[ARC5] BC-342-N

[Joe Connor]

They are really nice and because they were workhorses in WWII, they are living slices of history. 
I've rebuilt a few of them, and it's not all that difficult as long as you work carefully and systematically. The military manual is excellent and has lots of photos, schematics and wiring diagrams to guide you. There are a couple of good youtube videos showing the restoration process. A lot of guys have been under the hood of these sets and are more than willing to give you guidance.
The big issue, as has been pointed out, is the bathtub caps. They can be left in place and new caps can be wired in to replace them. Those small mylar caps are excellent for this purpose. You can also remove them and use the vacated space for new caps. Some guys have restuffed them, but I've always been worried about the potentially toxic stuff inside.
The three RF boxes have to be dropped because the caps inside will be leaky. Again, it's not too difficult if you work systematically. Unless you replace the caps in those boxes, you will not see how good these receivers really are. It makes a big difference.
There are also a few easily reversible, non-intrusive mods that can improve the audio considerably. 
A lot of these sets were "hammed up" in the '50s, so if you can find an unmolested one for a fair price, grab it. The next thing you know, you'll want the companion BC-314, which has the BCB band. These sets are addictive and there is no 12-step program to help you!
Joe Connor 


     On Tuesday, November 10, 2015 7:52 AM, DSP3 <jeepp at comcast.net> wrote:
   
 

 There's nothing wrong with the BC-342( ) receiver. Yes.. they are very 
heavy for their size, arguably twice that of a BC-348.  I have both and 
find that the BC-342 has a much nicer tuning setup.  Its very smooth and 
feels solid.  There are a couple of items to be considered regarding the 
BC-342.  Its now pushing 75 years old and it will need a certain amount 
of re-capping.  Yes, you may very well get one that's functioning well 
but... in time you will need to do the deed.  Unlike the BC-348, the 
'342 and '312 utilize bathtub capacitors.  In one place, they're stacked 
up like the stern of a container ship.  It takes some engineering to 
remove and replace them with modern types.  Oh, it absolutely can be 
done.  It just takes some thought and doing.  Although not quite as 
troublesome as the variable trimmer tuning capacitors in the BC-348, the 
ones in the BC-342 and '312 are showing up defective.  Replacing them is 
also a chore, more difficult than the BC-348.  Obviously, though, it can 
be done.  Another item is the dial cursor.  The plastic versions are 
generally pretty warped as the materials in the 1940's are not what they 
are today.  Its a good idea to check that item out as they are not 
(generally) replaceable in the field.  Ebay pictures are not sufficient 
to make some critical judgements! But, once you have a stable receiver 
and have addressed the above items, the BC-342 or '312 are great 
receivers for a MIL vintage station. They represent some fine 
engineering that came out of Monmouth.

Jeep - K3HVG



On 11/9/2015 10:33 PM, kg4kgl at gmail.com wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I was wondering what the common wisdom is regarding this particular receiver? There is one for sale. My use for it would be copying CW on the 80and 40m bands.
>
> I see it was powered from 115v mains, so no hacking should be needed for amateur use.
>
>
> Tnx,
>
> Robert
> KG4KGL
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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