[ARC5] BC-1206 Antenna...now VHF command sets.

[Jay Coward]

Mike,
 I am always facinated by your aircraft radio lore. When will your book on the subject go to print? I'd appreciate an autographed copy!
Jay KE6PPF



-----Original Message-----
From: Mike Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net>
To: arc5 <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sun, Nov 25, 2012 11:53 pm
Subject: Re: [ARC5] BC-1206 Antenna...now VHF command sets.


> I understood the early decease of the AN/ARC-3 family was caused by the 
 inability to churn out crystals fast enough. Hence the beginning of 
 frequency synthesis and PLL systems ...
The AN/ARC-3 (and 16-channel AN/ARC-36 version, and 48-channel AN/ARC-49 
ersion)
ad a very long service life.  Certainly it was much longer than any other WWII-
intage VHF command set, including the USN's AN/ARC-1.  The AN/ARC-3/36/49 was
till in service on some older USAF aircraft into the late 1960s...maybe even 
ater.
The USAF seemed in no hurry to replace the AN/ARC-3/36/49.  The AN/ARC-3 must 
ave
erved its design function rather well...enough to justify design extension for
he 16- and 48-channel versions through the 1950s.  The USAF (and US Army) hung 
n
o having VHF command set along side a UHF command set even up to recent times, 
et
he service replacement for the AN/ARC-3/36/49 waited until the Collins 
ynthesized
N/ARC-73* was available...about 20 years after the AN/ARC-3 was first deployed.
That does *not* seem to describe any "early decease" for the AN/ARC-3. :-)
The USN dropped almost all interest in VHF command sets almost immediately after 
HF
ets was available.  The early 10-channel UHF-AM RT-58/ARC-12 was intended to 
eplace
he VHF-AM RT-18/ARC-1 in existing AN/ARC-1 installations, simply by pulling the 
T-18
rom its rack and replacing it with the RT-58, plus an antenna change.  No UHF 
lus
HF installations like those that the USAF and US Army preferred.
The 1750-channel Collins UHF-AM AN/ARC-27, used almost everywhere for many years
y every service, dates from the very early 1950s.  That shows that the effort
oward synthesized command sets was directed toward the UHF spectrum rather than
HF.  The VHF AN/ARC-73 took yet another decade to appear in service.
I am unaware of any significant crystal procurement problems after WWII.
Mike / KK5F
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