[Milsurplus] r442 antenna conns

[Mike Morrow]

> certain vrc series combined an rt246 or 524 with 2 r442s namely vrc44 and
> vrc48. allowed the user to listen to three different nets.

See my earlier post.

> it must have been a design hold over from the ww2 BC 603 receivers and
> 1950s-60s era  R 108 109 110 which all had  2 antenna connections

That's not accurate for the R-108, 109, 110/GRC aux receivers.  There's no "design  hold over" there.  Unlike the WWII SCR-508, SCR-608, and SCR-808, or the 1960s AN/VRC-44 and AN/VRC-48, the AN/GRC-3 series aux receivers have NO antenna connections that support two auxiliary receivers in any particular installation.

In the AN/GRC-3 series there are 23 different configurations with 23 different JAN designations.  Nine (AN/GRC-3, 5, 7; AN/VRC-16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22) use ONE (and ONLY ONE) aux receiver.  There are never multiple aux receivers.  No mountings exist for such a configuration.

It is true there are two antenna connections on the aux receivers...a BNC coax connector, and a single-wire push-post terminal.  In all configurations the single-wire push-post ANT terminal is wired to the similar push-post AUX REC ANT terminal on the RT-66, 67, 68/GRC unit.  The BNC connection on the aux receiver would be used ONLY if there were a separate antenna for the sole use of the single aux receiver.

IMHO, the AN/GRC-3 series was a stunning development in FM tactical radio.  It significantly advanced the state-of-art in 1949.  There's rarely been a rack of radios as impressive as the 250-pound AN/GRC-3, 5, or 7.  It's too bad that hams never appreciated it, and that sets go wanting for owners until they wind up in landfills.  I never much cared for all the vibrators and ballast tubes, though.

Mike / KK5F