[ARC5] The Lorenz BC-455 Dials

[David Stinson]

Ya'll got my curious bone twitching, so I looked into this.
The "look" of the numbers on the Lorenz "8th Air Force"
BC-455 got me thinking.

Here's a photo from Hank Brown of something 
that makes me more jealous than a jilted woman:
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/dialfonts/lorenz455.jpg 

Here's a close-up of the numbers on the dial.
Look closely at the font of  "3":
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/dialfonts/lorenzfont.jpg

Compare the font to this one from an A.R.C. ARA:
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/dialfonts/arafont.jpg

and an A.R.C.  RAT:
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/dialfonts/ratfont.jpg

and Western Electric produced dial:
http://home.netcom.com/~arc5/dialfonts/WE1font.jpg

Note that, in every case of a "normal" dial, 
the "3" is round-topped.  
The Lorenz-converted 455 dial has flat-topped threes. 

These receivers were modified while both A.R.C.
and W.E. were in active production of these sets.
There would be no reason to change the fonts if
they produced the sets.   Moreover, the numerical fonts
have a very "European" look to me.
I think this a strong indication that the dials were re-worked
locally, either at an 8th A.F. machine shop or, more likely,
by a local Brit contractor. 

73 Dave AB5S