Wow, your pictures on QRZ are amazing. How do you keep everything so nice and neat and clean? 73 – Mike

Mike B. Feher, N4FS

89 Arnold Blvd.

Howell NJ 07731

908-902-3831

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Francesco Ledda
Sent: Wednesday, June 5, 2024 10:36 AM
To: Ray Fantini <[email protected]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] BC-652 receiver

The first military receiver I ever had was a BC-652. I was 12 or so. At that time, Italy was inundated with US Army military surplus. My dad was in the Italian Air Force, and we lived in a mothballed Air Base. At the base dump, there were “mountains” of surplus ARC-5s, SCR-522s, BC-375s, 348s and more. There were also mountains of Mustangs, Beech-18s, T-6s and Packard and Wright engines. The war had been over for 15 years and nobody cared!

I suffer from your same disease! When I get a radio in terminal conditions, I feel the urgent need to get it back in shape!

Best, Francesco K5URG

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 5, 2024, at 09:01, Ray Fantini via Milsurplus <[email protected]> wrote:

Think the SCR-506 (BC-652 receiver, BC-653 transmitter and FT-253 rack) gets a bad rep due to its size and weight, that along with being state of the Art in 1940 but by later in the war would speculate that most that were installed in Tanks and Jeeps were removed and replaced with first generation tactical FM sets The CQ Surplus Conversion Manual referring to it as “Five hundred pounds of Nothing” don’t help. Assume that a lot were around after the war and with the availability of BC-342, 348 and 312 receivers for the serious Ham radio operator receivers like the BC-652 and all the Command sets did not get a lot of Love so they were relegated to SWL and Novices use, maybe the ARB also. With that in mind that’s why under the circumstances so many were just hacked to death and subjects of poor-quality workmanship? Attached are a couple pictures of the Hack job power supply.

But then again cannot be too hard on those who did all this, if it was not perceived to have some value as a SWL, maybe Marine Band or Ham receiver it would have never been saved from recycling or landfilling decades ago and not be here today.

Will have to throw something together for the power supply. There is a DM-40 Dynamotor with pigtail over on the Bay but its $125 and an additional $25 for shipping and can’t see me spending $150 on this project so will see what develops.

Ray F/KA3EKH

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