[Milsurplus] Best 348?

WF2U wf2u at starband.net
Mon Aug 9 13:48:39 EDT 2004


There was a BC-348 produced after the war - in fact until the mid-1960's -
in the former Soviet Union. The Russian military nomenclature for it is
US-9, and it's a copy of the BC-348N, with a couple of improvements. The
improvements are: local oscillator B+ is supplied from VR type voltage
regulator tube (not a neon bulb like in the models prior to  the BC-348 J, N
and Q which didn't have any voltage regulation for the local oscillator) and
the fuse in the 24 V primary power is on the front panel in a screw-type
fuse holder - this makes a lot of sense as in the original BC-348(*) the
fuse is inside, so the chassis has to be pulled out of the case to replace
it.
The US-9 remained In the Soviet service until the early 1970's, and the
dynamotors were replaced with direct plug-in replacement solid-state
inverter supplies in the 1960's.
I have a nice working US-9, but unfortunately without the original dynamotor
or inverter supply, instead of which the previous (Russian) owner put in a
homebrew AC power supply.

73, Meir WF2U
Gowensville, SC

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net]  On Behalf Of Ray Fantini
Sent:	Monday, August 09, 2004 10:43 AM
To:	Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject:	[Milsurplus] Best 348?

In my opinion the BC-348Q is the best of the series. Unlike most
collectors I have always tended to collect the last of a series instead
of the first, the J, N and Q appear to be the final ones in production
using more modern tubes and some improved construction techniques, and I
would assume if any were produced after the war they would have been to
the "Q" design. Before all you P and R fans start throwing a fit, I do
realize that all of the series meets the same specifications. And I am
led to understand that the Q, P and R were all in production at the same
time but I would be willing to bet $5 the Q was the last of the series
in production. Also the Q looks better with all matching knobs and no
toggle switches!
Ray Fantini KA3EKH





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