[Milsurplus] SCR-300 Aircraft Radio

[David Stinson]

Hue Miller wrote:
>...  Also, I speculated
> the L-5 never had a transmitter. I do not know this for a fact.....

Sorry, Hue.
I have the L-5 manuals
AN 01-50DB-1, -2, -3 and -4, 10 September 1944.
The L-5 did indeed have a 12 volt electrical system,
radios, recognition lights and all.
 From AN 01-50DB-2, Section IV, Paragraph 7,
subparagraph d, item 1, to whit:

-------------------
d. COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
(1) DESCRIPTION- The communications equipment consists of
an AVT-15 or AVT-112A transmitter mounted on the
left match rib beside the pilot's set, an AVR-20A receiver
mounted on the right match rib opposite the transmitter,
and on later L-5B and subsequent model airplanes,
an AN/ARR-13 receiver mounted forward of the AVR-20A receiver.
L-5 airplanes equipped with the AVT-112A transmitter have
an AVA-126 poser supply and bracket for stowing spare crystals
on a shelf behind the observer's seat.  The power supply
in the L-5B and subsequent model airplanes is mounted
forward of the pilot's control stick and spare crystals
are stowed in the upper right side of the observer's compartment.
An AVA-120 antenna reel is mounted in the top of the cabin
near the receiver.  The antenna runs from the reel through
a fair-lead at the rear compression tube and through
a second fair-lead at the top of the rudder.
On airplanes equipped with the AN/ARR-13 receiver,
an antenna selector switch is located
between the two receivers.
-------------------

But wait; there's more!
My favorite part:

AN 01-50DB-1, Section V, Paragraph 1,
subparagraph c, part 1:

-------------------------
c. 24 VOLT AIRPLANE
(1) DESCRIPTION
The model L-5G airplanes are equipped with
an SCR-274N command set.  Remote controls are accessible
  to the pilot and the copilot.  The receiving equipment
  consists of receivers BC-453 and BC-454 mounted
  on a rack installed in the fuselage belly aft
of the observer's seat.  The BC-457A radio transmitter
is mounted on a rack behind the receivers.
The BC-450 receiver control box is installed
on the structure in the upper left side of the cabin.
This control box is equipped with three independent
groups of controls, two of which are used.....
Power is supplied by the airplane 24 volt electrical
system and by a DM-33 dynamotor with
a BC-456 Modulator unit located forward of
the pilot's control stick....
An antenna relay unit is mounted on the structure
aft of the transmitter.....
-------------------

We have photographic evidence of the BC-659 and BC-620 mounted
with the vertical antennas poking out the roof and power supplied
either by a wind genny or a battery box.
These are excellent examples
of what I've often spoken about:  they used what they had
to do the job they needed.
My money says the aircraft were almost always
"by the book" (HF) when in the States and every-which-way once
on the front.  I have a photo somewhere of Patton's light aircraft
he used for his personal transport in North Africa and Sicily.
The RCA HF radios are clear.  I also have a photo of one crashed
in France with the reel antenna and little wind sock,
and you can just barely make out the AVR-20.
So they used HF in some combat areas and VHF in others,
depending on what was needed at the time.

73 Dave AB5S