[Milsurplus] SCR-608/508 antenna base?

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

That is an incomplete standard pre-war Antenna Mast Base MP-48.  It was 
superceded in late 1941 or early 1942 by the MP-48-A.  The one that you have is 
missing the internal parts or the external insulators.  It originally 
shipped equipped with a single-pin AN style coaxial connector on the bottom 
feeding the top through a short length of W-128 running up through the spring.  
Early in the War, in an effort to use up old stock, most had the coaxial feed 
removed and as with most MP-48-A's, two external insulators were attached 
to run the W-128 antenna feed line up the outside.  However, on Texas, if 
they used MP-48s' with the SCR-608's, they probably used coaxial feed.

With an SCR-608, most likely they would have used two Antenna Mast 
Sections, MS-53 and MS-52.  Each is about 39" long.  The top of the MS-52's would 
have had a probably rubber screw-in plug in the top to keep sea water out of 
the mast section.

As an ET1, I spent a week aboard Texas in 1975 trying to pump rain water 
out of After Steering, the Engine Room and the ammunition handling room under 
Mount 14-III.  In 2000 I scanned and reprinted 200 copies of the final WW-II 
Cruise Book for what I think was the final Reunion of the WW-II crew.  I 
ended up with a few extras if anyone is interested.

Robert Downs - Houston
CWO4 USN Ret'd.
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480

In a message dated 10/06/2015 16:32:21 PM Central Daylight Time, 
usstexasradio at gmail.com writes: 
> I picked this up at an estate sale recently. I believe it is an antenna
> base for an SCR-608/508. What all am I missing other than the antenna
> segments? USS Texas BB-35 used a couple SCR-608 setups and had a 608
> antenna mounted in a couple different places over the years of service.
> Would like to find all the parts to make a complete antenna if possible 
> and
> tips on repainting/restoring this base. Pic of base:
> http://imgur.com/KVX3wyM