[ARC5] BC-611 Production numbers...now AMA

[MARK DORNEY]

The only problem using a throat mic was that the recipient of any transmission couldn’t understand a single word that was said. Throat mics looked great in the movies, but sucked in reality. 

Mark D.
WW2RDO

 

“In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle, stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson 

Sent from my iPhone

> On Feb 17, 2021, at 3:43 AM, Hubert Miller <Kargo_cult at msn.com> wrote:
> 
> As for the Pacific war, I have only seen the BC-611 used in the Aleutian Islands 
> campaign. I do not consider it a successful radio, despite its impressing Winston 
> Churchill. Numerous GI's complained that they "could shout farther than the radio
> worked".  You had to hold it up to your head to work it - despite the F model paper
> showing connection of throat mic and headphone, I have seen no documentation 
> showing this ever actually used in a combat situation. Or any situation, really. There
> was no frequency flexibility. A broken antenna disabled the set. In fact, around 1985
> I saw one that had been discarded in Netherlands because it was a  useless liability 
> with its broken antenna. Yes, you see photos of the BC-611 used in some street fighting
> in Germany. I suggest that was the exception, and possibly the short range of the radio
> was still usable in that situation. Just about every WWII Europe combat account you
> read says the "300 set", the SCR-300 ( BC-1000 ). The feelings of the users about this 
> radio were always positive. Even if crawling under fire, you could drag the radio
> behind you - I read about exactly this being done. I think I reported previously on 
> milsurplus a book on the history of the Rangers in the Pacific, and they rejected the BC-611
> for its very limited range. I think they quoted 35 miles over open water for the BC-1000. 
> I consider the BC-611 an interesting novelty and actually more fitting for civilian uses 
> including maybe the Forest Service and such.  The Navy's MAB at least used headphones
> and you had your 2 arms free except when answering. EVERY German WWII pack radio 
> used headphones and throat mic. You never missed a message and your arms were free.
> -Hue Miller 
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