[Milsurplus] Re: British Army Radio During WWII

[James C Whartenby]

Greetings
I don't think the problem of reliability of WWII equipment is the problem
of any one nationality.  The components used to build these sets were in
a word, terrible.  It wasn't till better then halfway through the war
that robust capacitors, resistors, tubes and the like were incorporated
into the sets.  I read a report on "Vacuum Tube Reliability" (still have
them somewhere)* which stated in the preface that a high percent (30%
IIRC ) of NIB US manufactured sets arrived in the theater of operations
defective!  A lot of work on reliability was the result of RADAR
development and found it's way into everything else electronic.  Compare
the equipment available at the start of the war with equipment available
toward the end.  Big differences in method of assembly, quality of parts
and equipment housings.  Early war equipments were manufactured to the
best COMMERCIAL practice but it just wasn't good enough for reliable
operation in a military environment.  MFP coatings were needed because of
rubber and cotton covered wire, wax impregnation of components and such. 
I think this practice of MFP continued into the mid to late 50s.  Most of
the equipment I worked on in the late 60s to early 70s wasn't MFP.  If
moisture was going to be a problem, then the assembly was hermetic, like
the VFOs in the KWT-6.
In the mid 70s, I worked with a fellow who had served in the ETO as an
Army forward observer.  He spent more time behind enemy lines then in
front of them, his words.  He said that the BC-611 never worked when you
needed it.  They usually used messengers to carry important reports back
to friendly forces.  Boy, did he have some interesting stories!
Regards from Arkansas,
Jim

* large format (8X11) hard bound reports on vacuum tube reliability &
life tests, different volumes for differently based tubes i.e. octal,
button based and subminiature.

On Sat, 24 May 2003 10:27:08 -0400 Ben Nock <G4BXD@compuserve.com>
writes:
> Message text written by INTERNET:W7QHO@aol.com
> A significant number of British WS(*) equipments have been exhibited at
the 
> MRCG meetings over the years.
snip
>One writer in ER a  number of years  ago characterized the design
philosophy as being "just good enough" 
> as opposed to the "every radio a Cadillac" view on our side.   Maybe
"just good enough"  wasn't good enough.......
> 
> Also, wonder if the shortcomings were primarily techincal or
> organizational?
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> 
> What you must also bear in mind, a fact forgotten by many a 
> "historian" is that Britain at that time was under day and night
bombing, something not 
> experienced by the US untill recently. 
snip
> All radios, regardless of where produced, cease to work when a 50 
> cal shell is inserted between valves, so, those produced under great 
physical presssure as in the UK can be 
> said to have perfomed above, and  beyond,  the call of duty. 
> 
> Ben G4BXD