[Milsurplus] Re: chirpy xmtrs, Philippine guerrillas

[Hue Miller]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <N2EY at aol.com>
To: <kargo_cult at msn.com>; <glowbugs at piobaire.mines.uidaho.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 7:54 PM
Subject: Re: GB> Re: chirpy xmtrs


> In a message dated 5/24/06 12:49:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> kargo_cult at msn.com writes:
> 
> 
> > Also, i've not heard of any
> > homebrew transmitter used by guerilla forces in the  Philippines: they
> > apparently used Army-standard BC-654 and maybe BC-474 (according to
> > Dave Stinson)  MOPA sets - so they sure didn't chirp that much.
> > 
> 
> QST for March, 1945, page 22
> 
> In January, 1944, Lt. Iliff Richardson, USNR, was on Leyte, chief of staff of 
> the guerilla forces there. He had been executive officer of a PT boat that 
> did not get away when the Phillipines fell. He and his group were ordered to set 
> up radio communications between the guerilla forces and Allied forces in 
> Australia. Main purpose was to send information about Japanese ship movements in 
> the area.
> 
> Lt. Richardson and his men had no practical experience in radio at all, but 
> they did have a 1932 ARRL Handbook. They scrounged old BC receivers and PA 
> systems, and were able to build a station, get on the air, and get in contact with 
> Australia. By the time Leyte was back in Allied hands, the guerilla radio 
> network had grown to 5 stations. The receivers were mostly converted BC sets but 
> the transmitters were all home made from whatever was available. 
> 
> Richardson had to learn the code from the Handbook, too, as did many of his 
> group. 
> 
> 73 de Jim, N2EY


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <N2EY at aol.com>

> QST for March, 1945, page 22
> By the time Leyte was back in Allied hands, the guerilla radio 
> network had grown to 5 stations. The receivers were mostly converted BC sets but 
> the transmitters were all home made from whatever was available. 

Well, that is pretty darn interesting.
However, at tech school i had a friend whose father was in radar-electronics with
the US Army in the Philippines.  His father had at one point met up with a group
of Filippino guerrilla fighters. One guy was on the handcrank generator and 
couldn't turn the cranks. Another Filippino commented to the Army man, "Oh
he's just lazy". The Army man, my friend's father, apparently took this as just a
little joking, but if the radio was an Army BC-654, and on full-power setting, it
would take one husky body builder to turn the cranks, and he probably woulnd't
last thru any QSO.   Dave Stinson sez the little BC-474 was used in the islands 
also, and i think he said something about its reasonable size made it easy to 
get thru submarine hatches. I'll have to ask him about that.   -Hue
>