[Milsurplus] What is it?

[Bruce Gentry]

On 6/25/16 4:00 PM, Bruce Gentry wrote:
> The US Air Force once used morse code identifiers on aircraft radios 
> that transmitted the aircraft's number in code every time the 
> transmitter was keyed. The ID was MCW at a level that did not 
> interfere much with the voice transmission. At Keesler AFB amatuer 
> radio station K5TYP, one of these units was salvaged and put to use 
> transmitting the call sign of the 2 meter repeater. I was told the Air 
> Force stopped using them in the 50s, but they were still in place on 
> some older airplanes. Supposedly, the ID was an inspiration for the  
> Morse code vocalization in the song "Itazuki Tower", and can be heard 
> of you search for the Oscar Brand recording of it on YouTube.
>
>       Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY
>
> On 6/25/16 2:46 PM, KD7JYK DM09 wrote:
>> : Great info!
>> : No one won the Grand Prize. It stumped the pro's !
>>
>> I have serial number 2056.  There was a paper label that covered one 
>> side,
>> but it's long gone, all that remains is some glue and yellowed paper, 
>> maybe
>> there are others out there with this label and whatever information 
>> may have
>> been printed on it.  I noticed the serial encoder wheel on mine is 
>> different
>> (of course) than the one on ebay right now, not just the spacing of the
>> contacts, but the shape as well so there were some design changes as 
>> these
>> were being made.  It would be interesting to know the format of the
>> encoding.
>>
>> Had a crazy idea as I type this and got part way there...
>>
>> I opened mine up, connected a 12 VDC battery to the encoder motor and it
>> fired right up.  Runs faster than I would expect, about 60 RPM at the
>> encoder disk, but not fast enough to be a concern and if it is a 24V 
>> system,
>> would no doubt run faster.
>>
>> Anyway I got thinking, what if I connected the encoder wheel to my code
>> practice oscillator?  We could see what this thing sounds like!
>>
>> It has two wheels and about 8 contact fingers, so this isn't something I
>> want to jump into and risk damaging the unit.  I'll have to carefully 
>> look
>> into the encoder with a light and some optics and figure out the wiring.
>>
>> Kurt
>>
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>