[Milsurplus] interesting picture

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

The Collins 18Q (51Q receiver, 56Q transmitter, etc.) was originally 
designed for and sold to the mostly MF marine market.  I don't have the paper to 
prove it but have to assume that it was type approved before WW-II.  That 
might explain why the early receivers and transmitters, although they did cover 
3.0 to 6.0 and 6.0 to 12.0 MC, only had a 1.5 to 3.0 MC scale plus 0-100 
logging scale.  It was originally taken into Naval service with no 
modification, including no Navy nameplate.  At least some TCS-4 and all TCS-5 on  But 
would assume that it probably was. had nameplates.  But no one that I know of 
has ever reported seeing anything earlier.  None of the photographs in the 
thick TCS-4 manual show any nameplates so it's possible that early 
production didn't have them.

Collins also sold the 56Q transmitter by itself, with either of two AC 
power supplies that are smaller than any of the three supplied with TCS.  I 
don't have a 51Q manual so don't know whether it was sold alone or not.  But it 
probably was.

On the other hand, I cannot imagine USCG modifying any Signal Corps 
aircraft sets for ground use.  So have to agree that the photo in question is most 
likely of some CG Station's ham station.

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480

In a message dated 08/04/2017 12:56:14 PM Central Daylight Time, 
RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu writes: 
> Maybe or perhaps in a different time it just the people I know who are 
> active duty today including my one daughter's boyfriend who works in avionics 
> at Langley are slaves to the book, so much so that he regularly has his 
> tools inspected to assure that he has only what's issued and nothing else. I 
> asked him about this and he tells me that's it's to prevent anyone from 
> doing anything that's not according to the written procedure. The Air Force 
> gives you the appropriate tools and protocol and that's all there is to it.
> So seeing a transmitter that's clearly not commercially produced is a red 
> flag. What are the rules for "Field Expedience" and deviation from the 
> program?
> I know from the commercial service that you cannot use a radio that's not 
> type accepted for that class of service period. Always wondered how they 
> got around that with the people who were supposedly using TCS radios on boats 
> back on the HF/AM band? Maybe there was a type acceptance certificate for 
> the TCS when the transmitter was crystal control only? Or perhaps the rules 
> don't apply for marine radios like they did for Land Mobil service? Or 
> maybe it was a different world before the seventies when I studied for the 
> commercial license?
> 
> Ray F/KA3EKH
> 
> 
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