[Milsurplus] tank radio skip?

[Hue Miller]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Unserviceable but Repairable" <cosmoline at ba-watch.org>

> The post that launched these 1000 commentaries has a foto of a 0.5-track
> sorta command car - w. the 'antenna' & one stereotype tough-looking
> officer standing.

Marty, you talkin' about the classic Guderian photo? Hard to make out the
exact radio gear in photos at this angle. But it certainly has an interestingly
built cage, doesn't it?

> I never thot I'd write this, but the antenna looks more like a dune-buggy
> roll cage with the "coax lead" juice-supply to high-mounted lights

Right, the mass of bars seen in some German vehicle "roof antennas", for example,
three longitudinal bars with cross members at both ends and the middle, sure 
doesn't look like any loop antenna.

> Something always missed here is why all side's vehicle "commo" moved
> toward VHF.  Like police 9m 35mc band.  Reason is qrn which slides
> off as frequencies rise.  

Mebbe not all sides. All thru WW2 the German forces retained the dual frequency
thing. Vehicles not needing longer range radio just had the 10-9 meter equipment.
"Command Vehicles" ( but not radio trucks  ) added only an MF radio operating
in the 1 MHz range with maybe 30-100 watts output power ( to a very low %
efficient short capacitive antenna. ) And plus also maybe a radio for around
35-45 MHz for ground-air.

> It's reported tracked vehicles generated so much qrn in dry conditions 
> that columns had to stop @ regular intervals just to exchange "commos."
> I've seen a pic of a Panzer w. curb-feelers to bleed off static charge.
> 
> We shelved the SCR-245 for that reason & ALSO "who needs a tank 
> radio operator?"  Wanted was civvy-style push-buttons selecting
> xtal controlled channels.  Op. cit., the chrome BC-603/604 bling-bling.

That was probably the ideal radio for a tank crew, very forward looking. It just
occurred to me that the WS No.19 was possibly the most difficult and 
complicated of tank radios to operate - or should i say, change frequencies
and keep in tune - becuase, i would think, of the necessity of carefully
keeping the antenna resonated by the variometer.   -Hue