[Milsurplus] Using Old Radios

Barry Hauser barry at hausernet.com
Sat May 14 02:39:39 EDT 2005


For what it's worth (maybe not much) a lot of those Stradivarius's have been 
extensively reworked over the years, including complete teardown and 
reassembly.  Yes, they try to match any replacement materials as closely as 
possible, including the glue formula.  However, as I recall, they don't have 
any record of the glue composition and it was a special one known only to 
the original makers.  The purpose of being as authentic as possible is to 
accomplish the repairs without turning the thing into a fiddle.

As far as mil radios are concerned -- many were in service for many years 
with field repairs and several trips to the depots.  Parts were replaced 
with the (hopefully) functionally best available equivalent and repainting 
with whatever paint was authorized at the time.  If they were still in 
service, they'd be stuffing yellow poly's, orange drops, metal film 
resistors, "solidtube rectifiers" and whatnot into them, not chasing down 
NOS wax caps or Black Beauties.  They'd repaint in CARC or some water based 
environmentally friendly OD.

The untouched specimens are likely those that were surplussed off unused at 
2 cents on the taxpayers' dollar.  Yup, they're authentic in other respects, 
but are lacking in real world historical "exposure".  Of course, many 
received real world hacking.  Some of that's so old, it has an historical 
aura of it's own now.  So, what means "authentic" or "historically 
accurate" - depends.

Like most things .. it all depends what you want.  You can have working 
models with real live kinetic history of sorts -- not the same program 
material, or you can have a shelf queen -- there's room for both.  If I had 
a BC-312 unused in a crate, I wouldn't mess with it.  Not even sure I'd open 
the crate unless I could take a peek without messing up the crate.  Don't 
have one like that, but some nearly original.  I do have a BC-348 that 
someone "modernized" circa late 50's/early 60's based on appearance.  Meter 
added, painted light green metallic -- and knobs changed out for new age 
shiny skirted ones.  Looks like the guy was trying to make it blend in with 
Heathkits or whatever.  I won't return it to original -- it has an 
historical quality of its own.  Somewhat representative of what guys used to 
do with these things a half century ago. Radio-wise, that was an interesting 
time.

Tour guide at the Smithsonian 500 years from now "And we're walking, were 
walking and here we have a BC-348 radio receiver as removed from a B-29 
somewhere in the middle of the 20th century -- the Enola Gay, which dropped 
the first atom bomb.  And right next to it is another purchased by one 
Mortimer Glick in 1956 -- see the original receipt for $20 from Wylie's 
Wacky Surplus and Steam Fittings Emporium.  An excellent example of 
individual creativity of the era.  (oohs and aaahs from the tourists).  It 
still plays -- just press the button on the display panel  .. wow! Elvis! 
OK, we're walking, we're walking and .. people, let's move on now!"

Barry


>
> Hue Miller wrote:
>
>> I was talking with Tony Grogan once many years back when he described
>> a particular radio set as a "fine looking instrument".  Now consider
>> for a moment a comparison to musical instruments. I think you will find 
>> that
>> the majority of vintage instruments which CAN be played,  in other words 
>> are playable still, ARE in fact played still. This goes for baroque 
>> instruments much older than any Command Set radio....
>
> That's the best analogy I've heard.
> There is a reason you can convince people that
> a Stradivarius violin should be preserved:
> when they ask "why?,"  you say "because it can do this!"
> and proceed to produce music unlike that of any other violin.
> Leave it behind glass, and it's just another fiddle.
> So it is with our radios.  Cold and dead, they create minimal
> interest and do not convince most people of their value.
> Alive and doing that which is unlike mundane radios
> creates interest and, in some, ignites passion to preserve.
> This was illustrated during the recent W5E S.E. station activity.
> I had a working SCR-274N, a working SCR-287 and a display of
> non-working "preserved" radios from the Womans Army Service Pilots.
> The radios in the display had by far the more interesting
> history, and it was explained on a nice presentation board
> at the display, and I got some good comments,
> but the big applause was for the *working* radios.
>
> No matter how well we care for and preserve our collections,
> they will pass from our hands.  If we do not demonstrate that
> which makes them different and valuable, interest in them will
> fade to the point that they are no longer preserved.
> That being said, there is a "middle road" that can both
> bring radios to life and preserve their integrity as
> historic artifacts.  Three simple rules will suffice:
>
>  1. Do as little as possible- seek "work arounds."
>
>  2. Do *nothing* that cannot be un-done.
>
>  3. If you can't make it work without violating
>     rules 1 or 2, accept that it will never work and move on.
>
> My work on Command Set receivers has evolved over time.
> Once, I would have replaced every capacitor in them as
> a matter of course.  Now, I actually salvage caps
> from "junkers" and test them.  I have found a percentage-
> often as high as a third- of them to be good.
> I now replace the bad ones with original equipment, when I have them.
> If I'm "out," I'll "tack in" replacements until I can get
> an original part for the rig.
> One cap- the 5 mFd dyno ripple filter- has always been
> bad and I have never found a good "original" one.
> I clip the lead from its terminal, curl it out of the way,
> and tack-solder a small modern substitute into the circuit.
> This is 100% reversible, thus obeying the rules.
> This is only for rigs I intend to run with the dynamotors.
> If not using the dyno, I'll run both the filaments and
> B+ at 24 volts with an external, amplified speaker.
> This usually works with no changes at all.
>
> My one and only WWII Japanese radio has an open audio output
> transformer.  While there is a gentleman who can re-wind them
> to original specs and appearance, I don't think I can
> remove it from the radio without doing damage.
> So I use a small, external, amplified speaker.
> The radio plays very well now, without a single change.
> All I did was lube where needed and clean the controls.
> Its historic value is preserved, *and* it's a live radio.
>
> Everyone has their passion in this field,
> so this is, of course, one man's opinion.
>
> 73 DE Dave AB5S
>
>
>
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