[Milsurplus] USN aircraft communication procedures - 1950's

[Mike Morrow]

That's an interesting document, Nick.  I'd guess from the equipment listed that it is early 1950s vintage, since the AN/ARR-15 plus AN/ART-13 (a.k.a. AN/ARC-25) is cited.  Nothing is said about the replacement set AN/ARC-38 that came out around 1955.  The 500 kHz operation cites use of the "ARC-5".  Obviously that's the R-23A/ARC-5 which provides the LF/MF coverage that the AN/ARR-15 lacks.  Had this procedure been published a few years later when the AN/ARC-38 appeared (usually with AN/ARR-41 aux receiver) the R-648/ARR-41 could provide 500 kHz reception...but there would have been no transmitting equipment for 500 kHz.

The procedure directed use of the SOS prosign.  It does not point out that the signal should be sent ...---... and NOT ...  ---  ... like the movies show. :-)

The AN/ART-33 used the locally-operated T-588/ART-33 MF radiotelegraph transmitter.  It operated crystal-controlled on all of the standard Maritime Morse MF band ship frequencies, plus 500 kHz, about 50 watts.  The US Coast Guard used these from the mid-1950s.  I have one, but it operates on 400 Hz AC power.  I don't know what receiver was used with it.  They could do a lot worse than a R-23A/ARC-5...so perhaps that was used.

Thanks for making that document available.

Mike / KK5F

-----Original Message-----

From: Nick England 

Subject: [Milsurplus] USN aircraft communication procedures - 1950's

FWIW - a set of information sheets from NAS New York - 1950s?

 http://www.navy-radio.com/manuals/procedures-NAS-NY.pdf

includes info such as -
DISTRESS PROCEDURES ;
U.S. NAVAL AIR STATION
NEW YORK
AN AIRCRAFT THREATENED BY GRAVE AND IMMINENT DANGER AND DESIRING IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE WILL :
1. TURN ON IFF EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT.
2. TRANSMIT ON RADIO TELEGRAPH OR RADIO TELEPHONE AS FOLLOWS ON AIR/GROUND FREQUENCY IN USE AT THAT TIME, OR ONE OF THE FOLLOWING EMERGENCY FREQUENCIES:
500 KC - CW - MF (ART-13, ARC-5)
8364 KC - CW - HF (ART-13, ARR-15)
2182 KC - VOICE - MF (ART-13, ARR-15)
121.5 MC - VOICE - VHF (ARC-1)
243.0 MC - VOICE - UHF (ARC-27)