[Milsurplus] BC-611 basic design error

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

In a message dated 12/29/2009 10:32:01 PM Central Standard Time, 
kargo_cult at msn.com writes: 
> This is true that working at 30 Mc/s, it would only be able to talk to 
> another such unit, and not even one
> of the superregen type rigs with a modulated vfo type transmitter. The 
> distance range of course would
> be a mulitple of the lower frequency range.

Yeah, but it would have been worthless for calling for help from the M4, M8 
or M16 you could see off to your left.

> 
> I thought the BC-1000 could talk to other FM equipment? I suppose the 
> problem would be getting the
> transmitter close enough on frequency. The receiver's AFC I think pretty 
> well solves its problem of
> being not quite on frequency.

Nope.  The WW-II US tactical FM equipment topped out at 38.0 MC.  

> 
> Broken antenna means it goes back to the field repair van. Operator cannot 
> or will not have time to
> change it - unlike say on the BC-1000.  What do you do with it on a combat 
> patrol, when the antenna
> breaks? -Hue
> 

You'd do the same thing you would do if you were carrying a BC-1000 or any 
of the four late Korean War sets, do without.  They weren't issued with 
spare antennas.  Although admittedly, the short range ribbon antenna would be 
less prone to breakage.  But again, if you got into trouble, there wouldn't 
have been anyone to talk to anyway.  

As I said earlier, the sets in use in 1940 when the specs were set were all 
low HF.  20-20 hindsight is never fair.

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