[MRCA] [Milsurplus] SCR-288 - MI-8751 - BC-474

Mon Oct 2 12:07:41 EDT 2017

Waterproofing on the BC-1306 is far superior than the waterproofing on the BC-654

In a message dated 10/2/2017 11:43:38 AM Eastern Standard Time, mrca at mailman.qth.net writes:

I don't know where anybody would get the idea that the SCR-284/BC-654 was not used in either Europe or in the Pacific, considering the volume of photographic evidence alone that the BC-654 was widely used in BOTH theaters.  The BC-654 was the first radio on the beach with American forces in North Africa and Normandy. The radio was the standard medium and long range radio set for US Army Divisions throughout the war.   It was widely used by beach masters in both operations ( this is very well documented ).  The radio was even brought back into service during the early phases of the Korean War when the Army suffered a shortage of radio gear at the beginning of the conflict, and had to purchase radios on the surplus market to meet the need for communications gear until new radios could be manufactured in enough numbers to meet Army needs.  As far as the noise made by the PE-103, I would have to agree with the Marines - way too noisy, especially at night.  Hellen Keller could find you in the dark when that thing fires up.

 The shipping problems with the SCR-694/ BC-1306 are also well documented.  The BC-1306 is mentioned as the 11th Airborne's long range radio set in the divisions unit history ( the 11th was in the Pacific theater in 1944).  As far as Ranger use, the lack of a PE-237 would not have affected it's use by any US Special Forces units, since they would more than likely be man-packing the radio anyway.

   Since I own both sets, I can tell you for a fact that the waterproofing on the BC-1306 is far superior to that on the BC-1306.  The BC-1306 will in fact float when it is enclosed the travel configuration, while the BC-654 will sink like a rock.

73

Mark
WW2RDO

In a message dated 10/2/2017 2:39:09 AM Eastern Standard Time, mrca at mailman.qth.net writes:

Total number of SCR-284's delivered was 63,972.  Of the total, 21,769 were delivered in 1944.  Of the SCR-694-C, 23,732 and 14,416.

 On the use of SCR-284 in the Pacific, I don't recall where I read it but the Marines were reported to dislike the 284 because at night, its generator was noisy enough to draw Jap fire.  The paragraph went on to say that the SCR-694-C was much better in this regard.  

 I won't argue that the BC-1000 doesn't have a greater effective range than the BC-611 despite having about the same power output, because the BC-611 has about the least efficient antenna of any set in actual use at the time.  But the frequency coverage, power output and antenna efficiency of the BC-654 and BC-1306 are all either about the same or exactly the same.  I can see the Rangers grabbing the SCR-694-C as soon as it became available, mainly because it's much lighter in the pack set variant.  But in a Jeep or a Dodge, one is about as good as the other.  About the only thing that the BC-1306 has going for it is that its waterproofing is better.  Plus the little fact that the PE-237 didn't finally catch up to the rest of the set until early 1945 due to a shipping screw-up.  So to use the BC-1306 in a vehicle, you had to adapt a PE-103.

 Robert Downs - Houston
 wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
 MVPA 9480

 In a message dated 10/01/2017 22:06:30 PM Central Daylight Time, Kargo_cult at msn.com writes: 
Al, I tend toward skeptical about the radio being brought back from Army. I just don’t see how that would pass the 'souvenir' vetting. 
 Even when stuff was destroyed or deep-sixed, it wasn't permitted to just help yourself. So I have to wonder about this. 
 You know, we have learned here to 'never say never', but I so far have not seen any hard evidence that the BC-654 was used in the 
 Pacific War, or Europe, for that matter.  The book on Rangers ( I think I reported on this book, but I don't recall name of it right now )
 I think mentions they trained on it and BC-611, but that these proved too limited-range and were replaced shortly by SCR-300 and 
 SCR-694. 

 The book "You're No Good To Me Dead", mentions some radio this Philippine observer group considered deficient, kind of "left over"
 set. I have wondered if that meant BC-474. 

 You know, some years back, maybe around 1980, Tony Grogan told me this TBY bag was sent back to the states when its carrier, a 
 Marine radio op, was wounded. Tony said his buddies sent back, I think, the whole radio in its bag. ( I think this is maybe a bag I have
 now, but not sure....)   Anyway that seemed unlikely as hell then and it still stretches my credulity today. 

 That said, I know it was MUCH easier to disappear non-pocketable  equipment from the military once back in the states.

 I think BC-654 production was around 55,000.  Would you guess BC-474 at around 5,000 ? And the RCA MI, you wouldn't think Sweden
 would be buying more than a few hundred at most?
 -Hue

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