread-and-water dinner 
from what should be a feast.

Life and its history are not made-up of such snippets.
They are like a great river, flowing into an ocean of time.
There are many side-streams, eddys, back-washes 
a even dead-end swamps.  The history of the sets we
call "ARC-5" is just as complex, with many causes and effects
and many players blending into, and often contradicting, each other.

For example-  the Airmail crashes of the early 30s are 
commonly cited as the reason SCR-183 was "replaced" 
by SCR-274N.  With a deeply respectful bow to Gordon,
and with the understanding that he never said this was 
the only reason for 274N,  this is an over-simplification of 
a complex issue.  Moreover, SCR-183/-283 wasn't "replaced" at all.
The sets were built well into the war, and remained 
in steady service as late as 1953.  There were many applications
where a lighter, cheaper low-powered set would do 
the job just fine, and a large, more powerful and 
more expensive radio would be a waste.
And don't forget the meddling of military and political minions,
who ordered tens of thousands of SCR-183/-283, cancelled the orders
because SCR-274N was going to "replace" it, then had to 
re-order them because of bugs and delays in -274N
and the need for "less radio" in many applications.
Western Electric and Philco lost money, materials and 
time over that- one example of many.
The notion that VHF command sets suddenly "replaced"
HF command sets is another misconception- enlivened by 
this same "history snap-shot"  problem-  that just won't die
despite many oaken stakes driven into its vampire heart.

It was a GLOBAL war over many years,
with multiple, complex and vastly differing circumstances,
and with steady technological advances (and missteps)
which all blended into each other over time.
Nothing was suddenly "replaced."  
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do" was the operative 
philosophy all over the world, especially in the years 
before the industrial might of the West got on-line,
and that was not "sudden," either.

In short- the questions you have asked are big,
and will take time and effort to answer well.
I trust that, over that time, we will fill in most of the gaps.
Working on it...

73 Dave  AB5S