[Milsurplus] latest acquisition from Hamvention. APR-4Y

[Gary Hitchner]

Thanks for the details Michael, would like to know as much as you want to type!

To be honest, one of the reasons I asked, I saw the ALA-10 in a old Fair catalog, (no. 70) , IP-274/ALA-10. The only description given is it was used with a IF of 30 MC.

Suspected it might have been paired with the APR-4Y, I was going to ask you about it soon.

Interesting, the R-444/APR-4Y is also in the same catalog.

 

So, Jeff started the thread, must be some ALA-10’s around if listed in the catalog, no idea how common they are now.   $19.95 would get you one back in the day. 😊

 

Gary

 

 

From: Michael Hanz <aaf-radio-1 at aafradio.org> 
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 5:48 PM
To: Gary Hitchner <talgarth at comcast.net>; 'comcast' <kg2bz at comcast.net>; milsurplus at mailman.qth.net; 'Military Radio Collectors Association' <MRCA at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] latest acquisition from Hamvention. APR-4Y

 

As far as I can recall, all of both the AN/APR-1 and AN/APR-4 series used a 30MHz IF.  

I loved the AN/APA-10 for use with the two lower freq Hallicrafters receivers, but the 30MHz function, not so much.  The development community was apparently of the same mind, resulting in the AN/APA-38 single IF frequency panoramic adapter being designed for the APR-4.  It was a significant improvement.

Now, the AN/APR-4Y was part of a next generation set called the AN/ALR-5.  It had a single tuning unit called the CV-253/ALR that covered four bands from 38 to 1,000MHz.  Naturally you couldn't use a single antenna to cover those four bands, so there were still four antenna jacks provided.:

.

The APA-38 could potentially be used with the AN/ALR-5, but at about the same time an update of the APA-38 was produced and labeled the ALA-2, shown below:  



It was a rapid moving time for countermeasures development, and shortly thereafter a revised version of the AN/ALA-2 was produced that incorporated a "look-through" feature that permitted a quick single scan of the band while jamming enemy radar.  That would allow you to see if those radars had changed their operating frequency to avoid your jamming.  The internal change was ridiculously simple.  That version was called the AN/ALA-10, and was interchangeable with the ALA-2.  The L-T feature required it to have a classification at the bottom, now long removed officially.

Probably more than you wanted to know...

- Mike  KC4TOS

 

On 5/16/2026 9:21 AM, Gary Hitchner via Milsurplus wrote:

Maybe Michael will comment, saving time looking up the IF frequencies, good
question. Would the APA-38 or APA-10 used with  the APR-4 also used with the
APR-4Y?   
I assume the APR-4 was released earlier and 1st, was the APR-4Y not used
until after the war?
Gary
 
-----Original Message-----
From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> 
 <mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> <milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of comcast via Milsurplus
Sent: Saturday, May 16, 2026 6:36 AM
To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net <mailto:milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> ; Military Radio Collectors Association
 <mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net> <MRCA at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Milsurplus] latest acquisition from Hamvention. APR-4Y
 
Folks pick one of these up in working condition anyone have one of the
panoramic indicators for this that they would like to sell? Thanks Jeff

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260516/ff8ed4d1/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 363358 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260516/ff8ed4d1/attachment-0003.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 338462 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260516/ff8ed4d1/attachment-0004.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 1182125 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/attachments/20260516/ff8ed4d1/attachment-0005.png>