[ARC5] [Milsurplus] SCR-183 / SCR-283 Info

[Kludge]

-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon White [mailto:gewhite at crosslink.net] 
Sent: Sunday, 05 September, 2010 13:46
To: Discussion of AN/ARC-5 military radio equipment.
Cc: Kludge; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ARC5] [Milsurplus] SCR-183 / SCR-283 Info
> I would incorporate all the Command set and  associated &  ancillary 
> equipment, though the Cessna stuff does not "grab" me at all. 

I'm pretty much in agreement although I don't want to pursue things like the
ZA, ZB, AN/ARR-2 et al too far lest the original subject matter gets lost
somewhere.  

Likewise, I'm not particularly fond of the Cessna radios but they were made
under A.R.C.'s flag even though it wasn't any of the original design team's
work.  They got replaced in 1963 or 1964 by folks who would follow Cessna's
"vision" of panel mounted radios rather than keep a good thing going.  In
talking with several folks who worked in radio shops at the time including
one manager (one of whom is on the lists), I've been told several times this
was a large mistake and was what caused Narco et al to pretty much put them
out of the radio making business.  

Counter to this, I've gotten email from a person who disagrees with me on
the declining quality of A.R.C.'s products a few times but he has never once
backed his claims with any form of evidence or answered any of my questions
so I have to discount his comments.

Sperry bought Aircraft Radio & Control (Note the name change; I'm not sure
yet of the date of that.) for the course directors which they integrated
into their own line which was the end of the line.

> I will be glad to help as I can, and, as you probably know, I have a fair
amount 
> of local Boonton industrial history, leading up to A.R.C.  

And I would love to have copies of this.  It sets the background for
A.R.C.'s formation and initial growth and, I hope, includes the shakeup in
1934 that changed who was on top of the food chain.  Somehow 1934 was a key
year for A.R.C. and a lot changed then to put them into the position they
were in before and during WW II.  And, actually, after since their wartime
experience helped with the Type 12 et al systems.  

> I am not interested in royalties, though would be happy to be credited as
a 
> source. 

That was already planned, if nothing else due to your fantastic articles
from which I've been drawing as references and the manuals et al which you
have so generously shared with me.  

> I have about ten boxes of A.R.,C. records I was about to give to 
> the Air &Space Museum, but which I will hold on to until I know whether 
> or not they might be needed.

What sort of records would these be?

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG BL01xh
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx 
http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/ 
http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com 
Hiki Nô!