[Milsurplus] WWII Navy radar question

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Richard,

According to SHIPS 242A, the first contract for the SR was in 1944/45.  It 
shows SR through SR-4 but no SRa.  It also shows SA through SD all as 1942.  So 
I'm inclined to guess that the "SR" in the early records is generic.  However, 
the use of the lower case "a" is puzzling in that context.  The lower case 
"a" suffix to equipment set nomenclature usually indicated a change from the 
standard model as opposed to a modification/improvement for which the suffix 
number was incremented (but that was not the only or even most common reason that 
the number was incremented).  The most common reason for the "a" was use of a 
different power source, like 25 cps instead of 60.  Or I think one or two 
cases where the frequency range was different from the standard model.

Anyway, I can't see how the SR of 1942 could be the same equipment as the SR 
of 1944 and 45.  

"CX" is shown in 242A to be "Commercial Experimental" and covers everything 
from radar to sonar to motorcycle radios.  In some cases the notes say what the 
nomenclature of the production model was, but not in the case of the CXAM 
(1940) or CXAM-1 (1941).  The Notes column just says Obsolete.  And browsing the 
Notes, I don't see any predecessor for the SR.

In a message dated 11/26/2006 10:28:01 AM Central Standard Time, 
SHAEF1944Returns at aol.com writes: 
> Hi guys ...  working on the Amer.Veterans Museum site, page about 
> battleship fire control, and have run across a stumper ... for me, anyway ... I have a 
> list of search radars installed on the pre-war Standard Battleships, and it 
> shows a couple got the CXAM radar in 1941,  but most of them an SRa radar in 
> 1942.  I have been able to find some info on all the radars, CXAM, SC, SK, 
> etc,  but nothing at all on the ' SRa '.   I did find a few pics of the 
> reciever/transmitter stuff on a destroyer  or DE website ( I think DE220 ) that says 
> it is SRa equipment, but no real info, or anything about the antennas, etc.  
> Any of ya'll ever heard of this,  or have any info ?  On the list that shows 
> it, could the ' SR ' just be generically used for ' search radar ' ?   The 
> navy history site doesnt list any " SRa " among the radar used by ships, but 
> who knows,  so I am asking the experts for some help.  Thanks guys, Richard

Robert Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com> (Web Store)
MVPA 9480
<wa5cab at cs.com> (Primary email)
<wa5cab at houston.rr.com> (Backup email)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20061126/4d14d4d2/attachment.htm