[Milsurplus] AN/ARC-8(?) (ART-13B + ARR-15)

[William Donzelli]

> -The RAX's main shortcoming was its wider, fixed selectivity, and also the 
> fact that it required 3 receivers to cover the useful A/C frequencies,

Redundancy! <g> Although I don't think that really was an issue to the 
military outside of the surface Navy...

> also
> inlcuding some non-useful ones, i.e. 550-1600 kHz and 18- 27 MHz.

The broadcast band may have been included for the YE-ZB system. The Air 
Corps had no such system (they used Navy stuff starting around 1944) so 
probably did see use for the band.

The 18-27 MHz band was likely intended for listening to the carriers TBAs 
(4-26 MHz 1kW, General Electric) on CW. These monsters were oddballs, not 
conforming to the "standard" 2-18 MHz coverage for shipboard 
transmitters. They must have been popular, as they stayed in production 
from 1930 to 1943. Most were on capital ships, but some saw shore useage.
 
> -I can't guess why the 375 stayed in production.

Cheap and effective. Can't get better than that during war.

> I wonder if it really was, or
> was old stock just used up?

The bulk of the orders seem to be 1942-43, but some (including Stewart 
Warner sets) have 1954 orders. 

Of course, it could just be inertial.

William Donzelli
aw288@osfn.org