[Milsurplus] BC-229 Questions

[Mike Morrow]

> I am new to the list... Should have been here years ago, BUT:

Hi Andrew,

Welcome!  This list is closely related to the arc5 list, info at

     http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/arc5

which specializes more in vintage military *aircraft* radios.  It's
best to join both the milsurplus and the arc5 lists, since the
patterns for postings are not always consistent.

As far as the SCR-A*-183 system is concerned, there many different
exact nomenclatures, and small to major differences between versions.
You might want to give the list the full nomenclature for best informed
responses.  For example, there is no such thing as a BC-229.  There are
instead 11 different versions of the BC-A*-229, where the * is replaced
by E, F, G, H, L, N, O, P, Q, R, or S.  The most common versions are the
BC-AR-229 and the BC-AS-229.

There is an ongoing effort to tabulate historical and technical information
about these sets, and the following URL links to an archived posting I made
to the arc5 list last August that collects some of the contribution of
several list members to this end: 

      http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/arc5/2011-August/008649.html .

There are updates and corrections awaiting posting in the near future.

> The BC-230 does CW.
>
> How does the BC-229 receive CW?

The BC-A*-229 is not designed for unmodulated CW.  It is a TRF receiver that
lacks a heterodyne oscillator to produce the required beat note.  The receiver
is MCW or AM voice only, although there was for early versions in the mid-1930s
a rarely used external oscillator (BC-A*-183) that could be used to produce
the beat note for some liaison set versions of the BC-A*-229.  These were out
of use years before the start of WWII, because the the excellent and capable
BC-224-* or BC-348-* receiver became the standard USAAC/AAF liaison receiver.

The US Navy had a superficially similar command set called the GF-*/RU-* series.
Except for the earliest of its many versions, it *was* designed with an integral
heterodyne oscillator for unmodulated CW reception.  But never so the USAAC/AAF
sets.

73,
Mike / KK5F