[MRCA] BC-605 Interphone Amp

[Mike Morrow]

>Actually, that's not the way that it came down.  Prior to mid 1943, when two 
>MWO's began to be accomplished on BC-604's (and slightly later on BC-684's), 
>SCR-508 and SCR-608 required an RC-99 in the vehicle if interphone services 
>were going to be available and SCR-528 and SCR-628 included BC-605 for the 
>interphone function.  Or to put it another way, as a brief review of the 1942 and 
>1943 edition TM's will show, the original models of the BC-604 and BC-684 had no 
>interphone capability.

That's an interesting point about the early BC-604/684 units.  I had never run across that info in the later dated manuals that I have for these units.  The BC-605 in the RC-99 system must have been mounted on one of those rare single-receiver type of mounts.  I wonder if many of the un-MWO'd early model BC-604/684 units remained in service by end of WWII.

There is a SCR-508 sitting on the floor few feet from me right now.  I'm one of probably very few who considers it a beautiful system.  The SCR-508 is a milestone in military radio development and one of the most innovative, best-designed, and capable radio sets of WWII.  I contend that it occupies the place with respect to other field radios of WWII that the M1 Garand rifle occupies with respect to other rifles of WWII.

The communications range of the SCR-508 in its 20 to 28 MHz band must have at times produced some unintended and surprising DX for its military users.

A great mystery remains:  What has happened to all those mounting racks?  That essential FT-237 is a real rarity.  I owe mine to an AJ Link auction several years ago, and I've not seen many before or since.   

Mike / KK5F