[MRCG] BC 645 story...

[Ed Zeranski]

To: West Coast Military Radio Collectors Group
Subject: Re: [MRCG] SCR-522 XTALS and other XTLA Questions


IFF was  a source  questioned.  My BC645 association..

Back in the early '60s when a lot of WWII equipment was cheap the BC-645 IFF 
set got cobbled into Ham VHF/UHF use. I went into the service, Navy,  1964 
boot camp then ET School, 52 week Electronic Technician school at Great 
Lakes. In our ET school class there was a guy, 22 years old , older than 
most of us, who never studied, drank heavily on weekends, but aced all the 
tests and bedeviled the Navy instructors with technical questions. He was a 
HAM who had studied engineering at College or University of the South but 
got in trouble so had to join the service. His bad deed??  Dave got a ticket 
from the Tennessee cops so swore revenge. Back then police radar was a box 
on a tripod set up outside the car.  David bought a 645, modified it, built 
a multi element yagi, then installed it all in a station wagon. He would 
park it a hill or two past a Tennessee radar car then let it sit until the 
radar triggered a response that ate the speed radar front end. He said he 
harvested several before being caught and convicted where he had the choice 
of jail or joining the service. From what I've read that sort of choice was 
common back then, especially in the South.

EdZ KG6UTS