[ARC5] C-131/ARC-5 question

[Mike Morrow]

Jay wrote:

>Question: when setting up the C-131/ARC-5 R-26 and R-27, is MX-2/ARR-2
>(also marked CZR 30617-1) needed to fill the "control" socket(s) on the
>RX rack?

The connector on the rack goes normally to the control box for the receivers,
something like a C-38 or C-27/ARC-5.  It is unrelated to the C-131/AR wiring.

The MX-2/ARR-2 was designed for use when the R-4/ARR-2 homing receiver
was installed in the old MT-7/ARR-2 single-receiver rack.  That rack did not
have A-phone and B-phone jacks or a audio bus select switch on front, like the
later MT-7A/ARR-2 and all AN/ARC-5 receiver racks did.  Thus, the MX-2 made up
the DC power connection just as a remote control box would have, plus it connected
receiver audio output to audio bus B.  The MX-2/ARR-2 is almost always is found
along with a R-4/ARR-2 in the first slot of MT-65/ARC-5 three-receiver rack
installations.  The MT-65 has audio bus select switches on the front, so the
audio connection made in the MX-2 is not neccessary.  The AN/ARC-5 LF/MF/HF
Maintenance Manual says that the audio connection between pins 2 and 8 should
be removed in that case.

In any event, none of that has anything to do with the C-131/AR.

>And has anyone fabed up a version of the elusive and probably only
>prototyped control head (s) for this arraingement?

Well, the associated C-189/AR, which selects channels for the T-47/ART-13
and the R-26/ARC-5 with C-131/AR, is uncommon, but they do show up.  One
went for a fairly low price on ebay just a few weeks ago.  Mike Hanz has
a very good picture of one at http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/box.htm

>I've been in the process of matching up connectors to sets and am
>running up against a wall so to speak.(Just an aside : The newer
>Type 12 and ARN-59 stuff may be a real stumbling block in addition
>to the more unusual AN/ARC-5 types as for the VHF components.Help!)

Well, a good connector reference exists in Michael's vintage command
set receiver work:  

http://www.mines.uidaho.edu/~glowbugs/PDF%20files/ARC5/guide-to-ARC.PDF

Also, see the AN/ARC-5 LF/MF/HF Components and the SCR-274-N maintenance
manual links that are at the bottom of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ARC-5

There's a lot of connector information in the AN/ARC-5 manual in particular.

>As for the AN/ARC-5 mobile display,I hope to sort of have a universal
>connectorized harness of racks and mounts so as to be able to re configure
>the system in almost any documented form as a feature of the display.

Just don't forget to include what was likely one of the most common combos
using an R-4/ARR-2 homing receiver, R-26/ARC-5 HF lock-tuned receiver, and
a R-28/ARC-5 VHF receiver.  Three-receiver AN/ARC-5 installations similar to
common SCR-274-N arrangements (BC-454-B, BC-453-B, and BC-455-B) using R-26,
R-23, and R-27 receivers in the rack were likely almost non-existent in actual
naval service.  VHF homing and communications were more important capabilities
than a beacon band or another shortwave receiver by the time the AN/ARC-5 had
arrived.

Mike / KK5F