[Milsurplus] RBB-6 Acquisition

[Mark K3MSB]

Hi Guys

One of the benefits of working a hamfest early shift is that when you park
tailgaters you get to see those trunks open and as the saying goes “the
early bird gets the worm”.   Such was the case for me this weekend at the
York PA hamfest.

I parked a car and noticed a Piper Cub sticker on the back windshield.
After collecting the tailgating money I said I noticed the cub sticker and
inquired of the man’s call.  To make a long story short we knew each other
from a mutual friend and quite a few local email threads.  We chatted for a
few minutes (he owns a cub,  I used to own a Cessna 170…..) and then I had
to attend to other tailgaters.

I came back around after a few minutes and this fellow has an RBB-6
receiver propped up in his trunk.  I immediately asked to look at it.  The
front panel was nice sans needing a little touchup near the on off switch.
I walked away to park some more cars and then came back.  I pulled the
beastie out of the trunk and the inside looked stock both top and bottom.
Well, to make a long story short, I got the “pilot to pilot” special
pricing of $40 for this critter and I was soon lugging it (a very apt
verb….) back to my Jeep.   I was then off to finish my hamfest shift.   Of
course the local club members just smiled as old Mark was hauling another
boatanchor across the parking lot; a sight they have come to find not
unusual.

As I was leaving the hamfest around noon I drove my car up to where some of
the club members were sitting as we have an old navy man in our club and he
was sitting there.  As we were looking at the radio I noticed the serial
number – number 9 !!   So, I was rather excited to have RBB-6 SN 9 as my
latest acquisition.

When I got home I took a long look at the partly faded frequency markings
made by some operator long, long ago.   I had looked at them at the hamfest
as I needed a minute or so after lugging the radio to my car, and saw
“Goose Bay”, “VOA”, etc and one in the middle which I had misread.  I now
read that center one correctly.   CVA62.  Now my interest was really piqued.

CVA-62 is the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Independence.

Here’s the complete listing of frequencies (some are partly faded….):

WPA 12.810 Port Arthur
NBA 12.86 Bal Boa CZ
KLB (or KZB) 12.89
NSS 12.140
8.775  Illegible

CVN62  12870-3.92

6260.5 Andrew AFB? 11.258  4724.5
VOA (or VOB) 26 MC WBOU N.d.
Goose Bay 11.278
Bolling 11.268
8.2 Tugs
4.3 Tugs (??)
8.830 NY

I figured “Port Arthur” was Port Arthur TX, and of course “CZ” is Canal
Zone.  Two Air Force bases are listed, Andrews and Bolling.  I would guess
the “Tugs” frequencies are for the tugs used to dock the Independence.

What I’d like to know is what the WPA, NBA, KLB (or KZB), NSS,  VOB etc
represent.  I did a quick search on the web and couldn’t find a listing
(which probably means I wasn’t searching for the right thing).  Any help is
appreciated!

I love seeing this kind of hand written stuff on old radios.  It brings the
history of the radio so much more alive!  Of course, this does not mean
that the radio was actually on the Independence, but it might have been on
a ship that accompanied her down the Atlantic coast to the Panama Canal!

Thanks & 73

Mark K3MSB

Sent from my Android phone