[Milsurplus] The R-1/ARR-1 and ARR-2 Receivers

[BSugarberg]

 From Electric Radio Magazine #15, July 1990

Electric Radio In Uniform by Walt Hutchens KJ4KV

The ARR-1 and ARR-2
----------------------
"The AN/ARR-1 and ARR-2 are two generations of receivers for an aircraft 
navigation and communications system.  There are also two generations of 
transmitters, the YE and YG."

"The main purpose of the system was to allow aircraft equipped with either 
receiver to find a transmitting station, usually on a ship, having a YE or 
YG transmitter without direction finding; such a system is called a homing 
beacon."

"The transmitter operated on a frequency between 234 and 258 mcs.  It 
transmitted either CW (usually) or voice signals from a highly directive 
antenna rotating at 2 rpm....When transmitting navigational signals, the 
transmitter was keyed with a different letter of the alphabet for each 30 
degree sector....Every tenth revolution, the transmitter sent a two letter 
station identifier in all sectors...."

"The ARR-1 (early Navy id ZB) is a 4 tube TRF receiver covering 234 to 250 
mcs....Its output (540-830 kc) goes to another receiver of any type which 
can be tuned to that frequency (from which it also draws power)."

"The ARR-2 is a self-contained 11 tube receiver.  (No companion receiver 
needed)."

"Did our WW2 carrier task force commanders ever use this system?....
There is one battle in which the system may have played a part.  In the
final US air strike of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 6/20/1944, 216
...planes pursued the retiring Japanese fleet, catching them just at 
dusk....The strike was launched at maximum range and because of the time,
the return flight and recovery of aircraft took place at night....
Admiral Mitscher's decision to 'Turn on the lights' - pointing searchlights 
at the clouds, firing star shell, and lighting flight decks as for peacetime 
night flight ops - saved many planes and lives.  The use of searchlights and 
star shell suggests that many flyers were expected to miss the group by 10 
miles or more, which hardly would have been the case if a homing beacon 
system was in use.  The usual history books don't give an answer."

73, Bruce WA8TNC