[Milsurplus] German Subs

[howard holden]

Can't say how the Germans did it, but on US subs each wire was its own separate antenna, not used in conjunction with the others. One for RX, one for TX. Any combo of 2 of the three, some subs had only two. The antenna connection switch for the transmitter would not allow cross connection between antennas. You could also hook up two or three RX, each to its own antenna, but then none could go the the transmitter. 

USS Ling in Hackensack has two antennas running from conning tower sides to the bow, and we think there was another from high up on the conning tower, also to the bow. No wire antennas aft.

Howie WB2AWQ
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: J. Forster<mailto:jfor at quik.com> 
  To: Richard Brunner<mailto:brunneraa1p at comcast.net> 
  Cc: milsurplus<mailto:milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> 
  Sent: Thursday, August 20, 2009 8:40 PM
  Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] German Subs


  "salt-encrusted antenna insulators" ???

  Would not any salt on the insultors be washed off when the sub submerged?
  The sea is far from a saturated solution.

  -John

  ===============


  > Re:
  >> > Presumably communication was mostly HF and wonder how reliable it was?
  >
  > The only reliability problem I've read of was salt-encrusted antenna
  > insulators intermittently breaking down late in a voyage.  One could
  > estimate time at sea by the quality of the note.
  >
  > Yes indeed communication was almost exclusively HF, but note that
  > everyone had MF capability.  Antennas were typically three wires fore
  > and aft from the conning tower, and presumably tied together and worked
  > against sea water ground for MF.  This is not really efficient at MF,
  > but will work well enough for communication.
  >
  > Richard, AA1P
  >
  >