[Milsurplus] Walkie vs Handie

[Marty R's GI-stuff haunt]

Quotes from

  US Army in WW2, Signal Corps, The Test, '57

p. 73

 "The story of Infantry's famous walkie-talkie, the SCR-300. an 
  FM set and successor to the foot soldier's first walkie-talkie, 
  the SCR-195, lies principally in 1942, though production sets 
  would not reach the field till 1943....."

  (my notes:  SCR300 mostly a BC-1000 & SCR195 mostly a BC-2or322)

p. 76

 "Now to shift from the smallest of the SCRs, the five-pound handie-talkie
  SCR-536, to the largest, the SCR-299."

  (my note:  SCR536 mostly the BC-611 which we hams wrongly called walky
             talkys ~1955)


Dennis QHO Meir WF2U & Robt WA5CAB all had it about right

Hey Vol. I of same set says BC-611 built on spec by Galvin in '40 on
a fast schedule.  It was accepted almost as-built on a 10/40 order
of 3500 for paratroopers.

And I've heard vets say European roadsides were littered "with those
useless 'clubs' (the BC-611)."  Have never heard BC-1000 praise though.
Do know '1000 used in NATO, etc. thru early 80s.

  Marty