[Milsurplus] BC-348

[Bruce Gentry]

It's a good question if there was an active effort by the military to 
prevent broadcast listening, but the BC-348 has a 915 KC IF which 
complicates good reception near that frequency.  The ADF on the airplane 
would provide for broadcast reception, and use of the loop antenna would 
reduce static and also allow nulling out a station you didn't want to 
hear that was on the same frequency. There were also ARC-5 receivers for 
the broadcast band, and coil sets for the older RU receivers as well.  
One very real possibility could have come from patent issues. In those 
days, many parts and tubes, as well as complete receivers, had to pay 
patent royalties depending on the usage of the equipment. The BC-348 was 
probably designed before hostilities commenced, and may have been based 
on a commercial design licensed only for airways communications.   Those 
agreements were very thorny, and affected many kinds of equipment.  Once 
the war started, I think many of those restrictions were suspended or 
renegotiated, but no one was going to retool and redesign a receiver 
that was satisfactory for it's intended use and needed in maximum 
quantities immediately.  I know there were articles and instructions 
after the war to modify  the LF band ARC-5 receivers to broadcast, did 
anyone develope a coil rewinding procedure to allow the LF band of a 
BC-348 to cover  the broadcast band?


       Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY




On 11/9/15 10:00 AM, Jack Antonio wrote:
> I've seen a number of postings about the lack of broadcast
> coverage in the BC-348 which it is said that they didn't
> want the crew distracted. And I'm sure those comments were
> tongue in cheek.
>
> Any aircraft large enough to have a liason set, also
> was large enough to have a radio compass set, such as the SCR-269 or
> its relatives, which did cover the broadcast band. And
> I think it is also safe to say that on a long flight,
> the crews did listen to the ball game or music
> to relieve the boredom.
>
> Which leads me to another question.
>
> What is the smallest aircraft to routinely have a
> liason set installed?  C-47s to be sure, but how
> about the Beech C-45?  The B-34 and B-37 (Navy Venturas
> in AAF service)? Any of the AT-series trainers used as
> bonber crew trainers?
>
> Jack Antonio WA7DIA/4
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