[Milsurplus] BC-966 IFF receiver

[Mike Morrow]

>The BC-966 is a MK-II IFF transceiver...

It's a Mark IIIG.  USN ABF, USAAF SCR-695-A.  The USN ABF actually
used USAAF SCR-695-A units marked "BC-966-A".  This was a Mark III
IFF that also had the "ground control" IFF pulsing function. 

Lacking the IFF "G" function, the Mark III is USN ABK, USAAF SCR-595-A.
The USAAF SCR-595-A actually used USN ABK units marked "CZR-43AAY".

The Mark II in very short-lived US service was the SCR-535-A
(BC-647-A, BC-648-A).  It seems to be rare.  I have most of the ABK,
the SCR-695-A, and the Mark IV ABA, but the only part of the SCR-535-A
that I've ever seen was the BC-648-A control box that was on ebay
auction a few weeks ago.

The Mark IIIG was primarily an European Theater set, especially in
ground controlled fighters, while the similar, simpler Mark III seems
to have served most needs in the Pacific Theater as well as non-fighter
aircraft in the ETO.

>...intentionally mis-marked to throw off wreck-scavengers

It's interesting that the ABK RT-unit was also marked "RECEIVER"
but assigned the USN component code "CZR-43AAY" on the nomenclature
plates.  The "-43" clearly denotes a "receiver-transmitter".

I guess they thought the other side would be too stupid to figure
that out. 

Then, there's the very rarely (if ever) used reserve Mark IV IFF,
the USAAF SCR-515-A (BC-645-A), USN ABA (CG-43AAG).  These both
were plainly marked as a "RADIO RECEIVER-TRANSMITTER" on their
nomenclature plates.

Mike / KK5F