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

[Michael Bittner]

When I went through flight training at Whiting Field (part of the Pensacola 
based Naval Air Training Command) in 1955, our SNJs were equipped with 
ARC-5s.  You transmitted to the tower on the MHF transmitter and received 
them on the LF receiver.  Can't remember the exact frequencies, but I 
beleive they were common to all towers at that time.  Tuning was set by the 
techs and there were no tuning controls in the cockpit.  The only control 
was the transmit/intercom switch.  Many funny stories (most unrepeatable in 
polite company) about cadets who left that switch in the transmit position 
such that instructor's and student's voices on the intercom were broadcast 
all over the air.  Mike, W6MAB

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Hanz" <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org>
To: "Robert Morris" <remorris4 at triad.rr.com>
Cc: "Military Surplus Mail List" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Fwd: 1950's Navy airborne HF question


>I spent quite a few hours researching the avionics lineup and helping
> with acquiring the right pieces for an SNJ-5C owner in California,
> Robert.  He wanted to restore it to the 1952ish condition, though
> nothing remained of that installation when he acquired the airframe.
> The -C (carrier) version had been updated from HF to VHF as a result of
> the pressures you mention, and a letter from an Admiral directing the
> -5C to have the same radios as the then current carrier combat aircraft
> reinforced the change to VHF AN/ARC-5 equipment.  You can see the shots
> of the interior that resulted at
> http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=319050
> In the Smithsonian's SNJ-4, there is an SCR-283 set (WWII training
> aircraft were traditionally way behind the times from an equipment
> standpoint) and I can send you photos of that set in the interior of the
> aircraft if it will help jog your memory.  The SNJ-* was a funny animal,
> coming from AAC/AAF contracts that installed Signal Corps equipment into
> what would become a Navy owned airframe.  The Navy didn't seem to mind
> too much - it was just for training, after all... :-) I don't believe
> the SNJ's ever received the USAAF SCR-274N HF equipment - except for the
> range receiver it was obsolete by the Korean War.
> .
> I feel your pain on the AN/ARC-1 and AN/ARC-27...they are pretty heavy
> for a helicopter.  You can see both at http://aafradio.org
> .
> 73,
> Mike  KC4TOS
>
>
> Nick England wrote:
>> 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.
>>
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