[ARC5] Broadcast band Transmitters

[David Stinson]

I think the use of Liaison transmitters on MF and BCB as
"homing beacon" transmitters was almost certainly one of
their missions, given Liaison power levels and access to
a large, trailing antenna.

However- using Command Set transmitters in that role
makes no sense.  I'm holding in my hand a 1250-1500 KC
coil for the BC-230 transmitter, which is speced at
4 watts out when it's on HF.  No telling what it got on
1250 KC but I'd bet it wasn't much.   There isn't even
an antenna tuning tap on the coil as with the HF sets.

Alas, all we have for now is speculation.  I still lean to
the "Tertiary Power's Navy" hypothesis.  The 1920s,
international maritime and naval accords assigned both
ships and aircraft to frequencies, most of which were
between 400 and 2000 KC.  Allied aircraft patrolled
coastlines and intercepted targets all over the globe,
including places like Latin America and the Middle East.
The maritime and naval assets of these "tertiary powers"
were still equipped with radios that conformed to
the 1920s standards.   If an American patrol flight of
fighter aircraft were assigned to "check out" a surface
contact off the coast of, say, Costa Rica, they may
only be able to communicate with that vessel on 600 mtrs,
since that was likely to be the only equipment on maritime
or small military craft. "Capital ships" that some powers
might have- larger military cruisers etc,
would be equipped with radios that would work frequencies
in what we now consider BCB.  Indeed; American and British
ships were capable of using these freqs and often did.
If the U.S. Navy aircraft needed to communicate with, say,
a flight of biplanes from Iran, they might need to do that
on something like 1440 KC.
Low power "Command Set" radios could do these jobs
as they were accomplished over short ranges.

This is, as I've said, just speculation.  But I think it's a good 
one.

73 DE Dave AB5S