[ARC5] Radios and the Canal

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Eleazer" <releazer at earthlink.net>
To: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2013 5:33 AM
Subject: [ARC5] Radios and the Canal


>I am reading a book on the WWII campaign in the Solomons 
>Islands.  It emphasizes the important role played by radio 
>interception, both for breaking enemy codes and for D/Fing 
>or enemy force locations.
>
> The book says that a radio interception team was sent to 
> Guadalcanal soon after our invasion, equipped with 
> Hallicrafters receivers.  I guess I am surprised they 
> would use a Hallicrafters for such work, since there must 
> have been better receivers available, but perhaps they 
> needed wider frequency coverage than the 1.5-18 MHZ that 
> was so common with WWII military receivers.  It seems that 
> one of the receivers turned up missing during the arrival 
> and its case was found some time later; the Marines had 
> been using it for an oven.
>
> The USN took off soon after dumping the Marines on the 
> island, before unloading all of the supplies and so for 
> some time the only long range radio the US forces on the 
> island had available was with captured Japanese equipment.
>
> The book mentions often the vital work of the 
> coastwatchers, who provided observations on Japanese 
> movements. I wonder what kind of equipment they had?
>
> Wayne
>
     Perhaps the SX-28, They would need a receiver covering 
the entire communications bands. The SX-28 goes from 540khz 
to 40 mhz.  While it is inferior to the Super-Pro it covers 
all frequencies and is more compact since it is all on one 
chassis.
     BTW, there is a curious drawing as the front piece of 
TM 11-880 which may be intended to portray a coast watcher. 
I think this is available from the web.  It covers the RCA 
AR88D and AR88F receivers. A lot of these were available to 
various military groups but they weighed 100 lbs.


--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles
WB6KBL
dickburk at ix.netcom.com