[Milsurplus] [ARC5] BC-625-A (The SCR-522 and "A Real Good War")

[Mike Morrow]

Marty wrote:

>Sounds like a good one Mike

Sam's website http://www.b17sam.com/ has hardbound signed copies for $20
total.  It was out paperbound about eight years ago too.  A wonderful
account!

>I recently read "Lucky Bastards Club" by one Eugene Fletcher, B17 pilot.  
>It goes from his pre-war flying through the ramp-up to B17
>acft commander.

I'll look up a copy, Marty.  I'm not familiar with it, but your
description will get me to find and read it.  

It's interesting that the USAAF ETO bomber force and the USN submarine
force suffered almost identical personal force loss percentage (22%),
although in absolute numbers the USAAF losses were much greater.  The
US submarine force constituted only two percent of USN personnel, yet
was responsible for 55 percent of enemy shipping destroyed.  For the
best WWII US submarine force history, Clay Blair's "Silent Victory"
is without match.  He airs all the laundry, clean and dirty.  My dad
(W5WRR/SK) was an electrician's mate on Sawfish in 1944.

>And I sure agree with you on the '522 deserving the award for top
>interplane (command) 2-way in Europe.

I had some email exchanges a few years ago with an ETO USAAF radio
tech.  He said that the SCR-522 did have some problems with frequency
drift (not much temperature compensation), and was a real chore to
change crystals and retune.  He said the SCR-522 was about the only
communications gear that was regularly used in his squadron of 
transport aircraft.  Even though most of his aircraft had the
SCR-287-A liason set, he said it was very seldom used.

The later AN/ARC-3 must have been a great relief to the radio techs.
When working properly, the units automatically align themselves
after a new crystal is installed and selected.

>Odd the Navy didn't adopt it.  They struggled with ARC-4 (civvy WE-233) 
>from '42 on until ARC-1 appeared in '44... Of course they carried
>at least a BCB ARC-5 to copy the YG-ZB df system

I think the R-28 and T-23/ARC-5 installation played a significant
part after the AN/ARC-4, and before and after the AN/ARC-1.

Somewhere I have a book of USN aircraft photos, with a PBY cockpit
photo that clearly shows the BC-602 control box for the SCR-522.  I'm
pretty sure I've seen other photos of USN aircraft that depicted the
BC-602.  The USN used the excellent SCR-269 ADF, among other selected
USAAF gear, so it's not so strange that they sometimes used the SCR-522.

>The BC-625 sure established hams on 2 meters in the 50s, didn't it.
>But I never used one.  Got on 6m with the TU-75 drone-control xmt
>module in '57.

I didn't get bit by the radio bug until 1964.  The only VHF gear in
my (WA5WGJ) and dad's station was a Civil Defense Clegg 99'er and a
Heathkit Twoer.  I tried to put a T-23/ARC-5 on the air in the late
1960's, but I never came up with ham band crystals.  The Clegg was
a hoot...whenever interference bars showed up on local channel 3,
it was time to fire up the 99'er with its 5-watt AM signal.

Mike / KK5F