[Milsurplus] Re: Milsurplus digest, Vol 1 #694 - 12 msgs

[Bill Beech]

> 
> Message: 11
> From: "Hue Miller" <kargo_cult@msn.com>
> To: <milsurplus@mailman.qth.net>, <boatanchors@theporch.com>
> Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] RS-6 employment
> Date: Sat, 20 Sep 2003 21:38:44 -0700
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <WA5CAB@cs.com>
> Sent: Saturday, September 20, 2003 9:10 PM
> Subject: [Milsurplus] RS-6 employment
> 
> 
> 
>>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.
> 
> 
> -Interesting ideas. But- do you mean the "Operation Armageddon"
> story is bogus entirely, or that it did exist and was a cover for the
> RS-6? I think there's enough evidence that the "Operation Armageddon"
> link existed. ( Or else we, and Air Classics magazine, have been 
> scammed. )  The article explains that the RS-6 was used for the long 
> distance signalling, from downed crews located in neutral countries or
> even enemy countries.  The other radio employed was the URC-4, for
> the closer in signalling at the landing field for the rescue craft. Since 
> the URC-4 had standard mil nomenclature and markings, you have a 
> point, there was no need to be coy about the RS-6's nomenclature 
> and owners.  Additionally, i agree that for the SAC employment, you
> wouldn't think the USAF would have needed more than a couple 
> hundred?
> 
> 
>>There was also some detail including a 
>>description of the hand crank generator (specifically a Telefunken GN-58-A) and 
> 
> 
> The RS-6 production, however, predates any Telefunken production of
> GRC-9 accessories. There would be no reason whatever for the RS-6
> maker to go to Telefunken for components. I am also not convinced that
> by the early 1950s Telefunken, or German electronics industry in general,
> was really equiped to produce such equipment.
> 
> 
>>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.
> 
> 
> -What's the point of the shorter legs?
> 
> The CIA book: it would be very unusual for any memoir type book 
> to go into such specialist detail on a piece of radio hardware, even
> IF it was CIA in-house type of publication, IMO. I wonder if your
> source on the book is working from faulty memory mixing with 
> something he read from another source.
> 
> I read that the US ( CIA or?? ) for many years of the cold war had 
> radios and other equipment hidden thruout Europe, in case these
> countries were overrun by the USSR forces in a Hot War. Then
> local partisans could uncover the comm gear and weapons. I don't 
> know more details on this, only that it existed. I wonder what the
> radios were - would the RS-6 fit the bill? The radio count for this,
> i would imagine, would be in the high hundreds, or at best, i  imagine,
> in the low 1000+. BUT- when the Cold War ended, where did these
> go? Usually when programs or wars collapse or end, there's a bunch
> of leftovers that get grabbed for souvenirs. However, i haven't seen
> anything about such clandestine radios appearing in numbers in
> Europe. Or, another possibility, maybe the radios were produced 
> but the secret cache program never really became widely established.
> Hue Miller
> 
> 

Guys,

I was raised on SAC bases, specifically Lincoln AFB (63-66).  That base 
had two wings of B-47 aircraft.  It closed in 66, anlong with the 
mothballing of the aircraft.  I saw a lot of surplused URC-4's show up 
in the MARS program, but I never saw any part of the RS-6. 
Additionally, there were only a crew of three on the B-47 - a pilot, 
copilot and navigator/bombadeer.  Who in the hell was going to send and 
receive the morse?  I knew a lot of air crews and my morse, before I was 
licensed was far better than theirs.  They could identify a beacon two 
out of three tries on a clear channel.  A better choice of radio for 
them would have been a small tactical satellite (225-400MHz) voice 
system.  It would be a lot easier to operate than the RS-6, as well.

I heard Green Berets talk about a small system used for them to 
communicate with indiginous (sp) personnel during Viet Nam.  They used 
PRC-41s and PRC-47's on their end. I suspect the RS-6 found it use there 
as much as anywhere.

BTW, I have two complete RS-6s here with manuals, including the addenda 
for it.  And my RR-6s do accept an FT-243 crystal for receiving as well 
as VFO.

73,
Bill, NJ7P