[Milsurplus] Research Help Requested

[Ray Fantini]

No way is the USMC going to use an Army radio! And perhaps the TBX had an edge in surviving a wet or damp environment. Have the impression that the USMC never shied away from extreme hardship in radio use, look at all the PRC-47 sets they fielded in Vietnam.

Ray F/KA3EKH



-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Hubert Miller
Sent: Monday, August 28, 2017 2:31 PM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Research Help Requested

In thinking about communications for the followup mission, the thought struck me that a SCR-288 in minimal mode might have been preferable to the TBX. The BC-474 certainly had enough power for the job, and the frequency band was similar. I don't think the raw BC-474 trans-rec weighs more than the TBX radio, altho I'm going by memory here and don't have either before me. The SCR-288 doesn't need a battery box.  Add one man for the generator, use trees for antenna, and you have possibly a 2-man carry. Since the working distance was not great, a less than perfect vertical antenna "might" suffice. So think I. 

As for the TBX's putative failings, consider the more typical successes, such as at Roi-Namur, Sicily, and China coastwatcher stations. 
In fact, it surprises me neither TBX or SCR-288 were not more used by the Philippine coastwatchers and resistance. Perhaps it was the limited top frequency - and I mean for their power class and only in that regard. Also I think the TCH would 'maybe' have been a radio for this job. Maybe it wasn't ruggedized enough. 
-Hue