[Milsurplus] [MRCG] Navy WRC-1 & URC-35 family history - Stromberg-Carlson SC-900A

Mon Sep 26 12:44:27 EDT 2022

All I have is that delivery of the first production order was to be made
during FY63. Fleet installations began by end of 1963 but I have no
details.

On Mon, Sep 26, 2022 at 12:33 PM Francesco Ledda via MRCG <
mrcg at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> FY doesn’t necessary means a calendar date. Does it?
>
> Best, Francesco K5URG
>
> Sent from my iPad
>
> > On Sep 26, 2022, at 11:23, Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > This is the best I can figure out so far
> >
> > 4/59 SC-900E xcvr advertised. Demonstrated 5-6/59
> >
> > 6/59 Navy contract to SC to develop PRC-45 and URC-35 xcvrs. Amended to
> > URC-35 xcvr (RT-618 plus AM-3007 amp) and WRC-1 receiver-transmitter
> > (R-1051 rcvr plus T-827 xmtr plus AM-3007 amp)
> >
> > 6/61-10/61 SC-901X xcvr manual copyright and SC-910 xmtr-rcvr-amp manuals
> > copyright
> >
> > 6/63 SC delivers first WRC-1 preproduction units
> >
> > 12/63 SC delivers 28 pilot production WRC-1
> >
> > FY63- SC delivers 306 WRC-1 plus 1274 R-1051
> >
> > 2/65 Bendix contracts for 1288 additional WRC-1 plus 3229 additional
> R-1051
> >
> > 3/67 URC-35 installations begin
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 26, 2022 at 10:20 AM W2HX <w2hx at w2hx.com> wrote:
> >
> >>> It would be interesting to know how the transition from the SC product
> >> line to the RT-618/R-1051/URT-23 happened.
> >> And don’t forget the T-827
> >>
> >> 73 Eugene W2HX
> >> Subscribe to my Youtube Channel:
> >> https://www.youtube.com/c/w2hx-channel/videos
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: mrcg-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrcg-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On
> >> Behalf Of Francesco Ledda
> >> Sent: Monday, September 26, 2022 10:13 AM
> >> To: Jim Whartenby <old_radio at aol.com>
> >> Cc: mrcg at mailman.qth.net; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> >> Subject: Re: [MRCG] [Milsurplus] Navy WRC-1 & URC-35 family history -
> >> Stromberg-Carlson SC-900A
> >>
> >> Jim,
> >>
> >> The SC-900 was surely ahead of its times. Potentially, it was vastly
> >> superior to the KWT-6. I am totally in the dark about the possible youth
> >> problems that the SC-900 may have suffered from.
> >>
> >> The SC-908 amp was not very successful, and its follow up (URT-23) was
> >> totally different and therefore not an evolution of the SC-908. It
> would be
> >> interesting to know how the transition from the SC product line to the
> >> RT-618/R-1051/URT-23 happened.
> >>
> >> Regarding the URC-32/KWT-6, as you well know, it is not auto tuned, and
> it
> >> is a simplified version of the ARC-58. There was another version of the
> >> URC-32 that kept the auto tuning capabilities of the ARC-58.
> >>
> >> Best, Francesco K5URG
> >>
> >> Sent from my iPad
> >>
> >>> On Sep 25, 2022, at 22:24, Jim Whartenby via Milsurplus <
> >> milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >>> 
> >>> If the SC-900 development started in the Fall of 1958, that answers the
> >> question of which of the three systems came first.
> >>>
> >>> Another thing is that the SC-900 is contemporary with the KWT-6.  The
> >> original ground station developed during Birdcall used a receiver -
> exciter
> >> similar to the 310F-1 as shown in a photo in the Fall, 1958 Collins
> Signal,
> >> Volume 7 # 2.  This is essentially an ARC-58 receiver - exciter, for
> >> automatic tuning, repackaged for rack mounting with a 60 to 400 cycle
> motor
> >> - generator.
> >>>
> >>> Not exactly sure when the KWT-6 made it's debut but it certainly wasn't
> >> ready for Birdcall in the mid to late 1950's.
> >>> Regards,
> >>> Jim
> >>>
> >>> Logic: Method used to arrive at the wrong conclusion, with confidence.
> >>> Murphy
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com>
> >>> To: Jim Whartenby <old_radio at aol.com>
> >>> Cc: mrcg at mailman.qth.net <mrcg at mailman.qth.net>;
> >>> milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
> >>> Sent: Sun, Sep 25, 2022 4:48 pm
> >>> Subject: Navy WRC-1 & URC-35 family history - Stromberg-Carlson
> >>> SC-900A
> >>>
> >>> OK - The internet tar-baby got me today but I believe I now have a
> >>> solid history - See https://www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/sc-radio.htm
> >>>
> >>> I have added photos and references to the SC-901X transceiver, 907,
> >>> 908A, and 910A amplifiers, 910R receiver, 910E exciter, and 905C
> >>> antenna coupler. These were sold commercially (beginning in 1961 I
> >>> believe) and to the USAF as a result of a 1959 USN R&D Contract. The
> >>> Navy's R-1051, T-827, RT-618, URC-35, URT-24, and WRC-1 resulted from
> >>> this contract
> >>>
> >>> Aha! - I found a patent case showing that in June 1959 the Navy
> >> contracted with Stromberg-Carlson (General Dynamics) "to design and
> furnish
> >> experimental, mock-up, and developmental models of a single sideband
> radio
> >> set and a single sideband portable transceiver." (NObsr-77628, dated 16
> >> June 1959 for AN/WRC-1 and AN/URC-35). The Navy had rights to patents
> >> developed during the contract, but General Dynamics claimed some of the
> >> inventions "were conceived and reduced to practice during plaintiff's
> own,
> >> independent project to develop a single sideband transceiver, called the
> >> SC900A, prior to the award of contract NObsr-77628".
> >>> That led me to the SC900A development background.
> >>> https://www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/sc/SC900A-Board_of_Contract_Appeals_D
> >>> ecisions.pdf Evidently they had a working radio before the Navy
> >>> contract was signed.
> >>>
> >>> Trivia - the original Navy contract referred to the AN/PRC-45 portable
> >> transceiver and AN/URC-35 fixed transceiver. The names were later
> changed
> >> to AN/URC-35 portable transceiver and AN/WRC-1 fixed transceiver.
> >>> [The URC-35 was called portable - HA!]
> >>>
> >>> And finally I found this -
> >>> April 1959 Stromberg-Carlson Advertisement -
> >>> - A new approach to Single-Sideband radio by Stromberg-Carlson......
> >> greater power output, less power input with a smaller volume.
> >>> - The SC-900A digit-tuned Single-Sideband transceiver marks a
> >> significant advance in the state of the art.
> >>> - The SC-900A is designed for both vehicular and fixed point-to-point
> >> communications adaptable to rack mounting and back-pack meets full
> military
> >> requirements.
> >>> - Provides 28,000 stabilized channels from 2 to 30 megacycles, with a
> >> transmitted peak envelope power output of 100 watts.
> >>> - Receive input power : 50 watts.
> >>> - Average transmit input power for voice: 150 watts.
> >>> - Available soon.
> >>>
> >>> Any additional info, photos, etc. would be greatly appreciated Nick
> >>> England K4NYW www.navy-radio.com
> >>>
> >>> ______________________________________________________________
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> > --
> > Nick England K4NYW
> > www.navy-radio.com
> > ______________________________________________________________
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-- 
Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com
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