[Milsurplus] ARC-27/55 radios

[Mike Morrow]

Bruce wrote:

>The ARC-27 & ARC-55 are UHF aircraft radios covering the 225-399.9 Mhz
>range ... They certainly deserve their place in history, tens of thousands
of them
>were produced and carried the US through the Cold War.  Well, that's just a
bit
>about these true workhorses, hope I did not bore too many folks.

Hi Bruce,

I totally agree.  We all honor the WWII-era gear as much or more for the
history it represents as for the utility it affords as ham gear.  The cold
war aircraft command sets, of which the AN/ARC-27 is without doubt THE most
significant example, deserve no less, even if they have no real ham
application.  I saw them in about every military (USAF or USN) aircraft in
which I flew from 1970 to 1975.   I remember seeing banks of them installed
on the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) in 1971.  The AN/ARC-27/55 are marvels of
electro-mechanical design.  It is hard to believe that the AN/ARC-27 dates
back at least to 1952.  I'm actually a bit fonder of the AN/ARC-55 because
it's easier to pop the covers off and show the works off.  They still have
that MFP smell that we nuts enjoy so much in our WWII gear.

Some of the other cold war radio warriors deserving of admiration include,
IMO, the following:

AN/ARC-58  Colllins HF USB/LSB/AME long range set, 1000 watts PEP output,
less than 200 lbm total system weight, well less than 2000 watts 400 cps AC
total power consumption.  Used by the USAF SAC in B-52 and KC-135 aircraft,
replacing the earlier RCA AN/ARC-65 USB HF set, which replaced the
AN/ARC-21, which replaced the AN/ARC-8 (ART-13 and BC-348).  The ultimate
cold war aircraft set, IMO.  I have most of one, and I guarantee you that
I'll never get it operating.  But it's a magnificent set, one I've wanted
ever since the first one I saw at Blytheville AFB in 1968.  IIRC, these sets
cost about $100,000 each, adjusted for inflation to 2004 dollars.  (I've
spent about $200 on mine, much of which was shipping costs.)

AN/ARC-73  Collins VHF AM Command set.  Used almost everywhere in the US
Army and AF in the 1960s and 70s.  It does provide 2m ham band AM coverage.
Almost a give-away on the auction sites.

AN/ARC-51BX  THE UHF command set for US Army and AF aircraft during the
Vietnam War era.  Also usually a give-away on the auction sites.

AN/ARC-38A USN's USB/AME/CW HF set.  Replaced the AM/CW AN/ARC-38, which
replaced the ART-13/ARR-15 combo.

Few care much for these cold war sets, just as few care much for the study
of the cold war itself.  But I think that the 1950s, 60s, and 70s were very
important times in the defense of the USA, beyond just the Vietnam war part
of that era.

Don't get me started talking about on the Korean War era ground sets
(AN/GRC-3 to 8), or the extremely long world-wide service of AN/VRC-12
series.

73,
Mike / KK5F