[Milsurplus] RT593/ARC147, Now RT-953/ARC-147

[Mike Morrow]

Hi Jim,

I hope you won't mind if I post this to the milsurplus list, since
there may be folks there wondering about what you've got cornered. :-)

Does your unit look like this RT-953/ARC-147?
  http://www.onejp.ru/lot/w77731223

If so, it appears identical (even the control box) to the RT-742/ARC-51BX:
  http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/collins_rt_742arc_51_bx_arc_51.html
  http://members.home.nl/a.k.bouwknegt/index_bestanden/ARC51_UHF_Transceiver.htm
  http://members.home.nl/a.k.bouwknegt/index_bestanden/Pictures/ARC51-Top.jpg

The Collins AN/ARC-51BX was one of the most commonly-used UHF command sets
of the mid-1960s to late-1970s.  It's mostly solid-state, but there are,
IIRC, four UHF vacuum tubes in it.  There should be a fair amount of web
info on the 51BX, and manuals show up on ebay.

I know about all those socket-head Allen screws.  I bought a set of long
T-handle Allen keys.  I don't think there are 50 of them, though.  I have
two AN/ARC-51BX units.

The AN/ARC-51BX was beautifully made, very expensive, and an important radio
set.  I'm not sure of the differences, if any, between it and your AN/ARC-147.
There was an similar set as part of the AN/ASQ-19
  http://web.tiscalinet.it/milradio73/ASQ_19/radio_asq19.html

I doubt there are many useful parts in it unless they are being cannibalized for
repair of something similar.  If it doesn't strike your fancy much, you might
want to put it on ebay, or offer it on one of these mail lists.  AN/ARC-51BX
units without control box typically don't bear a lot of high bidding on ebay,
but the -147 might spark more interest because of the unusual nomenclature
on an apparently common set.

You'll get some web hits on AN/ARC-147 as a VHF navigation set on UH-60's,
but that is in error...the set being addressed there is the AN/ARN-147.

73,
Mike / KK5F

-----Original Message-----
>From: Jim Pruitt
>Sent: May 27, 2013 8:59 PM
>To: Mike Morrow
>Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] RT593/ARC147
>
>Hello Mike.
>
>No,  I transposed the first 2 numbers.  It is an RT953/ARC147 and the one 
>site I found just says that it is a uhf radio set and nothing more.  I could 
>find no other sites, other than a report from a military unit that had 
>several of them and were listing the inventory.  I found no site that told 
>me any more about it other than it is 225mhz to 400mhz.
>
>I would just open it and look but there must be 50 or more allen screws to 
>remove to get the cover off and I have no long allen wrenches to make it 
>faster so I was just trying to determine if it was even worth opening for 
>parts or not.
>
>Thank you.
>
>Jim Pruitt
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Mike Morrow"
>To: "Jim Pruitt"
>Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 6:40 PM
>Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] RT593/ARC147
>
>>> Can anyone point me to information on an RT593/ARC147?
>>
>> I don't think there was a JAN nomenclature of RT-593/ARC-147.
>> Anything with an "RT-593" component assignment would likely have
>> been years before anything that got a "ARC-147" system assignment.
>>
>> Are you sure you listed that exactly and correctly?
>>
>> Mike / KK5F
>