[Milsurplus] Fwd: 1950's Navy airborne HF question

[Nick England]

I figure some of you guys can maybe help Bob out.
Nick

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Robert Morris <remorris4 at triad.rr.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 13, 2010 at 3:06 AM


Hi Nick, My name is Bob Morris over in Greensboro. I got interested in
a site talking about the Piasecki HUP-2 helicopter that we had in a
navy squadron during my tour  1952-1955. I have been corresponding
with the author and was remembering the communications equipment we
had. In our squadron WWII SNJ( army AT-6) we had what I remember as an
SCR type MHF transmitter and receiver. I remember the tower at NAS
Lakehurst getting on our case to get rid of that stuff and at least
get VHF so they wouldn't have to monitor the MHF. Do you have any idea
what frequency the   MHF was?Even later ,they and the fleet, got on
our case to change from the ARC1 vhfs to UHF ( at that time there was
achange-over to the ARC27 UHFin a lot of the fleet). The ARC1 was a 10
channel VHF crystal controlled vacuum tube transceiver and the ARC 27
was UHF , still 99% vacuum tubes, but was synthesized with many
channels. I looked over your site but didn't find anything on aviation
communications equipment. Our biggest problem was the weight problem.
At that time our choppers were so marginal that every pound meant less
fuel and less time in the air. Both radios I mention were pretty big
and heavy mainly due to the pressurized case needed for high altitude
with high voltages. I'm sure  that in the next few years
thereafter,with the advent of the transistor, radios really shrank in
size and weight. Would like to hear from you.