[ARC5] Help needed: PT boat restoration.

Sat Jun 29 16:09:50 EDT 2013

I hesitate to speak up here as just about everyone on this list has better knowlege of WW2 electronics than i do but I observe many American WW2 observers view the war from a post war perspective.  If you take a pre-war point of view, the united states having endured ten years of severe economic depression, a really dominant isolationist main stream political position ( 90% plus in public opinion polls pre Dec 7th if I remember correctly), the US armed forces being 7th largest (also if i remember correctly) in the world, severe treaty limitations on the size of the navy, extremely tight Army, Navy budgets for the last decade while technology- electronics- aircraft- armored vehicles- naval vessel- were undergoing huge conceptual shifts and very rapid, technological development,  well  I am surprised the American armed forces had anything worthwhile to fight with.

It seems to me a lot of stuff not worth saving from the trash in 1950 was worth it's price in gold in 1941

From this point of view a PT boat or other WW2 vehcile loaded with period "junk" equipment, is a very valuable indication of how much was accomplished in the four years of war and how difficult the first  year or two really was.

On a similar note a few years ago I had occasion to visit the museum in Christchurch NZ and see the equipment used by the Scott expedition in Antarctica.  Talk about junk! ( the cooker pots and the wooden sleds were exceptions)  Still to think of what they did while so poorly equipped even by contemporary standards

Who said you go to war with what you have not what you wish you have.

bruce  KJ3Z

________________________________
 From: "millerke6f at aol.com" <millerke6f at aol.com>
To: jcoward5452 at aol.com; kgordon2006 at frontier.com; ARC5 at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Friday, June 28, 2013 9:08 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Help needed: PT boat restoration.

Commentaries on WWII Communications Equipment be it junk or jewel or even a really bad design seems to bring out the vitriol among some list members.  From a purely emotional standpoint the best that could be said about most of the equipment produced and fielded during the first year or so of WWII is that it kept our forces together and somewhat functional until  better designed and manufactured stuff could make it to the armed forces.  Even though the BC-191 was a really archaic design, it along with its airborne BC-375 did well and saw service in all theaters of operation.  That it was overproduced in the 1000's is surely illustrated in all the surplus adverts after the war.  Was a BC-375 a piece of junk in 1950.  Yes indeed (even though it was a good looking piece of gear).  Oddly the SCR-274N series were a much better design and easier to use,but some AAF planners said that the preference was for the VHF am rigs like the SCR-522 of British
 design. Armored units wanted FM 
rigs even if they were converted Fred Link civilian land mobile sets.
I had by chance caught the film "A Bridge Too Far" based on Montgomery's Market Garden Fiasco and by far the inability to communicate due to lack of frequency coordination (crystals) was a critical failure of bad radio design coupled with the British Military's inability to even tie its shoes without a standing order.  By WWII's end technology and the industry were fielding advanced designs like the ART-13, The R-105/ARR15 and a host of other radios that made earlier systems look like Tin Can Phones.  But all this junk has kept us hams busy for well over 60 years and is fodder for an infinite number of arguments, tirades, and often comical but sometimes vitriolic rants.... smile folks
73
Bob, KE6F

-----Original Message-----
From: Jay Coward <jcoward5452 at aol.com>
To: kgordon2006 <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>; ARC5 <ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thu, Jun 27, 2013 4:13 pm
Subject: Re: [ARC5] Help needed: PT boat restoration.

And how is the term "junk" justified ?  By "hams" or by it's service record ?
Inquiring minds would like to know since I have one with various bits to make a 
working display.
With p-p 6L6 modulator the audio should be adequate. Originally a civilian set 
pressed into service like many other equipments at WWII outbreak.

Jay KE6PPF

-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth G. Gordon <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
To: ARC5 <ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thu, Jun 27, 2013 3:17 pm
Subject: [ARC5] Help needed: PT boat restoration.

Gents:

I have been contacted by a friend of the team near Portland, Oregon which is 
restoring a WWII PT boat. They want it to be complete as possible.

They have a TCS-13, but need some parts, and possibly a manual. The part 
they are needing at the moment (there may be more later) is the antenna 
knife switch.

The other piece of equipment they need is an ARC-4. I told their intermediary 
that the ARC-4 was a total piece of garbage, but, apparently, they insist that 
is what they want.

They have, at last report, made up the interconnect cables for the ARC-4, 
but need the unit itself and any supporting bits. They also may need a 
complete manual.

I have pointed them to Robert Downs for the manuals.

I will know more later this week, but in the meantime, could any of you 
please advise about the above needs? I will gladly pass on any suggestions 
you care to make.

Might there be another resource I should contact?

Thanks, and vy 73,

Kenneth G. Gordon W7EKB

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."--- John   Wayne

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