[Milsurplus] Radios at Castle Ait Museum

[Mike Hanz]

Jack Antonio wrote:

> Also in the RB-36, there was a switch panel, lableled
> "RECORDER" that had switch positions labled BC-348, and
> AN/APR-something.( I think it was a -4, but I could be
> mistaken).
>
> Was the BC-348 used in an ELINT role?


Perhaps, though it may have been just for that particular squadron, or 
even the particular airframe.  The "standard" RB-36 "LF" (sic) position 
only covered 27-300MHz, but obviously if there were signals of interest 
in the HF region for the region of interest, one might add an ELINT HF 
radio.   The "standard"  HF ELINT receiver at the time was the 
Hallicrafters AN/ARR-7 (basically an SX-28A in a single ATR 
configuration), and IMO it was superior to the BC-348 in a number of 
ways, especially for band scanning work requiring the availability of 
several different IF bandwidths for flexible signal analysis.  I prefer 
it over the BC-348 for ham use, frankly.  It would have been the logical 
choice since the Hallicrafters AN/ARR-5 was part of the "by the book" HF 
position equipment suite and used the same PP-32/AR power supply.  The 
AN/APR-4 took over from 30MHz on up, and the RB-36 had two available in 
the LF position.  The standard recorder was the AN/ANQ-1 wire recorder 
(http://aafradio.org/countermeasures/recorders.html ) - the RB-36 had 
*four* of 'em!

Having said that, the Crows were a pretty independent bunch and 
occasionally ran equipment that the regular Air Force might not get away 
with.  I suspect there may have been an element of in-flight music 
entertainment there, but who knows... :-)

73,
Mike