When I was living In the Charleston SC navy base BOQ in 1978-79, I parked near the piers for the ocean-going minesweepers (MSO). I saw several AN/URC-35 sets sitting unused for weeks on those piers.
The set consisted of the RT-618*/URC receiver-exciter with an output power of 0.1 watts. That got its power through the AM-3007/URC 100 watt power amplifier mounted on top of the RT-618.
I have an RT-618B/URC that I bought for a few dollars at Dayton in 1996. I turned down the AM-3007A. The RT-618 was worth the money just as a magnificently complex conversation piece.
On my SSBN we had some combos of the R-1051*, T-827*, and AM-3007* with a system nomenclature of AN/BRC-?? that I now forget. We had no RT-618s. At one time I would have loved to own that set for MARS, but by 1982 new ham rigs like the Kewwood TS-430S were far more capable, easier to tune and store frequencies, operate split frequencies, transmitted 1.6 to 30 MHz and received down below the important 500 kHz maritime Morse band, covered all modes including AM and FM, had four crystal IF filters 0.27 to 6 kHz BW, and was only a few percent of the bulk and weight and power consumption. No contest! :-)
FWIW the CU-937 has always been very difficult to find.
Mike / KK5F
When I was in Navy MARS, I was assigned to the 6th ND directors office.
Each director was issued at least one of these, new in box.
I uncrated it and used it for voice communications.
Being curious, I requested additional information on this set.
I wound up in communications with one of the designers of this set whos mother also used one for Navy MARS.
He said that the radio was very unreliable due to the heat density that was a result of the design specs from the Navy.
He said to cool the radio for long term use you had to drill a lot of cooling holes in the amplifier cabinet.
The radio was never deployed on war ships, IIRC, it was only used on auxiliaries such as tug boats.
The radio id basically a R-1051 and a low power T-827 in the same box.
IIRC, the RT puts out 10 or 100 mW to drive the amplifier.
The amplifier cabinet contains a 100W PA and the power supply.
I cannot locate my manual now, but, Artekmanuals.com has a very good scan of my manual for $17.50, this is two volumes for AN/URC-35B.
The radio is probably as good as a R-1051/T-827 combination when used at low power.
I would NOT use this radio for RTTY or other digital modes.
Many modules are the same as R-1051 and T-827 modules.
73
Glenn
WB4UIV
On 7/17/2022 1:37 PM, Thomas Chirhart wrote:
> Anyone else have this set? It consists of the RT618B/URR and AM3007A/URT
> I just picked up a nice one up with all cables, microphone and manuals.
> Does anyone have the CU937 coupler?
> I remember the WRC-1 from my Navy Radioman days..
> 73
> Tom
> K4NCG