[Milsurplus] ARB Modifications

[Bruce Gentry]

On 11/1/12 12:15 PM, Mike Morrow wrote:
> John wrote:
>
>> Anyway, other than the Surplus Perversion Manuals, does anyone know of
>> articles that might have been the impetus for the 'cxonversion'. I'd like
>> to undo them.
> Here's a website that shows an example of a typical Franken-ARB ham conversion:
>
>    http://www.ohio.edu/people/postr/bapix/arb.htm
>
> It references a CQ Magazine article from June 1958.  That article described an
> extensive mod inflicted on the ARB.  (It was similar to what Roy Pafenberg
> would do to surplus gear in the 1960s for 73 Magazine.)
>
> An online archive of CQ is available for modest fee at http://hamcall.net/cqcgi .
>
> Mike / KK5F

I think there were very powerful social issues involved in many surplus 
radio "conversions". When I was in high school forty five years ago,  my 
parents found military radios  disturbing and did not want them in the 
house.  I can understand a veteran B-24 radio operator not wanting to 
have a BC-348 in his home. As an intermediate accomodation, I feel many 
of them wanted to disguise or customize the set to make it less of a 
reminder of the bad. I have seen many  Navy RAS receivers, and have one, 
but all of the nomeclature plates have been removed and many were 
painted other colors. Likewise for the thousands of red, bright green, 
or white painted BC-348s that were and still are around.  I found the 
rigs very interesting because of their quality, availability, and 
frequently low price. I know for a fact the two bushel baskets of ARC-5s 
I got for the taking in 1967 was because the owner and his family did 
not want "that creepy war stuff" around their house anymore.  For those 
of us born from 1940 onward, the radios interest us for other reasons 
and usually don't have the emotional baggage attached to them. I am 
curious as well- how many Korea and Vietnam veterans shun military 
radios of their wars?  I have not had a veteran regard a PRC-6,10,25, or 
77 with revulsion yet, but will understand if they do.

   Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY