[Milsurplus] TCS and the 18M

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

The Navy version of the 18M-5 plus power supply, cables, etc. is the TCH (I 
have the manual).  Power supplies were available with input voltages of  6, 
12, 32 and 115 VDC.  The Collins nomenclature of the TCS is 18Q.  

The first model of TCS was just "TCS".  The early models (TCS through TCS-3 
and some TCS-4) didn't have TCS nameplates (or any Navy nameplates, for 
that matter).  The second TCS manual (S/N 281-828) is dated 04/16/1941.  I 
don't know the date of the first manual but the first Contract was also in 1941. 
 AFAIK, the last (16th) "model" was TCS-15, early in the Korean War.

TCS was replaced in the Fleet by AN/WRC-1.  Some WRC-1 were later replaced 
by AN/URC-35.  I think all TCS had been retired before the URC-35 came out.  
I don't know where AN/URC-7 fits in but will hazard a guess that it was 
only installed on new construction and was abandoned before being used for 
upgrades.  Like most AN/SRR-11/12/13.

In a message dated 11/18/2011 09:22:46 AM Central Standard Time, 
RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu writes: 
> Anyone who knows me knows that my interest is more along the lines of 
> development, use and evolution of equipment and not necessarily in the 
> thorough and complete understanding of one item. Mr. Stinsons post regarding the 
> Collins 18M brings up some interesting questions regarding the TCS family of 
> radios. First: was the 18M produced or used in military service? The 
> relevance of this question is that I have always thought the TCS was an adoption 
> of a civilian design that was pressed into military service if so then 
> what was the civilian radio that fathered the TCS? Was the 18M that radio? Or 
> is the 18M a radio that was the civilian equal to the military TCS? Second: 
> what was the production run for the TCS? When did the first radio of the 
> TCS series, maybe TCS-1 appear? What was the last series? maybe the TCS-15? 
> And were older TCS radios upgraded to later versions with additions of 
> noise limiters and N connectors? And did any of the series come with factory 
> installed noise lim
> iters or factory mounted N connectors. I have never seen an N connector 
> that looks as if it had not been done in the field. Third question: was there 
> any intermediate radio between the TCS family and the URC-35? I know the 
> URC-7 fits in there but have only one time seen a URC-7 and have seen tons 
> of TCS and URC-35 sets I. would speculate the URC-7 was not a very 
> successful radio being not many around. So if anyone feels up to the challenge and 
> can produce a timeline for the TCS family of radios including what was used 
> before the TCS, when they were deployed and what replaced them I think that 
> would be great information to get out to the group.
> Ray F KA3EKH

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480