[ARC5] RAT/RAV radios question

[Michael Hanz]

You can download the manual at https://aafradio.org/flightdeck/RAT.htm 
and see precisely what it consisted of, but neither the 14v nor 28v 
versions were ever really intended for jeeps or trucks.  In 1939 very 
few aircraft had 28v systems (but were certainly in planning)...thus the 
two RAT and RAT-1 variations.  They don't have the rugged (extremely 
heavy) construction associated with ground equipment, and given the 
leaky carrier aircraft cockpits during the war, only had a canvas slip 
cover to keep salt spray and dew off of things when not in use.  The 
official description below pretty much says it all:



The reason no one answered your last question below is that there has 
been a long debate over the sets' original operational requirement - and 
given their extremely low number, no anecdotal stories about their 
employment have surfaced.  The first five pages of the manual are 
composed on a typewriter with the usual smudgy multiple carbon papers 
and describe the XRAT, a term commonly used for samples provided for 
evaluation (page 5 is unfortunately missing).  There are a couple of 
curious references to the Type K set "recently supplied to the Navy", as 
if everyone who is anyone knows what those are in 1939 (at 
https://aafradio.org/flightdeck/ARC_Type_K.html just so you'll be one of 
the Literati). Then page six launches out of the blue like all the 
production ARC equipment manuals do, with a photo of the complete set 
and proper book printing.

Given the arrival of General Electric's XRAX the following year 
(https://aafradio.org/flightdeck/RAX.html ), I'm inclined to think that 
the RAT sets were part of the Navy's strategy for diversification as the 
war loomed closer and closer on the horizon, issuing small contracts to 
supply equipment for evaluation in order to see what might develop for 
the long haul.  The eventual RAX-1 supplied the need in three receivers 
versus five required for the ARC sets, so that became the go-to receiver 
set until the ARB came along as the fleet aircraft receiver two years later.

          73,
- Mike  KC4TOS

On 6/23/2020 9:16 PM, J Mcvey via ARC5 wrote:
> Thanks for the info.
> So, from what I gather , the RAT/RAV are rare as well as not having 
> been  in production very long.
> No specific paired transmitters either...
> I was particularly interested in the 14V series that may have been 
> fitted on a jeep or truck and what that consisted of.
>
>
> On Monday, June 22, 2020, 1:33:30 PM EDT, J Mcvey via ARC5 
> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>
>
> 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?

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