[Milsurplus] Re: ongoing BC-342

[William Donzelli]

> I think it rolled out as the BC312 for half-tracks & tanks.  Replaced
> Army's 1st plug-coil superhet who's ID I've forgotten

The 1937 BC-312 (originally made by GE, I think, and yes, a Fort
design) replaced a number of sets. The one you are thinking of is the
BC-189 - a cute little thing with small plug in coilsets. This was the HF
receiver originally paired with the BC-191 for field use in the
SCR-177-A. Note the closeness of the BC numbers.

For vehicle sets, the BC-312 replaced the 1932 BC-175. This odd receiver
had a very small HF band - a policy the Signal Corps had in the 1920s and
30s. Each service was given a tight slice of the HF band, and for the most
part, the slices did not overlap. Anyway, the BC-175 was originally paired
with the BC-176 transmitter as the SCR-189, but by 1937 the BC-312 pushed
the BC-175 out, and the new BC-176/BC-312 combination was called
SCR-209. I doubt these lasted long after the BC-223 started coming out (I
would *really* like to know when the first BC-223 orders were placed).
 
> You ask what time it is, & you get a watchmaking lesson

Yes. And how to cut your own gears.

William Donzelli
aw288@osfn.org