[ARC5] AN/ARC-5 support for CW

[AKLDGUY .]

> FWIW, he could key the mic even with the inaccessible control box
> emission switch still in VOICE position.  A situation requiring that is
> rather incredible.

If you think keyed AM is CW, well, a pilot COULD send CW that way,
but the circuit is definitely not optimized for CW in that state. This is
not what I would call "providing CW capability".

> Beyond that, the R-25 through R-27 communications receivers were
> frequency-stabilized so that they could be pre-set and locked before
> flight, needing no remote in-flight tuning capability.  That allowed
> elinination of tuning dials, cranks, and cables from installations using
> the C-38 control mentioned above, or the C-27 individual receiver
> simplified  control box which consists of audio output controls only.

So, the receiver tuning controls have been eliminated to stop pilots
fiddling and the BFO cannot even be turned on. How then does a pilot
tune the receiver to get a beat note that is satisfactory to him? What
happens if the receiver happens to be tuned so that it is zero-beat
with the transmitting station. Frequency stabilization in that era was not
good enough for precise CW setting and forgetting.

It's obvious that the intention was to eliminate CW as a normal function.
Only if the pilot could remove the cover, gain access to the modulator
to plug in the key, somehow turn on the BFO (how?), and somehow
tune the receiver for acceptable note (how?) could he send true CW.
This implies that the plane is downed and the situation is an emergency.

I can't see that CW under those conditions is anything but a heroic
attempt to modify the installation under emergency conditions.

Nevertheless, I'll think about rewriting the Wikipedia article to make clear
that CW is possible only under exceptional emergency conditions. Keep
watching.

73 de Neil ZL1ANM