[Milsurplus] Re: [ARC5] How Secret Was the ZB/YG System? Not much!

[jcoward5452 at aol.com]

Mike,
Thanks for the clarification.I was useing the term "secret" in the 
broader sense,not as a military designation of security.It is of note 
that the R-1/ ARR-1 dropped the leading "2" on the frequency 
dial.Foiled me a while back when I got my first of several of these.I 
thought there was a low VHF version until I opened it up to see that it 
was built the same as a ZB-*.
One of my projects is to build up an RU-19 set with two receivers.One 
receiver coupled to a DU-* loop and the other coupled to a ZB-*. I'll 
toss in an LM-* just to make the dynamotor work for a living!I think I 
have all the components but some of the cables and drives will have to 
share with the RU/GF I'm putting together.
Do you have any info on AN/ARC-4 useage on PT Boats?
Jay KE6PPF



-----Original Message-----
From: kk5f at earthlink.net
To: arc5 at mailman.qth.net; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Fri, 30 Mar 2007 4:31 PM
Subject: [ARC5] How Secret Was the ZB/YG System? Not much!

Jay wrote of the ZB/YG homing system:

>...why so secret? the Eastern Bloc knew just about all
>we knew technology-wise.

The ZB/YG system was never SECRET...not even close...not even when WWII 
was in
progress.

In the WWII-era, levels of classification in the US Armed Forces ranged 
from
RESTRICTED to CONFIDENTIAL to SECRET to TOP SECRET. The classification 
of the
equipment manuals is an indication of how secret the equipment is. 
Before and
even in the midst of WWII, the classification of the ZB-*, AN/ARR-1, 
and
AN/ARR-2 equipment manuals was only RESTRICTED. That is a very low 
level of
classification...even the SCR-*-183 and RU/GF were RESTRICTED. The 
homing
decode cards for the ZB/YG system were often at the next higher 
classification
of CONFIDENTIAL, but only when filled in.

Manuals for WWII USN IFF systems like the AN/APX-1, -2, and -8 were
CONFIDENTIAL, with red covers on the manuals.

After WWII the RESTRICTED classification was eliminated in the US. 
Manuals for
the ZB/YG homing system were completely declassified.

Mike / KK5F
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