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

[Marty Reynolds]

> It is very common to find AN/ARR-2(*) sets that were overhauled as late as
> 1956, and the AN 16-30ARR2-2 maintenance manual was revised at least as
> late as 1 MAY 54.  It appears that this homing system had a long post-WWII
> career.
>
> Mike / KK5F
> ______________________________________________________________

Mike I heard/read the system wasn't declassified until the early 60s &
was probably never broken.

Mighty ingenious modulating that then-uhf tx with a bcb signal.  This
same procedure has now been 'discovered' by the millimeter-wave cell fone
futurists.  System structure bypasses rx input freq. stability needs
& is one reason BC-229 & RU were TRFs u cud tune w. mittens in an
open cockpit.

Believe the YG letter-vs-yagi heading table was changed every day which
makes me wonder about re-tuning to another carrier's YG while in flight -
unless the codes for an entire carrier force were re-issued every day.

A man here, fmr. Lt. Dusty Banks, flew SBDs with the ASB radar in '43
off islands.  And when asked if he'd heard of the ZB he shot back: "sure
the YG-ZB system.  Our job was shipping in nearby water.  When weather
came we returned visually.  Tho YG-ZB save-stories abounded"

But I didn't pursue YG-ZB further since the ASB subject was then my
current mania.

There's a tale of the system being employed on D-day.  If true, this
might have been the only AAF use of power-jack-equipped BC-946s &
ARR-1s in the entire war.

Good reading & noodling

   Marty aa4rm