[Milsurplus] Royal Netherlands Navy Radio Gear - HZO

[Mike Morrow]

Bob wrote:

>The original Dutch HF sideband point to point gear made
> the Western Electric stuff look like a portable radio

Well, this is a departure from the original thread, but the mention of Dutch
radio gear reminds me of some questions I've had.

When I served in the USN on exchange with the Dutch Navy in 1973, their
vessels were equiped with an impressive HF receiver-transmitter of Dutch
design and make called the HZO-01/00.  It was somewhat similar to the USN's
RT-618/URC and AM-3007 (the AN/URC-35) in that it was digitally-tuned like
an R-1051 and almost all solid-state.  Its modes were USB/CW/RATT/AMe,
tuning step intervals of 0.1 kHz from 1500 to 30000 kHz, all circuits were
auto-tuned, and it was rated at 100 watts PEP output with a 4CX250 in the
PA.

I suppose that these sets are long gone and obsolete in Dutch military
service.  Has anyone ever come across one in surplus?  Do western European
countries as a rule ever surplus their old gear to civilian use?

Nearly all other radio gear on the two Dutch ships I was on was stock US or
British gear, including a TED-7 with AN/URR-13 UHF installation.  On a mine
sweeper, medium frequency gear was a British Admiralty Type 619 (Receiver:
60 to 31000 kHz, Transmitter:  320 to 550 kHz, 25 watts) that was normally
kept on 500 kHz.  A USN type LM frequency meter was used as the frequency
standard for this set.

73,
Mike / KK5F