[Milsurplus] RS-6 employment

[WA5CAB@cs.com]

Groups,

I've always accepted the common story that the RS-6 was built for B-47 crew 
usage.  But it never has made much sense or rang true.  The RS-6, like the 
AN/GRC-109, has too much the feel of a set intended to be used over and over under 
various contingencies, several different power sources, and CW only.  The 
receiver is tunable, with no provision for crystal control.  The transmitter 
requires a stretched out wire antenna.  All just the sorts of things you'd want in 
an E&E radio to call the pickup helo.

Anyway, I was talking to another collector a few days ago and he stated that 
he had once had (and read) a book, a memoir of an OSS/CIA type, that had a 
fair amount to say about the RS-6, including that one was captured by the Soviets 
within a month after the set entered service.  And that the B-47 story was a 
cover for the production people.  There was also some detail including a 
description of the hand crank generator (specifically a Telefunken GN-58-A) and 
shortened legs carried in a jump bag somewhat larger than the BG-175,  He sold or 
gave away the book years ago, before he became a radio collector, and has 
recently been trying to turn up another copy.  I haven't seen the book so this 
isn't admissable in court of course.

To this I add that I have an original RS-6 and first generation copy RS-6A 
manual, and nowhere in either is there any indication of date, manufacturer, 
printer or country of origin.  If the set had in fact been built for air crew, 
there'd be no good reason for this.  And there would probably have been more in 
the way of nomenclature on the radio set components, just like there was on 
everything else in the aircraft.  I do have a supplement to the RS-6 manual that 
contains one date.  Oh yes, although I never had one, there was also a spares 
kit for the set.  I've seen three.

Comments anyone?

Also, I've had one of the jump bags and one set plus additional LG-3's of the 
shortened leg set (the LG-2 has no seat) for years.  I had always assumed 
that they belonged to a jump version of the AN/GRC-9 and had them assigned to my 
keeper set.  But I have just about everything ever printed on the GRC-9 and 
there's no mention of the bag or the short legs.  So I've taken the components 
off of my keeper list.  I also have one of the generator cables left (although 
the outer jacket on the cable is stiff, expecially in one spot).  For that 
matter, I have one or two Telefunken GN-58-A's, but those are quite common.  
Since I don't need any of it anymore, if anyone is interested contact me off list.

73
Robert Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com>
<wa5cab@cs.com>


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