[ARC5] the age old battle of modify or sanctify...

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

You're both right. We've seen plenty of examples of each, be it Fair
Radio still selling a few ARC-5 or Command set bits in recent years to
hams who bought several and only got around to modifying one or two or
whatever. Don't forget the random NOS BC-375s and ART-13s that still
show up in fairly complete packages as sold surplus years ago.
Certainly the hacked up versions are the work of hams for the most
part. But that doesn't mean surviving clean examples weren't picked up
and saved by hams.

And though I'm pretty sure it was mentioned somewhere in the furball
and touched on again by Robert, I'd have to say hams are indeed
responsible for the bulk of that type gear that is around today. Were
it not for a postwar demand by old and new hams alike for equipment,
and the conversion articles showing that even a monkey could
accomplish it, I seriously doubt the surplus dealers would've bothered
with the stuff beyond sending it out the door to the scrapper upon
arrival. Especially if they'd bought a load and had it sit there
unsold. Who else would be a likely customer? Private pilots?
Commercial airlines used some things like BC-348s as we've seen, but
look at how little of that stuff shows up compared to either
ham-modified versions or clean, unmolested examples.

Some may not like the outcome, and few today would do what was
commonplace then. But it's undeniable that those conversion articles
helped fuel the demand by hams old and young who had dreams of being
on the air or on a certain band, but lacked the funds to accomplish it
through commercial gear. And whether today's unmodified examples come
from the estates of those hams or a pile of untouched surplus
uncovered from a long gone dealer, amateur radio created the bulk of
the postwar demand. Through magazine ads, catalogs, or existing
modified examples, history shows this clearly. Regardless of what we
like or want to believe.

As someone who was too young for the first wave of surplus and
discovered these fine sets much later, I thank the hams and the demand
they created for providing the opportunities I have now to enjoy such
fine history. The result is a good start on both ARA/ATA and ARC-5 set
ups (and numerous other types) in original condition that I'd have
never known existed otherwise. The number of sets I've preserved
easily offsets those modified by at least 5 or 10 hams.

Onward and upward?

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4