[ARC5] R-2/ARR-3 Receiver

[Phillip Carpenter]

Roy,

The CIA-46186 (RBF-1) Sono Buoy VHF Anti-Submarine Receiver was built for the U.S. Navy during WWII by the Airplane and Marine Instruments, Inc. of Clearfield, PA using parts from Hallicrafters. The circuitry is similar to the Hallicrafters S-36 receiver (RBK-8 receiver). However the receiver operates on FM from 70-90MHz.

I am going to try NTIS to see if they might have a manual with schematic. They show a document PB17994 that might be helpful.

Phil

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 4, 2021, at 12:55 PM, Roy Morgan <k1lky68 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Phil,
> 
> I have not seen any documentation on the R-2/ARR-3 receiver.  I did, however fly navy helicopters (1967-1971, HS-5 Quonset Point, RI.) that were equipped to drop and to monitor sonobuoys.  I suspect the receivers we carried were not the ones you are interested in.  The system we had I am pretty sure was under test and evaluation - it was not installed in aircraft I flew in the reserves after that.  The system we carried had the receiver and a multi-channel paper readout of the received channels.  ‘Pretty sure it was electrostatic in operation, because it made a characteristic smell.  The S-2F fixed wing aircraft we also had on the carriers then were equipped to both launch and monitor the sonobouys.  They may also have been able to relay the audio signals back to the carrier or destroyer for more extensive evaluation.
> 
> One of the sponsons on the helo was modified to carry a number of the sonobuoys - they could be launched by the sonar operator crewman.  (On the P-3 they were launched by the crewman sliding it out a chute inside the aircraft. There must be thousands of those things decaying on the bottom of the Atlantic - they were designed to sink themselves after their useful battery life was over.)
> 
> I did once have a roughly two-three page document telling about the SSQ-41 sonobuoy but I think I do not have that any more.  As I remember it, the document did tell the frequencies of the channels around 75 mc, and give an overall description of the sonobuoy itself.
> 
> I do have the parts of an SSQ-41 here, and also a complete older larger sonobuoy.  It is likely that this older sonobuoy was the type the R-2/ARR-3 receiver worked with.  These have been in my collection of Junque and Treasures since perhaps 1970 or so, when I got out of active duty and transferred to the active reserves.  I am pretty sure I don’t have a complete SSQ-41.
> 
> I can investigate and take some pictures of the things I have if you are interested to see what I have.
> 
> Roy
> USN- retired
> 
>> On Apr 4, 2021, at 10:33 AM, Phillip Carpenter <carpenterpa at tds.net> wrote:
>> 
>> Has anyone on here ever seen a schematic for the WWII RBF-1, CIA-46186 VHF Sonobuoy Receiver?
>> 
>> I’ve been looking for one with no luck. The manual is supposed to be NAVSHIPS 900,293 but I’ve never located a copy.
>> 
>> Any help is appreciated.
>> 
>> Phillip WB4PAC 
> 
> Roy Morgan
> K1LKY since 1958
> k1lky68 at gmail.com
> Western Mass
> 
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