[Milsurplus] BC-611 basic design error

[Thomas Adams]

At 02:54 29-12-09, Hue Miller wrote:
>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.

It COULD, however, communicate with the HF field sets that ruled the 
roost for the
Army at the time. In addition, much of aviation radio was centered in the 3 MHz
range at the time, so there was additional compatibility.

The name of the game in the design was battery consumption. High HF or low VHF,
especially FM, would have needed for more complexity and more tubes.

As it was, the BC-611 didn't have that great a reputation for 
reliability in combat
conditions; in Leon Uris' book BATTLE CRY, the Marines speak disparagingly of
the "SCR Sets" that the Army used, referring to the BC-611. There are numerous
similar examples of disdain for the sets.



>2- the antenna is not field replaceable if damaged. If the antenna
>breaks, you're out of business.


Yep. That's why they went to metal tape antennas on the later PRC radios.


Mr. T., W9LBB