[ARC5] Pre-ARC-5 rigs.

[AKLDGUY .]

I understand that the SCR-183/283 (aka BC-229/BC-230) was Western Electric
designed and was assembled by no other maker.

Somewhere I heard that Amelia Earhart used a W.E. radio for her final 1937
flight.
After a change of frequency to the 6 Mc/s band, the Coast Guard cutter
"Itasca" was able to hear Earhart but she apparently was unable to hear it.

Plugin coil sets allowed the possibility of the wrong band being set for
her receiver.
Setting of frequency by reading a chart and setting the dial to a number
(rather than direct frequency readout) leaves open the possibility of
wrongly set frequency within the correct band.

I'm interested in whether her flight carried SCR-183/283 or not.
She probably didn't carry radio equipment of the very newest model, but
would have taken something well proven and known to be reliable. The
SCR-183/283 went into production in 1932 and would have been mature in
development, bug fixing, and documentation by 1937.

73 de Neil ZL1ANM


On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 5:34 AM, David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com> wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <
> kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
>
>
>  OK. So there were two "series" of pre-arc-5 equipments. I mean like the
>> BC-230-looking types.
>>
>> One was, of course, the SCR-182/283, and the other was, I presume, the
>> GF.
>>
>> As I understand it, they LOOK somewhat similar, but the GF was more
>> "capable" than the other.
>>
>
> Depends on how one defines "capable," Ken.
> After the first couple of production runs in 1932-33,
> the missions of the GF/RU and SCR-183/-283 diverged.
> The RU was changed to provide the ability to serve
> in a Liaison role.   The GF was redesigned for sturdier
> tubes and higher power to better fit its longer-range,
> over-water mission.  The SCR-183/-283 fit its intended
> mission of short-range Command/training/ferrying
> and range flying.  Both gave successful service in approriate
> deployment throughout WWII and even after.
>
>
>  In fact, as I understand it, the GF was used in many smaller Navy
>> aircraft all
>> through the war,
>>
> Indeed.  GF/RU Command was in most of the Navy aircraft
> that fought at Midway (Yes; I have pictures).
>
>
>  whereas the SCR-183/283 was "dumped" in favor of the
>> SCR-274N series quite early on.
>>
>
> Not so.  Somewhere around her I have flight-line service
> tags showing SCR-283 items being serviced in 1953.
> Many aircraft were so equipped throughout the war.
> There were many missions, especially "behind the lines,"
> where SCR-183 / -283 fit the requirements.
>
> Like the "VHF replaced the ARC-5s" myth that just-won't-die,
> it's nearly always a mistake to assume a single point in time when
> one servicable radio set was "removed and replaced" with another.
> It was a very big war, with a lot of "mix and match" going on all
> over the place.   Aircraft in service and doing daily jobs where
> SCR-283 fulfilled their mission were not likely to be
> pulled off-the-line to have a newer radio installed; those went
> to the new-production aircraft.  The older aircraft kept their -283
> until it failed unrepairable or the aircraft's mission changed.
>
> I have a full post on the development of SCR-183 / -283
> from 2011, if anyone is interested.
>
> 73 DE Dave AB5S
>
>
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