[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Identify this aircraft freq meter?

[Mike Morrow]

David Stinson wrote:

>> The BC-RC-183 is really not a "freq meter" per se.
>> It is what amounts to an external BFO for the BC-229
>> so that receiver could be used in a Liaison role.

Mike Hanz wrote:

> I have a photo of it in a B-15 bomber at 
> http://aafradio.org/flightdeck/1935/B-15-2.JPG

The Signal Corps General Catalog describes this system as:

RC-12 Oscillator Equipment

There were six varieties beginning in 1933:

BC-GL-183
BC-GM-183
BC-RA-183
BC-RB-183
BC-RC-183
BC-RD-183.

It was, as Dave says, stated in the catalog as providing for reception of unmodulated signals as an optional addition to Observation and Liaison sets:

SCR-AA-185  (BC-AD-219 receiver, BC-AA-191 transmitter)
SCR-AB-185  (BC-AF-229 receiver, BC-AA-191 transmitter)
SCR-AA-187  (BC-AD-219 receiver, BC-AA-191 transmitter)
SCR-AB-187  (BC-AE-183 receiver, BC-AA-191 transmitter)
SCR-AC-187  (BC-AG-183 receiver, BC-AA-191 transmitter)
SCR-202     (BC-AA-179 receiver, USN type GM transmitter)

The BC-**-183 got its power from the connector on the bottom of the receiver system junction box.

Although it is not called out anywhere as serving as a frequency meter, it was provided with a 32-FOOT-long by 8-inch-tall calibration chart MC-132 that was created and serial-numbered to each individual unit.  That indicates the function was a little more sophisticated than only providing a heterodyne oscillator for CW reception.

Mike...that is a stunning job on your reproduction FT-103 mount!  But I'm confused by your description which says that you did not have an oscillator unit...but then you show it on the mount.

Mike / KK5F