[Milsurplus] Government Planning - BC-640

[Cletus W Whitaker]

de WB2CPN  Clete  South Central Pennsylvania    2002.02.16

Re the BC-638/BC-639/BC-640 VHF equipment:

I first installed and used that equipment in 1946 in USAF in Germany.
It was still current when I retired in 1967.  The British designed it
for the RAF even before the Battle of Britain.  They were far ahead of
us on VHF and higher frequencies, they designed the 24G tube.  They licensed
the entire line to Bendix who made a few for every USAF facility that talked
to airplanes.  That's what helped phase out Low Frequency in Control Towers.
Bendix also made the SCR-575, I think it was, Direction Finder around the
BC-639. I installed a couple of those but I don't remember the number.  I
sure
would like to have some info on the rotatable antenna on the top of that
van.  I have a few pictures of in-service BC-639/BC-640 taken in different
parts of the world.

Does anyone have info on the AN/URD-2 Direction Finder (Navy Designed)?

Also, the BC-312 and BC-348 were designed totally in Fort Monmouth Signal
Corps in New Jersey.  They had no civilian parallel.  The standard
fixed-plant
receiver was the BC-779 and various power supplies.  There was an upgraded
version of the BC-779 introduced about 1953, but it was upstaged by the
SP-600.
For the record, at about the time we invaded Africa, a call went out for
hams
to donate their radio equipment to the Signal Corps.  The Signal Corps Plant
Engineering Agency, (PEA), installed many Hammarlund, Hallicrafters and
National
receivers in fixed CW network facilities, most of which had the ham calls on
them.
The RCA made many general purpose receivers for Special Service use in
lounges,
day rooms, etc.  As late as 1949 I installed their AR-88's in Berlin.

SMS Cletus W Whitaker, USAF Retired.
a.k.a.  WB2CPN  AFA1DJ  Clete


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