[Milsurplus] RAX-1 Contract Information

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

This has been a very interesting and informative discussion for me.
It's intriguing to see others express similar opinions or speculation
if you will, in line with my own suspicions. Sure would be great to
have an old Navy radioman from one of the aircraft using the RAX sets
give us his view of the situation then.

In response to the ongoing conversation and a few private queries for
more info, here is the complete information on the RAX-1 contracts
listed in the NAVSHIPS 900,707 manual dated August 3rd, 1945 from GE
in Schenectady, NY.

First, the contract numbers which I assume do not include any of the
earlier RAX sets due to the nomenclature description of "Navy Model
RAX-1 Aircraft Radio Telegraph and Telephone Receiving Equipment" :

NOs---74810      June 29, 1940

NXs---15298      October 24, 1942

NXsA---36561    August 24, 1943

NXsA---77864    November 11, 1944

N5sR---11815    August 8, 1945



Following the contract info is a 'Note' which contains the following breakdown:

"On contracts NOs-74810, NXs-15298, and NXsa-36561, all three Radio
Receiver Units (Navy Types CG-46115, CG-46116, and CG-46117) are
supplied and dynamotor units are included. On contract NXsa-77864 and
N5sr-11815, only Radio Receiver Unit 2 (Navy Type CG-46116) is
supplied and the dynamotor is included only with a portion of these
contract lots."


Makes you wonder how they powered these single receivers if they
didn't already have a dynamotor on hand. Special outboard supply? Why
only one receiver? Specific use or spare/backup receiver?

It continues:


"In this Instruction Book, two tables of Parts and Spare Parts (Tables
8-2A and B-2B) cover all four contracts.

     (1)  Spare parts for all three Radio Receiver Units (Navy Types
CG-46115, CG-46116, and CG-46117) on contracts NOs-74810, NXs-15298,
NXsa-36561, NXsa-77864 and N5sr-11815, required by latest applicable
specifications but not furnished because of contract termination, are
indicated in Table 8-2A.

     (2)  Spare parts for Radio Receiver Unit 2 (Navy Type CG-46116)
on contracts NXsa-77864 and N5sr-11815 are indicated in Table 8-2B.

     (3)  Spare parts furnished on contracts NOs-74810, NXs-15298, and
NXsa-36561, which are in accordance with several specifications which
are now obsolete, are not indicated in these tables."


It goes on to describe how the different contracts were packaged and
shipped, along with a lot of other mundane yet detailed info. The
granularity and 'exceptions' of the contract information alone
certainly seems to support Mike Hanz's suggestion that the Navy
could've had multiple uses in mind when they contracted for these
units. Particularly the dropping of the higher and lower frequency
units later in the war.

You guys know FAR more about this stuff than I do, but just looking at
the basic design of a RAX-1 receiver, it's not difficult once the
basic unit is made to tailor it for full HF coverage from beacon band
to frequencies approaching low band VHF, and in only 3 receivers with
greater coverage than the ARC-5 group as Mr Morrow points out. An
awfully lot of bang for the buck. If/when the mission changes, simply
subtract or add a receiver, not unlike the ARC-5 sets but with more
functionality.

Overly simplified, and in no way would it address any ELINT roles, but
one has to wonder - why bother with the CG-46117 receiver otherwise?

Which reminds me - when I got my set of Triplets, Band 5 on this
receiver was blocked from use by a screw added to the front dial
escutcheon to prevent switching to that band. The screw was cut off
short in back, and painted black to match the panel.


~ Todd,  KA1KAQ/4