[Milsurplus] [ARC5] RAT(-1) & RAV: Another Viewpoint.

[Kludge]

-----Original Message-----
From: arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of David Stinson
> Many years ago I had a stroke of miraculous luck 
> and spoke with a Navy vet who had experience with this issue.  
> I won't go into detail about this interview because the last time I did, 
> I got some very nasty public remarks for my trouble.

Not from me you didn't.  Things that happen during war are good examples of
the concept of "Truth is stranger than fiction."

> He said that, in the 1938-39-40 time frame, the Brits had a need for
aircraft receivers 
> (and it would be supposed, transmitters, though he didn't say that) which
would cover 
> the upper end of the HF band.  They had receivers for that band 
> but they were big and heavy.  The A.R.C. rigs were supposed to supply that
need.

Well, let's see.  The Admiralty eventually converted some BC-455s to cover
23-40 MC but that didn't happen until 1942 or so when the AAF got theirs.
That covers the range used by the Lorenz landing system but I'm not entirely
sure I know why the Royal Navy would have need of that rather than the RAF.
To the best of my knowledge, the Germans abandoned that system, or at least
it's being operational 24/7, at the beginning of the war to prevent it from
being used as a homing beacon for bombers so that use seems unlikely.  

I hope no one minds me doing some speculating.  I've got a full (34 oz/1
liter, dependent on POV) cup of coffee & a freshly rolled cigarette
(tobacco, not pakalolo!) and I'm feeling kind of relaxed and speculative at
the moment.  This will be way simplistic so don't shoot me if I gloss over
details and stuff.  It's a quick scene-setting sketch not an in depth review
and, worse, the history part is from memory and we all know what shape my
mind's in.  :-D

Okay, during that time frame, we were not engaged in the war although we
were sending shiploads of "stuff" to England (I don't know when that
started.  Sorry.) to help them despite our neutrality at the time.  The
Neutrality Act was revised in 1939 to allow purchase of needed supplies and
the Lend-Lease program which started in 1940 expanded that policy.
Chamberlain had been trying to find a peaceful solution between England and
Germany but that failed in Fall 1939 when the latter invaded Poland and
declared war on England.  A year later, he was out and Churchill was in.
Funny how that works.  

Side note: I think England has got the right idea in how to deal with
politicians up to and including dissolving parliament.  The only thing
missing is summary (public?) execution of the really bad ones.  Hmmm ...
wonder if that can be made a constitutional amendment.  :-) 

Anyway, rolling backwards again, the contracts for the GO-4, -5 and -6 were
let in 1938 and 1939 and we didn't have aircraft receivers to go with them
which is, as mentioned previously, is the most likely reason the RAT(-1) and
RAV came into existence and even then only as a stopgap until the RAX was
available.  Note that in Ships 242A, only the RU is mentioned as the
corresponding receivers for all the GO series except the GO-9 where the RAX
was added to the set, and the RAT(-1) & RAV are only listed as aircraft
receivers.  This latter doesn't mean much since all the RUs not associated
with GF transmitters are also only listed as aircraft receivers. 

Prior to 1939, it was obvious Germany was up to no good hence Chamberlain's
attempts at keeping England out of their sights.  (Here comes the
speculation part.)  It would have been in England's best interests to either
have a means of monitoring Germany's radio activity or have a liaison
communications system outside the usual range monitored by Germany.
Assuming the GO-4, -5 & -6 plus the RAT(-1) & RAV were considered complete
systems, this would cover the latter case.  OTOH, if there were more
receivers built than transmitters, that would cover the former.  It wouldn't
be out of line to consider the possibility that equipment that was
contracted for by our armed forces wound up elsewhere - i.e., these sets
winding up in British hands via the US Navy.  (This is kind of like what's
being done today with money supposedly for one project winding up diverted
to black ops projects so as to get it past Congress.)  

Let me add that I enjoy conspiracy theories but only to poke holes in them
plus use them as the bases for novel ideas.  With that, I have absolutely
nothing to back any of this.  As I said, it's pure speculation without
supporting evidence born out of a large cuppa java, a well rolled cigarette
(okay, maybe two of them) and a speculative mood.

> I'm certain no one will ever find any documentation.

Documentation?  Wazzat?  :-D

Best regards,
 
Michael, WH7HG ex-K3MXO, ex-KN3MXO, WPE3ARS, BL01xh ex-Mensa A&P PP BGI 
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