[ARC5] RAT/RAV radios question

[Mike Morrow]

I have posted this link to a document I created in 2016 that lists essentially ALL variants of the "command set" receivers, sorted chronologically and grouped by system.  (There is an error in the frequency range shown for the 1958 A.R.C. R-22 receiver, which is 540 to 1600 kHz.)

 http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/arc5/attachments/20160425/24b17647/attachment-0001.pdf

>From the above you will see:

RAT (14 vdc, 1939)  13500 to 27000 kHz with two "command set style" receivers.  Patrol/liaison receiver
NOTE:  Adds to the frequency coverage of the RU-11 (14 vdc, 1939) 200 to 13575 kHz liaison receiver system to match the frequency coverage (300 to 26500 kHz) of the 1938 and 1939 G.E. GO-4, GO-5, GO-6 liaison transmitters.  (All earlier GO sets did.not exceed 13575 kHz.)

RAT-1 (28 vdc, 1939)  13500 to 27000 kHz with two "command set style" receivers.  Patrol/liaison receiver.
NOTE:  Adds to the frequency coverage of the RU-12 (28 vdc, 1939) 200 to 13575 kHz liaison receiver system to match the frequency coverage (300 to 26500 kHz) of the 1938 and 1939 G.E. GO-4, GO-5, GO-6 liaison transmitters.

RAV (28 vdc, 1940)  190 to 27000 kHz with eight "command set style" receivers.  Patrol/liaison receiver.
NOTE:  Replaces the RU-12 200 to 13575 kHz and RAT-1 13500 to 27000 kHz liaison receiver systems to match the frequency coverage (300 to 26500 kHz) of the 1938 and 1939 G.E. GO-4, GO-5, GO-6 liaison transmitters and the 1940 Westinghouse GO-7, GO-8, G0-9, GO-9a (300 to 18500 kHz) liaison transmitters.

Fifty or less of each of the above three systems were built.  The three-receiver 1940 G.E. RAX-1 receivers covered the same range as the RAV with much better receivers and bandspread and system simplicity.  RAX-1 was built in the many thousands and even used with the Collins ATC.

RAV was a loser and almost nothing "RAV" survives today. However, as the attached pdf shows, three RAV receivers became 1940 ARA receivers with no changes but system designation, as did two others after their loop antenna terminals and switch were eliminated.

Thus, what many call "command set" receivers started service life as patrol/liaison receivers...for a short while.

Mike / KK5F

-----Original Message-----
From: J Mcvey via ARC5 
Sent: Jun 22, 2020 12:28 PM
To: "arc5 at mailman.qth.net" 
Subject: [ARC5] RAT/RAV radios question
I have seen these radios mentioned here from time to time, but have never seen one personally.
They were  a 14V version of the ARC-5 series?
Did these also have associated transmitters, or were they rx only?
What was their mission?