[MRCA] TCS production numbers

[Ray Fantini]

Ok, so here is a question for all the smart people out there: From the first contract on 12/41 (NOS-LL-95008) for the TCS-2 to the last production run in 7/45 (N5SR-10539) for the TCS-15 How many TCS sets were produced?
Appears to be a simple question but cannot see any answer, considering the numbers that I have seen and that it was used in almost every surface vessel in the US Navy for decades I will speculate that it's no less than ten thousand and may be higher.
They were produced by Collins, Stewart-Warner, Hazeltine Electronics and Air King and for just a four year production run may be one of the radio platforms that the government got their money's worth and then some.

Speculation and opinion beyond this point, if easily offended do not read!
Always amazed by radios that served well beyond their service life. The TCS sets were in service well into the sixties and some survived beyond that and were only driven out of use by the advent of SSB and VHF FM radios, in addition to this they were one of the many radios that were used and favored by Hams. Other radios that were just as successful like the BC-348 and ART-13 were also in service long after WW2 and prized by Hams. Other high production lines like the ARC-3 and the ARC-27 served for decades but never had the Ham popularity. High production numbers often are indicative of a successful product line but not always. Consider things like the command sets that were way popular (at one time) with Hams but were basically useless by military standards at the end of WW2 Think of the huge quantity of command sets that were produced during WW2, maybe over twenty thousand? Verses the in service life of those sets compared to something like the TCS assuming value is a function of cost compared to length of service.

Ray F/KA3EKH
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