[Milsurplus] BC-461

[Mike Morrow]

Brad wrote:

>I have acquired a BC-461 Reel Control Box. What are the dimensions of the reel,
>does the counter count feet?

It's a pretty arbitrary count of, IIRC, the number of reel wheel rotations.  It
normally connects to a RL-42-A motor-driven reel trough the same type MC-215
mechanical spline that the SCR-274-N uses.  The wire is led out of the aircraft
through an F-10 fairlead, with a WT-7-A weight on the end.  There is a connection
clamp at the entrance to the fairlead which the wire slides across.  The output
of the transmitter is connected at this clamp.  The complete trailing wire system
is fairly complex, requiring:

BC-461	Reel Control
F-10	Fairlead
FT-470	Mount for MC-476
M-396	Upper Clamp for F-10
MC-163	Connector Clamp for F-10
MC-215	Mechanical Spline Shaft Assembly - RL-42-B to BC-461
MC-476	Lower Mounting Ball for F-10
PL-112	Connector:  RL-42-B (1) to BC-461 (1)	
RL-42-B	Reel
W-106-A	Antenna Wire
WT-7-A	Antenna Weight
AN 08-10-3  Maintenance Manual

>Also collected a red switch box BC-765, printed in white  'TO DESTROY
>SPECIAL RADIO PRESS BOTH BUTTONS SIMULTANEOUSLY'

That is part of the system used to destroy the innards of the SCR-595-A
or SCR-695-A IFF "receivers".  It electrically activates a thermal
igniter that is put in place from the front of the ABK or BC-966-A
IFF unit.

>The BC-451-A control box was used to select one of four transmitters,
>but could the pilot select one of several command receivers in the rack?

Normally, two-transmitter FT-226/227 racks were used.

The BC-450-A three-receiver control box is normal also.  It has three
identical mechanical/electrical control sections.  So yes, each receiver
in the FT-220/221 rack could be completely controlled individually at the
BC-450-A with its audio output directed to audio output bus A or B.

Mike / KK5F