[Milsurplus] You Rich Boys Better Jump On It....

Mike Morrow kk5f at earthlink.net
Tue Apr 23 01:00:59 EDT 2013


Dave wrote:

> WWI-era Navy receiver:
>
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/171028364143

One with a miniature tube added.  What could the fellow who
modified this thing been thinking?  This unit would have been
rare even before the first miniature tube was ever made.

As far as WWI electronics, I'll have to be satisfied with my
1918 SCR-54-A (BC-14-A) crystal set.

I doubt that any -A models made it to the AEF before the Armistice,
but I've read that the earlier SCR-54 did see WWI field use with
artillery regiments for one-way communications from spotter aircraft
that used the SCR-65 (BC-15) miniature quenched-gap spark transmitter.
This has been claimed as the first ever use of aircraft radio
transmission.  It almost certainly is, at least for military aircraft.

I've often wondered if my grandfather's unit, the 3rd Division,
18th Field Artillery, used the SCR-54.

Maybe some day I'll get the matching SCR-65 transmitter.

Mike / KK5F




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