[ARC5] [Milsurplus] Command Receivers on the Broadcast Band

[zakariya.abu at yandex.com]

Al,

Thank you for sharing a great presentation.

I would like to ask about the following matters:

(1) On p. 14 of your presentation, there is an example of the YG 
transmitter radiation. And on p. 15 there is a pilot's decode card. I 
assume that the latter was binding, so if the aircraft was flying 
exactly south of the aircraft carrier, the pilot would hear letter D in 
Morse code. Right?

(2) What exactly was the ZBX? Was that the ARR-2 receiver's alias?

(3) Considering that most WW II naval fighters were fitted with the ZB 
(or ARR-1) in a place inaccessible by the pilot, does it mean that the 
set had to be manually tuned by the "ground crew" before take off? If 
yes, do you know about examples where vibration contributed to frequency 
drift during flight making the reception impossible and the set unusable 
to help return to the aircraft carrier?

(4) Practically, what was the maximum range away from the aircraft 
carrier from which a pilot could pick up the YE signals? Ca. 150 miles 
or more?

73,

Jan SP5XZG


W dniu 16.04.2025 o 02:21, Al Klase pisze:
> My PowerPoint on YE/ZB homing HERE <https://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ 
> Presentations/YE-ZB%20Presentation.pdf>. - AL
> 
> On 4/15/2025 8:12 PM, MARK DORNEY wrote:
>> The R-24/ARC-5 beacon receiver had a very short lived military career. 
>> It was being replaced by the R-4/ARR-2 starting in late 1944. The R-4/ 
>> ARR-2 combined the beacon receivers ( R-23 and R-24 ) with the US Navy 
>> ZB Homing adapter. And the ZB homing device went out of USN service in 
>> about 1960. It was replaced by VOR and TACAN.
>>
>> The Navy really didn’t require a receiver using a directional loop. 
>> The Transmitter used with the ZB adapter ( YE transmitter ) used a 
>> directional antenna to send a different cw letter, as well as a 
>> transmitter specific identifier ( again in cw ) every 30 degrees of 
>> the of the 360 degree rotation of the directional transmitter antenna. 
>> The pilot/navigator simply had to listen for what letter they heard on 
>> their headset to know their position in relation to their landing 
>> field ( normally an aircraft carrier )
>>
>> The R-23/ARC-5 and R-24/ARC-5 were set up to use a loop antenna. The 
>> ARA CBY-46145 and BC-946 ( SCR-274-N) were set up for a single antenna 
>> lead. The R-4/ARR-2 also had a single antenna lead.
>>
>>
>> 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 Apr 15, 2025, at 2:10 PM, robert meadows <rpmeadow at bellsouth.net> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> Not really rare, just the latest iteration of the receivers, from my 
>> memory of reading the US Navy manuals on the radios.  In fact, I have 
>> a control for the Broadcast receiver that is the standard ARINC width.
>> From memory, the USN didn't standardize the ARC/ARA radios until early 
>> 1960s.
>> R
>>
>> On Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 02:03:23 PM EDT, J Mcvey via ARC5 
>> <arc5 at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I never saw one of those (ARC?) broadcast receivers with the loop option.
>> That's a rare beast.
>> The Arc beacon receivers all had the loop option. I've seen lots of those.
>>
>> On Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at 11:35:05 AM EDT, Al Klase <ark at ar88.net> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Gang,
>>
>> Recent discussion of CBY-46145 and BC-946B bring to mind my experience 
>> with R-24/ARC-5 as a BCB DX receiver.
>> <2012 DX Station.jpg>
>>
>>
>> Here's my log from our radio club's DX contest back in 2012:
>>
>> <ARC-5 1-22-2012.png>
>>
>> Sadly, YVKS  has been QRT for a while now.
>>
>> 95% of the time you'll bemuch better off with a tuned loop rather than 
>> a wire antenna.
>>
>> More info here: https://www.skywaves.ar88.net/homebrew/ARC-5_PS/ 
>> ARC-5_PS.html <https://www.skywaves.ar88.net/homebrew/ARC-5_PS/ 
>> ARC-5_PS.html>
>>
>> Have fun,
>> AL
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Al Klase - N3FRQ
>> Jersey City, NJ
>> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/ <http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/>