[Milsurplus] ] BC-221 question

[Bob Camp]

Hi

I have seen a significant number of BC-221's with government issue AC 
supplies. The AC supply obviously was custom designed to drop right 
into the battery section of the BC-221 box and has all the appropriate 
stamps and plates on it. They were not designed for some other 
application. I do not ever remember seeing a 221 with the frequency 
meter *and* the power supply manufactured by the same company. In many 
cases the date codes on the power supply are several years later than 
the date codes on the frequency meter assembly.

The same tradition seems to have continued on with later frequency 
meters. They also seem to have the same odd power supply from Miami in 
1959 and frequency meter from Ohio in 1952 paradox. I have no idea 
weather they ran the frequency meter on batteries for seven years and 
then converted it or simply waited for the AC supplies to arrive.

I have never seen any of the AC powered frequency meters with obvious 
damage from a battery pack. Of course I have never seen a battery 
powered frequency meter with obvious damage either so this may not mean 
anything at all.

 From what I have read about the frequency meter contracts they were all 
sort of a mess as viewed by the government. As time went on the process 
got worse rather than better. The capital equipment required to 
calibrate the meters was tricky to maintain and the contraction of the 
military electronics industry after WWII hurt as well. This made the 
production process (and the cost of production) less than ideal. The 
government may have split off the power supplies to reduce the 
contracting exposure to a supplier that was not always viewed in the 
best light.

All that said it's amazing just how useful a BC-221 is 60+ years later 
...

	Take Care

		Bob Camp
		KB8TQ


On Mar 5, 2005, at 8:45 PM, Hue Miller wrote:

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "J. Forster" <jfor at quik.com>
>
>> Also, it appears that the only AC line powered versions were the Navy 
>> LM series.
>>
>> -John
>
> There may have not been mains powered "version" of the BC-221, but 
> there is a
> government issue, nomenclatured A.C. power supply for the BC-221, 
> which fits
> right in the battery compartment. As Clete mentioned, it does have a 
> "low profile".
> Sorry, i do not have the PP- name right now, but i do have one of 
> these.
> -Hue Miller
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