[Milsurplus] Fw: RCH

[Hue Miller]

21, 2008 10:49 PM
Subject: Re: RCH


> Ivan- from Hue Miller: have a look at this:
>
> http://www.imradioha.org/scott_labs.htm
>
> For the rest of you, some following emails which may be of
> interest. Ivan's note demonstrates that at least for non-warships,
> the SLR-F / RCH could be the main ship's receiver.
>
> Also, i recall an entry in the Navy's 900,102 ( ?? right number ?? )
> book on equipment servicing and modifications, an entry on the
> RCH, which says some Navy people have complained about the
> RCH, and that while not up to usual Navy standards, it is still
> usable. ( So much for the "royalty of radios". )
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "IVAN JUNAKOVIC" <junakovic at vma.it>
> Subject: Re: BC312 (fwd)
>
>
> > Steve,
> > I appreciated the historical references  you forwarded to me. The
>  Korean War > surplus origin [of France Army nameplated BC-312]
>  is a very reliable assumptions. The fact is that at that time
> > France and his Legion Etrangeres had to face the Indochina  War
> and the > beginning of Algeria troubles. Therefore the extreme need to
>  enhance the > wireless communications.
> > Attached are immages of the radio station of my first (Liberty) ship, s/s
> > Panamante/HPMN. I was engaged as Radio Officer  on 1961/62 period.
>  I'm quite > shure that the SW receiver on the left was manufactured by  Mackay. [No- it's a Scott
> SLR-F. (Hue)] .
> Now, > aftar so many years, I'm interested to know something
> more about that > receiver specifications. Comparing several surplus
>  pictureson the Web I > did'n find the right model. Can you suggest or
> give me some indications? >
> > Ivan/I0JQA
> >
> > > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > > Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2008 18:05:29 -0800
> > > From: Hue Miller <>
> > > To: Steven Swift <
> > > Subject: Re: BC312 (fwd)
> > >
> > >
> > > Steve- from Hue -  thanks for your interesting note. I hope you will
> > > forward
> > > these comments to the fellow in Italy. Also maybe you could post the
> > > photos on your 312-nameplates site and then i'll reference this in a post
> > > to the milsurplus website.
> > >
> > > Now, my opinion.
> > > I have 2 BC-312 of France army use. I believe these are earlier rework.
> > > The nameplate says something like "Societe Francoise de Radio" which
> > > i suppose would be something like the France equivalent of our RCA.
> > > There is no mention of Army or military on these nameplates, altho
> > > certainly they were done for this use. The whole cabinets were repainted
> > > of course, but the lettering was redone in English language. Oddly, the
> > > "dial light" legend was misspelled so it says "DIAL LINGTH".
> > >
> > > I don't know whether the USA gave France electronics as well as weapons
> > > during WW2 and just after. My father was in an anti aircraft gun battery
> > > in
> > > WW2, and near the end of the war, around the Battle of Bastogne period,
> > > there was not enough left of the Luftwaffe to justify keeping so many AA
> > > guns, so his battalion was disbanded and moved into infantry support and
> > > the heavy guns 90mm were given to France.
> > >
> > > Into the 1950s France was moving to be a power independent of the USA
> > > and even left NATO - i don't have the exact dates at hand. I would think,
> > > however, that any radios they acquired from the USA in the postwar period
> > > were bought outright and certainly not donated by the USA. So i would
> > > guess
> > > that these France army BC-312s whose photos you sent were rebuilds of
> > > WW2 donated equipment or equipment that France bought surplus after
> > > the end of the Korean War. The US Army did still use that receiver in the
> > > Korean War.
> > >
> > > In the late 1960s and early 1970s there was a war-surpus dealer in New
> > > York
> > > city called "G&G Electronics". I don't think their many magazine
> > > advertisements
> > > listed the BC-312, but  their catalog - about comic book size - listed
> > > both the
> > > BC-312 and BC-348. I phoned them for information and asked where they
> > > had gotten the BC-312s. The man said they had reimported some from France.
> > > The France radios had been used in a diversity reception setup with one
> > > receiver's HF oscillator running the second receiver also. G&G was buying
> > > the receivers and modifying them back to independent solo receiver
> > > operation.
> > > I sent in an order for one of each receiver 312 and 348. My check was
> > > never
> > > cashed and about a year later i received a reply asking did i still want
> > > to buy
> > > the receivers. At that time i lost interest and declined. Altho i later
> > > bought
> > > a couple ATB transmitters and the very last BC-1209 "armored car radio"
> > > (as they called it), all factory new unused equipment. Perhaps the SRF
> > > BC-312s i have, came from that same surplus seller.
> > > -Hue Miller
>