[Milsurplus] MAW 1

[CL in NC]

The first look at that whip antenna PL259 end made me think of the MAW1.  About 45 years ago, I bought 3 brand new, never opened, in their shipping container MAW1's from the JAX NAS Surplus Yard on Roosevelt Blvd.  I ended up selling all 3 eventually, but did keep one long enough to get it running, but did not put acid in the 4 volt battery, just ran it off a 4 volt supply.  It came with a very nice ground plane antenna, the whip was tunable as it telescoped, and it was a substantial telescoping mechanism, not the common BC set pull up antenna.  The whip could be attached directly to the Receiver/Transmitter, or put on its ground plane base, whose 4 radials could also be extended for tuning.  The whole antenna stored in a hole in the control end of the MAW1, but things like the tree clamp, 50ft of coax were carried in a canvas bag that looked exactly like the ones used for a satchel charge. For any of you Korean War radioman vets that might have carried this on your back,  you were a tough bunch.   I would send a pic, but I can't from this yahoo account.

Anyway, I did get one on the air, since they cover up to about 150MC, but FM was king then and trying to get somebody to work me on AM was like asking someone to fire up their spark rig.  Nostalgia is a powerful draw, and I got a couple more from WA7DIA a while back who put them here on the Milsurp list, but I guess I was the only taker.  I kept one undisturbed in its case, but the other caseless set have I hooked to a 5VDC 20amp switching PS, with the voltage backed down a bit, and it seems to work fine.  If you think trying to work someone on AM in 1975 was hard, try it now.  Most of those fellow now on 2 meters go, "What is AM...good buddy".  So I can talk to myself on my Heath HW17.

A shipping note.  Those two sets I sold back in the 70's, almost 160 pounds worth,  I shipped from the East Coast to Washington State via a truck for $80.  Even adjusting that price for inflation today, it was still a deal.  I still have a complete extra unit in its footlocker style container if anyone might be interested.  The batteries are no good though.

Charlie, W4MEC in NC