[Milsurplus] BC-654 numbers

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Hue,

Wikipedia is obviously wrong (no surprise there).  Using only one edition 
(meaning I didn't go back to the earlier one to see whether it listed any 
in-between numbers), the 01/24/44 edition of TM 11-275 has a number of schematics of 
components identified by Serial Number.  I'll just list the runs and what they 
apply to.

1-3500           Receiver & Transmitter
3501-9500      Receiver & Transmitter
9501-17691    Receiver
Over 17691     Receiver & Transmitter
Over 43683     Receiver
9501-13000    Transmitter
13001-17691  Transmitter

Wiring Diagrams
9501-12000    Transmitter
12000-13000   Transmitter  (12000 is on both drawings)
17692-20891   Transmitter
Over 20891      Transmitter

There are other five-digit serial numbers in there as well but the above 
would seem to prove that production began at Serial Number 1 and continued without 
break at least through 20891.  It implies but doesn't clearly state (since 
the Over 17691 schematics weren't updated to say 17691-nnnnn) that production 
continued without a Serial Number break past 43683.  I would say that it is 
unlikely that only 1800 went to Europe and over 41000 to the Pacific and CBI.

In a message dated 12/30/2007 3:47:49 AM Central Standard Time, 
kargo_cult at msn.com writes: 
> This is from the listing blurb on Epay:
> 
> "The Crosley Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio manufactured
> the SCR-284 field radio, that consists of the BC-654 and
> support equipment, and which was a mainstay of United
> States military communications. Beginning in 1943, over
> eighteen hundred units were built and deployed to the
> European theater".
> 
> Lister copied this from Wikipedia. I am repeating it here
> cuz that 1800 figure to me, sounds astoundingly low.
> What say you? Of course, it doesn't include possibly
> a thousand or 2 in the Pacific campaign, but wouldn't you
> think more were used in Europe than 1800? Oops, i should
> say North Africa and Europe. If it was 1800 + Pacific, wouldn't
> they be rarer?
> 
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com> (Web Store)
MVPA 9480
<wa5cab at cs.com> (Primary email)
<wa5cab at comcast.net> (Backup email)
   
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