[Milsurplus] BC-611 Operational Question

[boeing377 at gmail.com]

https://share.icloud.com/photos/067IVOrnx4x_F9IpYZazcNpUg

I made a parachute mobile jump using my BC 611. A friend was on the
dropzone with his BC 611. Good luck trying to communicate with B 24s at
20,000 ft. I couldn’t hear my friend until I got below 2500 ft. I did hear
powerful ground based AM stations on 3885 when I deployed my canopy at
12,000 ft, but they couldn’t hear me.

I’m not a BC 611 expert but my observations are that it is range limited
due to low radiated power. Sure, there will be occasional anomalies where
somebody works 1000 miles with a BC 611 but it sure wasn’t happening to me.

By the way, I believe I am the last person to ever parachute from B 24. I
was at a skydiving meet in Illinois in 2000 and both the Collings
Foundation B-17 and B 24 were hauling skydivers. I was going to go on the
B-17, I could only afford one bomber jump ($350). One of the crew told me I
should pick the B 24 because this was the last flight it was ever going to
make with jumpers. I made sure I was the last one out of the bomb bay.

Mark
AF6IM
https://www.arrl.org/files/file/QST/This%20Month%20in%20QST/May2016/GLIFFORT.pdf





On Wed, Oct 2, 2024 at 10:56 AM Mark K3MSB <mark.k3msb at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Folks
>
> I'm interested in hearing about actual confirmed uses of the BC-611
> communicating with USAAF aircraft during WW II.
>
> I'm not interested in a general discussion of the pros and cons of the
> 611,  but rather actual instances of using them to talk to aircraft.
>
> I've seen one drawing in a TM of a group of GI's on a hillside using the
> 611 to talk to a flight of B-24 Liberators,   but I've always viewed that
> as wishful thinking.
>
> Reason for asking.  I've been invited to participate with a group of
> regional USAAF WWI re-enactors.   I'll be redoing my SCR-274N system over
> the winter to make it transportable for field operations.   I have a pair
> of 611s that work (well, one has a broken earpiece....) and I was thinking
> that if the 611 was used in any capacity to talk with USAAF personnel it
> would make an interesting demo to have people at the event (youth
> particularly)  talk  to each other with the 274N and a 611.
>
> Thanks
>
> Mark K3MSB
>
>
>
>
>
>
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