[Collins] Question about Collins and Eldico Clones

[Alan Zack]

In 1964 while I was based at Kodiak I visited an Air Force AC&W 
Station at Fire Island, Alaska, where there was a MARS Station using 
Eldico twins.  This was the one and only time in my 45 years of ham 
radio that I had seen or operated an Eldico rig.  I remember having to 
sync the Tx and Rx with a chirping tone.
All the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific LORAN Stations (Kure, Wake, Johnston, 
Kwaj, Yap, Palau, Iwo Jima, Marcus, Sattahip, Lampang, Con Son, Hui 
Phi Bi, Da Nang, etc) used KWM-2's and TA-33 tribanders.  I operated 
from each and every one of them during supply runs as the airborne 
radio op/navigator on USCG C-130's.  The KWM-2 may have been used at 
other LORAN stations but the ones outside of the Pacific or Asia area 
I never got too far away from the C-130 during supply runs.
My KWM-2 has not been powered up in over 30 years.  One of these 
days......
Thanks for the memories,
73

David Thompson wrote:

> Poor Don Merten K2AAA will turn over in his grave.  He maintained the Eldico
> Twins were not S line clones.  Eldico was bought by REL in 1958 and Don
> headed the Eldico division.  DOD decided that Collins was too costly so they
> sent plans to several manfacturers including REL/Eldico now called Reliance.
> Don won the deal (at about 50% of the collins pricing).   The original
> contract was for MARS stations but as with any GSA contract anyone in the
> Government could buy off the contract.
> Don actually only sold the S-119 system with was the receiver, transmitter,
> power supply, station console and all the cables.  The S-119 documentation
> had sections for each unit.  About 1,500 S-119's were delivered on contract.
> Eldico sold a few to hams and Collins sued but that never made it to court
> as Heath came out with the SB 300 series and Sommerkamp/Yaesu came out with
> the FR100/Ft100.  Collins gave it up as DOD was willing to back up Eldico.
> By 1963 the MARS stations were only buying KWM2's anyway!
> Dave K4JRB
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Misic, George J." <GMisic at medrad.com>
> To: "Freeberg, Scott (STP)" <Scott.Freeberg at guidant.com>;
> <collins at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2005 5:00 PM
> Subject: RE: [Collins] Question about Collins and Eldico Clones
> 
> 
> Scott and Group,
> 
> Yes, they did.  I've got one of their complete stations, the transmitter,
> receiver, power supply, and station console.  They work quite well, but are
> [in my opinion] nowhere near as pretty.  73.
> 
> George KE8RN
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: collins-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> 
> Did Eldico ever try to sell their S-line clone to the hams?  Or was it
> strictly limited to military sales only?
> 
> 73, Scott WA9WFA


-- 
__________________________________________________________________________ 

Alan Zack
Amateur Radio Station K7ACZ
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Quality Engineer, The Boeing Company, Retired
Aviation Chief Warrant Officer, U.S. Coast Guard, Retired
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