[ARC5] Broadcast band Transmitters

[Mike Morrow]

> The simplest explanation is the bureaucratic one.  US had equipment like the
> BC-342 and BC-344 covering the LW, MW, and HF range.  So they figured the
> airplanes would need that coverage, too.

I really doubt that proposal.  Throughout the history of MF/HF command sets (SCR-Ax-183/-283, SCR-274-N  GF-x/RU-x, ATA/ARA, ATB/ARB) LF/MF transmitting capability has NOT been available.  In the USAAF there had never been commamd sets with LF/MF capability matching US Army ground sets.  Even for the USN's AN/ARC-5 with the "special application" T-15/-16/-17 units, the manual warns of the requirement for trailing wire antennas, with the fixed-antenna TN-6 of marginal use with the T-16 or T-17...and unusuable with the T-15. These three USN transmitters were purposefully made to meet some specific but now-unknown USN-unique application.

> Did the BC-375 have the capability to cover the LW and MW frequencies?

The SCR-287-A was provided with the TU-26-A 200 to 500 kHz tuning unit and BC-306-A/-B antenna tuning unit.  The TU-3-A 400 to 800 kHz and TU-4-A 800 to 1500 kHz tuning units were not provided.

> In my 1973 Fair Radio catalog I note that the NOS BC-223 transmitters
> they were selling for $19.95 only came with tuning units for 2MHZ to 3 MHZ,
> 3MHZ to 4.5 MHZ, and 4.5MHZ to 5.2 MHZ.

The SCR-245-* used the BC-223-Ax transmitter with only the first two TU-17-A and TU-18-A tuning units.  Sometimes the third unit TU-25-A was provided too.  There wete no LF/MF TUs provided.  But then...the BC-223-Ax was a ground communications set...not an airborne set.  Though it looks cute and small, it's steel and the heaviest dense 26 pounds to have the misfortune to carry about at a hamfest.  :-)

Mike / KK5F