[Milsurplus] Dittmore-Friemuth

Mon Jun 25 17:47:07 EDT 2018

Jim:

I can add a little insight on Dittmore-Freimuth.  In the 1960’s I was working at Lockheed Electronics and heavily involved in a Navy radar program.  Turns out that the Navy set up their electronics supply center (ESO) at Great lakes, Ill on the strategy that much of the WWII electronics production was around Chicago and the Central United States.  Of course that did not last and electronics moved to the left and right coasts.  Anyway, many small companies centered around Great lakes fed off second source contracting for spares for support of fielded equipment.  I was involved in some field support problems and Dittmore-Freimuth came up several times as their replacement modules did not work right.  We had expected that we would get follow on contracts for field support but we could not compete with the lower overheads of these parasite suppliers.  I should not throw stones at Ditmore-Freimuth since some genius in our organization decided that if we withheld some of the information on how to make the items, Uncle Sam would have no choice but to come to us.  Of course the supply clerks couldn’t tell the documentation was deficient so contracted with what they had.  Stupidity all around.  Not sure how it all worked out, we did not get follow on contracts and I moved on to other endeavors.

Ray

From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Jim Whartenby
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 1:40 PM
To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net >> Milsurplus <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Dittmore-Friemuth

Duh!!!!  Where did I get Bruce from?

My apologies Mike!

Jim

  _____  

From: Jim Whartenby <antqradio at sbcglobal.net <mailto:antqradio at sbcglobal.net> >
To: "Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net  <mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net%20%3e%3e%20Milsurplus> >> Milsurplus" <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> > 
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Dittmore-Friemuth

Bruce

I think you are on to something.  I'm beginning to believe that the Dittmore-Freimuth R-390A receivers were used as prove-of-concept models to show that the Dittmore-Freimuth manufactured mechanical filters were up to the task of being a second source for Collins.  These receivers were built under a 1968 contract which seems to be quite late in the game.  It is reported that all of these D-F receivers have EAC modules with just D-F filters and a D-F nomenclature tag.  The D-F tags made it easy to identify which receivers had the new filters.

I also have seen (and repaired) a URC-32 (KWT-6 Type 8) Stabilized Master Oscillator so D-F more then once second sourced Collins.

The number of Dittmore-Freimuth R-390As is reported to be 215 but I think that this number represents the highest serial number found.  Don't think anyone still around knows for sure just how many were actually built under that contract.

I have also found ceramic filters installed in R-1051 receivers which looked to have been original to the receiver IF filter module.

Regards,

Jim

  _____  

From: Bruce Gentry <ka2ivy at verizon.net <mailto:ka2ivy at verizon.net> >
To: "Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net  <mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net%20%3e%3e%20Milsurplus> >> Milsurplus" <Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> > 
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 11:12 AM
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] Dittmore-Friemuth

How long did the DOD follow the "no one exclusive supplier" policy?ï¿½ï¿½ The name I rememberï¿½ from those times is Lavoie Labs. They made clones of Tektronix scopes and Hewlett Packard signal generators, and maybe more.ï¿½ The clones seemed to work as well as the originals, but I don't know how interchangable parts were from clone to original. 

ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

On 6/25/18 11:39 AM, Michael Bittner wrote:

FWIW, I have an R-390 style mechanical filter marked DF-455-2CB, made by Dittmore-Freimuth, Mikwaukee.ï¿½ Mike W6MAB

ï¿½

ï¿½

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

From: Jim Whartenby <mailto:antqradio at sbcglobal.net>  

To: Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <mailto:Milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>  

Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2018 14:07

Subject: [Milsurplus] Dittmore-Friemuth

Does anyone have any information on the Dittmore-Friemuth Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin? ï¿½There is a few lines on the radiomuseum site and there is also a Federal Court ruling from the 1960s but I found nothing more useful using Mr. Google. ï¿½

I know that they made modules for the URC-32 and they added some practical modifications to the SMO RF tuner. ï¿½Perhaps they also supplied modules for other military radio equipment, including the manufacture of mechanical filters and telegraph keys, but I can find nothing more about them. ï¿½

I assume that they were acquired by a larger firm? ï¿½Any thoughts?

Jim

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