[Milsurplus] Other AN rigs...

[Mike Hanz]

As Robert Downs mentioned, both the AN/ARC-2 and AN/ARC-9 were of WWII
vintage...the ARC-2 just barely made it.  The original Collins ARC-2
contract was NXsa-90807 dated 1 July 1945 in my database, and like the
N5sa-8648 ARR-15 (not -A), is apparently fairly rare today.  The Collins
collectors seem to value it more highly than the later 1946 and 1951
contract models.  I obtained the -90807 in my rig from Walt Hutchens of
ER fame at the old Gaithersburg MD hamfest a decade ago.  The postwar -A
variants, (ARC-2A, ARR-15A), were more numerous - Walt had several of
those sitting in the grass at that long-ago fest and I have seen quite a
few since then.

The ARC-9 actually appears to be a set designed in 1940, believe it or
not.  I have a 1941 Bendix advertising brochure with all their
commercial equipment shown in it, and along with such modern miracles as
the TA-2 and RA-1, it has the RTA-1B in all its splendor.  I posted a
scan of the page at http://members.cox.net/mymhh/RTA-1B.jpg.  There's a
note that suggests you can get CW capability on special order.  I
suspect that Collins did some looking at the Bendix transceiver before
designing the ARC-2 - it has packaging and layout similarities to their
much later transceiver.  The military nomenclaturing of Bendix
commercial sets in WWII is a curious, spotty thing.  There doesn't seem
to be rhyme or reason for it.

73,
Mike

WA5CAB@cs.com wrote:
   > I can't prove when the AN/ARC-2 actually went into service, but the
   > design and construction is very much late WW-II'ish.  PTO is similar
   > to the one in the AN/ARR-15 and different from R-388/390 et al.  And
   > it used 1625's!  If it had come out in the 50's, it would have used
   > 6146's or 4X150's.  And used coax
   > instead of open wire for the antenna connector.