[Milsurplus] Re: GF-11/RU-16 & SCR-183

[Mike Morrow]

Marty wrote:

> Indiana Jones 2-ways.

I like the look of the late RU/GF sets in particular...black crackle antiques that they were even at time of manufacturing.  They look like they belong in a mid-1930s aircraft.  I like the dual 837 tubes in the PA of later GF transmitters...much better than the single VT-25-A of the SCR-*-183/283, and I like the design of the later RU sets that allows the CW reception that the SCR-*-183/283 doesn't.  I may someday violate my rule about energizing old gear to put one of my RU-16/GF-11 sets on the air.

>SCR-183 lasted up thru P-40s as the SCR-283... the 28V spin.

I've seen pictures of the cockpits of captured Japanese aircraft being performance evaluated in the USAAF.  Most show a backfit of an SCR-183 or 283, which I guess was good enough for that type of service.  (But I've also got a picture of the back seat of a captured German night fighter under evaluation in which a three-receiver SCR-274-N installation and a BC-456 can be clearly seen along with the original German radar equipment.)

I think the SCR-AS-183 was the last of the line for USAAF sets of this type.  I don't even think they ever got around to making the -AS- version-specific receiver coil sets.  Every -AS- version I've seen had -AR- version receiver coils.  A few years ago I acquired SCR-AS-183 in the original unopened crate.  It had NO receiver coils either in the crate or on the packing list.  I guess it was expected that some -AR- coils would be scrounged up when the set was finally installed.  Unlike the USN's RU/GF sets where almost all the components making up an original set will have the same serial number, NONE of the serial numbers were the same on the SCR-AS-183 gear that came out of the crate.  The transmitter coils did have the serial number of the transmitter stamped in red paint on the side of each coil.

Its too bad that SCR-*-183 transmitters are rarely found with the tubes inside anymore...the vacuum tube audiofools pay big bucks for the VT-25 (type 10) tubes that the transmitters used.  At least the RU/GF doesn't have any tubes that the audiofools particularly like.

Mike / KK5F