[Milsurplus] R-388/51J use

[Ben Dover]

Re. the SAC tests of SSB...

Another major player was Gen. "Butch" Griswald, a ham who had a KWM-1 aboard his
personal transport aircraft (I beleive it was a C-54). 

He got some coverage in the ham magazines, working DX from 15,000 feet, before the 
SAC tests.


Mr. T., W9LBB


-----Original Message-----
>From: "C.Whitaker" <whitaker at pa.net>
>Sent: May 26, 2012 8:38 AM
>To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
>Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] R-388/51J use
>
>de WB2CPN
>I suppose you all know that Art Collins and
>General Curtis LeMay were close friends.
>Arthur Godfrey was part of the trio.
>That's howcome SAC started using SSB
>instead of AM.   There was a live test of
>both modes on a B-36, SSB won hands down.
>R-388 or 51J, whatever, was much lighter,
>easier to maintain, and a lot less cost, than
>the R-390.  My old USAF command, used
>the 51J in the Tech Controls, and the receiver
>and transmitter sites.  Only for quality control.
>A lot went to overseas State Department sites,
>mostly for morale and welfare.   FBIS used
>a few of them I know.  We did some maintenance
>work for them one time.   My pictures of a GRC-26
>show R-388 in the wood cabinet.
>SP-600 was a good radio, I modified one for
>SSB, but they are noplace without a freq meter.
>The first Collins transmitter I saw was the 32RA.
>Almost every AF control tower had one for HF.
>That was at the end of WWII.  All the large HF
>Autotune transmitters were by Collins.  Most
>had BC names, but the manuals were Collins.
>A chrome plated, restored, with three mechanical
>filters, 51J-3/4 would be a joy to have.
>73  Clete
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
>
>On 5/25/2012 4:27 PM, Mike Morrow wrote:
>>> I recall the introduction of the original 51J in a small trailer ...
>>> viewed by invitation only.  No other receiver like it anywhere.
>>> Sure blew the 348 away.
>> That's like saying the Collins KWM-2A (AN/FRC-93) sure blew the RCA ARB/ATB
>> away.  But these sets were from two different eras serving two very different
>> functions.
>>
>> The BC-348 design dated from 1936 and was solely intended for aircraft use.
>> The 51J (R-388/URR) came about 15 years later for stationary or
>> transportable/stationary installations.
>>
>> Comparing the USAAF BC-348-* (AN/ARR-11) to the 51H-3, the commercial model
>> number for the USN AN/ARR-15, would be more reasonable.
>>
>> I've never seen a unit marked 51H-3, and I've also never seen its matching
>> transmitter marked 17H-2.  That was the commercial designation for the
>> AN/ART-13.  I have a manual for the 17H-2, but not the 51H-3.
>>
>> 73,
>> Mike / KK5F
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