[ARC5] Type 185 Radio Receiver?

[Bart Lee]

Hi Tim,

I have a very small BC-1206-B range receiver. This is known as "The
Smallest Boat Anchor"! It's about the same size as yours and did the same
things.  I keep it next to my R-274D/FRR.

It says on its front, in CAPS:

"Not to be removed by ferry pilot or others except upon instruction of unit
commander"

-- so I guess these portable radios had a way of slipping away by
themselves in those days of scarce parts...

One site says:

My grandmother used to work at Boeing during WWII building B-17's and they
would put one of these on a piece of plywood on the co-pilot's seat while
it was being flown by a ferry pilot to the military base where the radios
and weapons would be fitted. This was the only radio on the plane until
then! (WB6NVH Antique Radio Forums)

== ==


Another site says the "BC-1206-B is an copy of the early Model 438 Detrola
by Warwick Manufacturing Company (CWF)." My radio has a CWF contract number
and is dated 1943.


Back in the early 1960s I trained on the A-N beacon system, but I don't
know when it went away. I do know there were many weather and other AM
broadcasts
(NOTAMs etc.) on long wave into the 1980s, and to this day they
are broadcast in Alaska.


73 de Bart, K6VK ##

-- --
Bart Lee,
​ K6VK, CHRS, AWA, ARRL​

<http://www.LawForHams.com>


On Sun, Jan 7, 2018 at 9:45 PM, Tim <timsamm at gmail.com> wrote:

> No worries!  That was way more info on that set than I knew about...
> BTW, I have one of those "Beam Filters" with the 1020 cps range-phone-both
> filters.  Works pretty well as a CW filter for my command set lashup...
> Blasphemy, I know...
>
> Thanks again - Tim
> N6CC
>
> On Sun, Jan 7, 2018 at 9:37 PM, Michael Bittner <mmab at cox.net> wrote:
>
>> I made two errors in my first email regarding Tim's question about the
>> Type 185 receiver.  First, "beacon receiver" is misleading.  Mike Morrow is
>> right, it is definitely a "range receiver".  Pardon me while I do a "fade
>> 90" (old pilots will know what that is) to figure out where I am.  The
>> beauty of the 4-course range was that you didn't need any sort of visual
>> display or directional antenna - just the radio with a wire antenna,
>> earphones, and the training to know how to navigate with the thing.
>> Second, what I have been using as a shock mount on the bottom of the
>> receiver can be clipped to any side or back of the receiver except the
>> front panel and the side with the name plate.  And, the shock mount
>> attaches to the 186 battery box with four screws.  Sorry for the early
>> "shoot from the lip" answer.  Mike W6MAB
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> *From:* Tim <timsamm at gmail.com>
>> *To:* Michael Bittner <mmab at cox.net>
>> *Cc:* ARC-5 List <ARC5 at mailman.qth.net>
>> *Sent:* Sunday, January 07, 2018 5:19 PM
>> *Subject:* Re: [ARC5] Type 185 Radio Receiver?
>>
>> Hi Mike - I think you've nailed it!
>>
>> Many thanks,,,
>> Tim
>> N6CC
>>
>> On Sun, Jan 7, 2018 at 4:57 PM, Michael Bittner <mmab at cox.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Low frequency beacon receiver, 200-420 kHz.  Runs on dry batteries
>>> installed in the battery box you mention.  Mine has an extra plate riveted
>>> to one side above the nomenclature plate that says,
>>>
>>> RETURN TO NAS HUTCHINSON KANSAS
>>> IN ACCORDANCE WITH BUAER LTR
>>> AER-F-10-R10 VN F42-9/46 127648
>>> 17 AUG 1943 SERIAL 301
>>>
>>> Mine has a shock mount clipped on underneath with the battery box
>>> clipped on above.  The shock mount and the battery box look like they can
>>> exchange positions, but I haven't tried this.  No carry strap came with
>>> mine.
>>> Mike, W6MAB
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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>
>
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