[Milsurplus] Subject: Original Design Purpose: RAT, RAV, RAX

[Hue Miller]

> Subject: [Milsurplus] Original Design Purpose: RAT, RAV, RAX

I think Mike has solved the puzzle of the why of the RATs and RAVs, and i'm 
pleased with his solution.
I want also to point out one data point: I had at one time, 2 RATs, new in box.
( Yas, i did. ) I swapped them to Tony Grogan for a used MBM, probably of
equivalent rarity but clearly less known and less desirable to collectors. But,
as i recall, one set had the local control and one didn't. I swapped in a local
control, and affixed to both receivers the local tuning "Model T crank arm"
and mounted both on a ( I think ) ARA double receiver shockmount. Anyway...
one receiver DEFINITELY had the local control adapter in it....i think this is
interesting in that we often think of the local control adapter as being for 
LF/ MF receivers. The local control adapter, at least one of them, was 
marked as being RAT equipment. 
I know now, "Never Say Never", so yes, at some time and place the RAXs
maybe were used for SigInt, but we don't have to exercise our imagination
to explain the frequency range of the triune RAX. And yes, the military,
at least the Navy, did settle on the top frequency limit of about 9050 kc/s.
( When you look at WW2 radio facility charts, you see that there are no
HF frequencies listed higher than about 7 Mc/s....maybe 8 Mc/s. ) 
 
Re the Philippine guerrilla radios, i am perfectly comfortable with the notion
that initially, BC-474 and BC-654 radios were supplied...once these were
available....and until the flurry of clandestine radio development in late
1944/ into 1945...PRC-1, TRC-10, MBM...
 
The book i cited also mentions a "very large" 50 watt ( output, i believe ) 
transmitter, AC powered ONLY, that was used by some NCS stations
to transmit compiled reports to Australia. Author states that power
transformer vulnerable to moisture and required almost DAILY
rewinding before they finally gave up on it. Is this, what, BC-191 or
some Australian transmitter? In the case of the BC-191, the AC PS
was insanely heavy....BUT....these people unloaded 50 gallon drums
of gasoline from the submarines, and somehow had them lugged
by hired bearers, to their jungle - and sometimes mountain - hideouts.
I welcome comments on "what transmitter? "  
-Hue