[Milsurplus] [MRCA] 1155

[Mike Morrow]

> Surely the Collins ARC-1 could be considered the best or the great war lot,
> but it came very late, and only to the pacific theater, AFAIK.

The USN and USCG used the AN/ARC-1.  In many ways the USAAF's AN/ARC-3 is a
better set, save for being in three major units, for requiring two dynamotors,
for lacking a guard channel, and for having only eight channels.  Oh...plus
the push button C-118* control box is a mechanical abomination that was later
replaced by panels with a simple channel select switch.

The tuning of the transmitter is automatic each time a channel is selected.
Need a new frequency in that channel?  Pull the old crystal out and insert
the new.  When that channel is selected the T-67 will automatically tune
without *ANY* presetting of some auto-tune dials performed by a radio tech.

The R-77 receiver is the same, except that a thumb wheel must be set near the
desired frequency of operation so that the correct LO harmonic will be tuned.

The USAAF radio techs must have loved the AN/ARC-3 after experiencing the
trials of the SCR-522-A.

> Surely the Collins ARC-1...

I've never seen a Collins-made RT-18/ARC-1.  All that I've seen were made
by either Western Electric (WECO) or Westinghouse, although the auto-tune 
mechanism inside is Collins-made.  Are there COL-made RT-18s?  What company
designed the RT-18?  It seems "Collins-ish", but I always thought it was WECO's
work, a logical progression from their WE-233 (RT-19/ARC-4) in the identical
package.  Perhaps WECO can take credit for setting the standard ATR dimension
with the RT-18 and RT-19.

Mike / KK5F