[Milsurplus] BC-611 basic design error

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I have to disagree with some of that.  Although it's true that with the 
short antenna, the radio would have worked more efficiently at a higher 
frequency, in 1940 the majority of the Army ground sets operated between 2 and 6 MC 
(or a sub-part or that range).  Had the BC-611 been built to operate in the 
10-Meter range there would have been nothing else it could talk to then or 
for that matter for the next 12-15 years.  The basic flaw in the design of 
the otherwise excellent BC-1000 was that until circa 1949 there was nothing 
else it could talk to.

Replacing a broken antenna requires only the following - open bottom cover, 
unplug two wires, loosen screw in top cover, slide out chassis, remove one 
screw (two in later models), remove antenna, reverse previous six steps.  It 
might be necessary to cut off the broken antenna at the entry insulator 
before doing step one.  

In a message dated 12/29/2009 2:55:06 AM Central Standard Time, 
kargo_cult at msn.com writes: 
> I see the BC-611 handie-talkie concept as flawed from the start, altho it
> was a marvelous piece of engineering for its time.
> 
> 1- The radio would have been much more effective operating at
> around 10 meters - the whip antenna is ridiculously inefficient at
> 4 Mc/s. Of course - it could not have communicated with either the
> low band FM equipment or the low HF mobile radios.
> 
> 2- the antenna is not field replaceable if damaged. If the antenna
> breaks, you're out of business.

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480