[ARC5] interesting ?

[Michael Hanz]

On 2/23/2018 10:52 AM, Military Wireless Museum via ARC5 wrote:
> 162870744168  Auto-Ordnance Corp WWII Radio Thompson Co Receivers
> Interesting or what ?

In my opinion, they are What.   CUO is the Navy Manufacturing Code for 
Maguire Industries.  These have a mid-1943 vintage contract date,  and 
cover frequency bands which were primarily used by radar at that point 
in the war - note the Type N antenna connectors that were rarely used at 
HF frequencies for normal communication.  That pretty much puts them in 
the category of radar countermeasures surveillance.  Being converters 
(or frequency mixers if you prefer) rather than complete receivers, they 
required a separate conventional radio receiver capable of receiving 
signals in the .2 to 5MHz frequency range, as well as an external, 
stable, lower frequency oscillator with rich harmonics (presumably 
inputted from the binding post antenna connector).  The 100 microvolt 
sensitivity also places them in the category of radar surveillance 
equipment.  You don't need much sensitivity to hear a high power 
transmitted pulse radar signal.

The interesting thing is that by 1943 the Navy already had a mature 
capability in airborne ECM receivers in the form of the Navy ARC and 
ARC-1 and their successor, the AN/APR-1 - all of them complete receivers 
with four tuning plug-ins available that covered 38-4,000MHz.   They 
were used not only in aircraft, but in submarines - and the larger 
shipboard equivalent, the RDO, used the same plug-ins.

That makes these curious converters sort of orphans, probably contracted 
in small numbers to meet a quick reaction need.  That was fairly common 
back then because of production and distribution limitations for the 
main-line equipment.  As to what kind of platform they were used in, I 
have no idea.  Could have been small boats or small aircraft (the -19047 
battery supply would likely fit in a small plane).  None of the 
main-line equipment was ever designed for mobile battery use.  Adding to 
the idea of a QRC contract product, there were three similar frequency 
converters produced by the same company with an earlier (February 1943) 
contract date, covering 45-120MHz, 100-350MHz, and 335-585MHz, with 
similar sensitivities.  The three in the auction used the same battery 
set as the earlier triplett.

            73,
  - Mike  KC4TOS

P.S., Here's what I have on the relevant numbers in my NAVSHIPS 900,109 
(with typos corrected):

CU0 *19047*      *GENERAL USE
BATTERY POWER UNIT:
POWER UNIT FOR NAVY TYPES -46205, 206,
207, RF TO IF CONVERTERS. INCLUDES 7
BATTERIES.  ONE NAVY TYPE -19020 AND 6
NAVY TYPE -19052, TWO Of WHICH ARE
SPARES
*NXss-26590
6/4/43
NOV. 43

CUO *46212*    GENERAL USE       RE 13A 779A
RF TO IF CONVERTER
(RANGE A):   FREQ RANGE 40 TO 195 MC.
OUTPUT FREQ 195KC TO 5MC. OPERATES FROM
EXTERNAL BATTERY SUPPLY NAVY TYPE -19047
SENSITIVITY 100 MICROVOLTS,  WEIGHT
APPROX. 4 POUNDS.  SIZE 4" X  5" X 6".
SIMILAR TO NAVY TYPE -46205.   INPUT:
6V AC/DC OR 28 V DC AND 270 V DC,
5/15/43      CUO:5I2       CUO:E-105
SEPT 43                                             SUB A


CU0 *46213*    GENERAL USE      RE 13A 779A
RF TO IF CONVERTER
(RANGE B):  FREQ RANGE 180 TO 500MC. OUT·
PUT FREQ .195KC TO 5MC. OPERATES FROM
EXTERNAL BATTERY SUPPLY  NAVY TYPE
-19047.  SENSITIVITY 100 MICROVOLTS.
WEIGHT APPROX 4 POUNDS. SIZE 4" X  5" X
6".   SIMILAR TO NAVY TYPE -46206.  INPUT:
6V AC/DC OR 28 V DC AND 270 V DC,
5/15/43      CUO:5I3        CUO:E-105
SEPT 43                                             SUB A


CU0 *46214*    GENERAL USE     RE 13A 779A
RF TO IF CONVERTER
(RANGE C): FREQ RANGE 480 TO 700MC. OUT·
PUT FREQ .195KC TO 5MC.  OPERATES FROM
EXTERNAL BATTERY SUPPLY NAVY TYPE -19047.
SENSITIVITY 100 MICROVOLTS .  WEIGHT
APPROX 4 POUNDS .   SIZE 4" X  5" X 6".
SIMILAR TO NAVY TYPE -46207. INPUT:
6V AC/DC OR 28 V DC AND 270 V DC,
5/15/43      CUO:5I4        CUO:E-105
SEPT 43                                             SUB A
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