[ARC5] AN/ARC-3

[Bob Macklin]

The 121.5 VHF guard channel is still in use. The "UHF" guard channel is 243. 
121.5 * 2. The guard channel in the ARC-27 and ARC-33 both receive 121.5 and 
243.

Bob Macklin
K5MYJ
Seattle, Wa.
"Real Radios Glow In The Dark"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
To: "Mike Morrow" <kk5f at earthlink.net>; <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 28, 2013 5:21 PM
Subject: Re: [ARC5] AN/ARC-3


> Mike: I didn't see your reply before I sent mine.
>
> On 28 Mar 2013 at 0:00, Mike Morrow wrote:
>
>> > Has anyone ever seen an ARC-3 on eBay?
>>
>> They show up rather frequently, at least the R-77* and T-67*/ARC-3
>> portion.
>
> Yes. I see them regularly there.
>
>>  And going prices are typically very low...a few months
>> ago I bought an almost NOS R-77B/ARC-3 with eight crystals for
>> $30 plus shipping...typical prices for a set not highly sought.
>
> Gee. Nice find. I already had two receivers, and a friend sent me one 
> transmitter, so I have
> those, at least.
>
>> I admire the AN/ARC-3 design...it must have been a wonder for the
>> radio techs, since it self-tunes with minimum tech intervention.
>> In fact, it does that every time the channel is changed.
>
> Yes. I always thought the ARC-3s were darned good rigs, and were never 
> properly utilized by
> hams. Many hams in my area tried to use the ARC-4, which was a total POS 
> in my
> estimation.
>
>> If it had the guard channel and ten channels of the AN/ARC-1, it
>> would have been almost perfect for the era, and much easier to
>> re-crystal than the AN/ARC-1.
>
> Well, I had an ARC-1 once, and really liked it. I liked its autotune too.
>
>> There was an external guard receiver that was developed for the
>> AN/ARC-3, and many R-77, all R-77A, and all R-77B/ARC-3 units
>> had the RF connector for it.  But I've never seen any technical
>> details, and it appears that it was dropped as a project.
>
> Innersting. I had wondered what that extra RF connector was for.
>
>>  Without
>> doubt the shift to UHF-AM for military comms reduced the value
>> of a guard channel for the AN/ARC-3, -36, and -49, even though
>> some of those units stayed in USAF service at least into the
>> late 1960s.
>
> Yes. I cannot now remember where, but I saw a complete setup in some 
> ex-military aircraft
> many years ago. I was impressed.
>
> Ken W7EKB
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