[Milsurplus] SRR-13 question - LF Receiver Sets

[Mike Morrow]

Robert wrote:

> AN/SRR-19's replaced RBA's.

I never saw an AN/SRR-19 when I was in the USN.  I'm not sure of
its intended role.  With a frequency coverage of 30 to 300 kHz,
it covered none of the maritime Morse band above 410 kHz, nor any
of the frequencies used by coast stations in the 15 kHz region.
The panel controls seem to indicate USB and AM operating modes,
which is strange for the frequency range.

The most important communications receiver used by the submarine
force 30 years ago was the AN/BRR-3, which covered only 14 to
30 kHz.  I've never heard of one of these receivers in private
hands, though there'd be no real reason for there not to be with
all the US submarines that have been decommissioned in the past
25 years.  The limited frequency range would reduce interest
(overall I'd prefer the AN/WRR-3), but it would make a nice cold
war relic.

We also had a AN/WRR-3, covering 14 to 600 kHz.  This receiver
was common on many USN vessels.  I recall one being used on
the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) for the watch on 500 kHz.  Submarines
were not required to watch 500 kHz.  I like my AN/WRR-3B better
than any other surplus VLF/LF/MF receiver I've ever come across.

My submarine had an HF burst transmitter, several combos of R-1051,
T-827, and AM-3007 sets with "AN/BRC-" system designations, plus
an AN/URC-9 for UHF comms.  We did more transmitting with the VHF-FM
handheld bridge-to-bridge radios while entering and leaving Holy Loch
Scotland than we ever did with any of the transmitters in the radio
room.  Ballistic missile submarines emitted RF signals only on the
rarest and most urgent of times.

Mike / KK5F