There were three British designed VHF transceivers according to the research pages for the Burning Blue board game: 

http://www.airbattle.co.uk/b_research_1.html

http://www.airbattle.co.uk/b_research_2.html

http://www.airbattle.co.uk/b_research_3.html

TR 1133    4 channel, 100 to 120 mc, signal trials begun 30 October 1939, hand built units.

TR 1143    4 channel, 100 to 124 mc, initially hand built, large scale production began in 1940.

TR 1430    8 channel, 100 to 124 mc.

Much of this VHF radio development took place during the bombing of Britton which caused delays in design, manufacturing and delivery.  Obviously difficult times.  These VHF sets replaced the pre war TR 9 HF transceiver.  They were designed to be drop in replacements with no change in cable wiring.  Perhaps this is the reason for the clunky frequency change mechanisms in the VHF radio?

It is not clear to me if the TR 5043 aka SCR-522 was a British design or a retooling of the TR 1143 by Bendix to facilitate  American manufacturing methods.  This later design more then doubled the operating bandwidth from 100 to 150 mc.

Jim

Logic: Method used to arrive at the wrong conclusion, with confidence.  Murphy


On Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 09:56:28 AM CDT, kgordon2006 <[email protected]> wrote:


Well, IMHO, it is a typically British design: not particularly ergonomically arranged and too spread out.

It is just plain ugly.

However, as you say, it was very important.

The ARC-3 and its later developments were better rigs, but, again, IMHO, the 522 started the process.

Ken W7EKB



Sent via the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, an AT&T 5G smartphone


-------- Original message --------
From: David Stinson <[email protected]>
Date: 4/22/25 04:37 (GMT-08:00)
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] [ARC5] SCR-522 Playing.

I once described it as "an ugly, black lump of a radio," but I've
warmed to it over the years.  Besides- it's arguably the most
important aircraft radio deployed in WWII.
73 DE Dave AB5S

On 4/21/2025 7:48 PM, [email protected] wrote:
I have to say, though, the 522 doesn't look very sexy, like ART-13s or even Command Sets.... LOL

Wayne
WB4OGM


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