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

[Nick England]

I have acquired a copy of General Dynamics' August 1962 final report on the
development of WRC-1 and URC-35
It'll be a while before I can get around to scanning the whole report, but
the intro pages covering some history is here FWIW
www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/sc/wrc1-urc35-final-6208-intro.pdf

I'll also be scanning manuals for the SC-910E exciter, SC-910R receiver,
SC-910A amplifier, and SC-905C antenna coupler.

"Fascinating, Captain...."

Cheers,
Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com


On Sun, Sep 25, 2022 at 5:48 PM Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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_Decisions.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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