[Milsurplus] SCR-508 conversion info

[Marty R's GI-stuff haunt]

> Just thought someone would find this interesting.

I did - love 2 c it.

Neat listmember is sending a near-complete BC604 this way to get running for
8/03 AWA meet.  Conference theme is FM's Dawning.

This 604 was built by Galvin as a sub to WECo & had a saturable reactor
FM modulator to bypass Armstrong phase modulator patent

The saturable reactor FM modulator WAS phase modulation & would be
beaten in court if tested.  Well maybe - as long as no J. Cochran
shreiking emerged.

A digression.  First two cuts on SCR508 were AM!!  Radio project
was called AF-III.  Reason was channelized xtal control won reviewers
in a 1939 radio-in-armor test in Wisc.  Gear was Galvin 9m cop 2-way.

However a later 1939 Ft. Knox AM comparison was made to a GE/REL FM system.
Of all things, the AM 2-way was by Link.  Link who was just converting 
their AM stuff to FM to try for a 1940 Connecticut State Patrol contract.

Test not conclusive but Ft. Monmouth tried their own FM tests in early '40
with then-new FM Links which were loaned by Connecticut.  Links licensed
by Armstrong.

FM looked best & SCR-508 re-spec'd for 3rd time. WEC0 was contractor
for AF-III

Nice egg on Galvin's face.  Galvin who wanted to flog those 9m AM sets.
as a WECo sub but got 604 order as an apparrent consolation prize.

Then comes the saturable reactor modulator bug - Galvin couldn't win 
for losing.

But Armstrong released patents in '42 for defense work & that ended that

The saturable reactor FM modulator idea is also called a "Petersen coil."  
Ref same neat listmember.

Galvin new-hire Dan Noble got driven mad trying to make it work but
finally did.  Dr. Dan was the U of Conn. prof. who consulted with
CT State police to get that 1st FM network up in 1940. 

Link was supplying FM cop stuff to armor in North Africa as an "expedient.'
Pictures available!  However the delay on the 604 led to a Link contract 
for the SCR-293/4 which was militarized cop stuff & fit in a SCR-508 
rack profile.

More egg-on-face @ Galvin.

Write if more's interesting.  Apparrent huge amount of intrigue 
right under the surface.  And making determinations on this is kinda
speculative - tho not so ephemeral as Earhardt / Saipan / recon
theory.

  Marty

A new dawning.  We have a 9m Link FM tx here.  And a 26mc rx mate.
Chassis sockets marked JAN-this, or JAN-that.  All loctals.  Bet 9m was 
1st govt.  expedent delivery, 26mc job was later & on 'armor freq.'