[NJARC] AR-88/89 inquiry

[Al Klase]

Alex,

I think he could safely assume that the reference to AR-89 was a 
mistake, and they were actually referring to the DR-89. The DR-89 was 
three AR-88's plus a "tone keyer" that combined the outputs of the 
AR-88's for diversity reception of RTTY signals.

The known AR-88 derivatives are:

AR-88 550-32,000 KHz
ER-88 AR-88 with 10-watt audio output. ( I'd like to have one of those.)
CR-91 73-550 KHz and 1500-30,500 KHz
AR-88LF Similar to CR-91
DR-89 Diversity system w/ 3X AR-88
CR-88 AR-88 with external crystal-filter phasing control.
Raymond Moore, "Communications Receivers" suggests there were DR-89's
incorporating CR-88's

Most of this stuff went to the Soviets and the UK during WWII, so they 
are not that well know in the United States.

Diversity reception was originally developed by Dr. Harold Beverage of 
RCA Communications for internal use. The only RCA diversity "product" I 
know of prior to the DR-89 is the U.S. Navy RAE (early 1930's). RAE was 
three RCA RAB receivers plus combining circuits.

I can supply a scan of a catalog page showing the DR-89 if that helps.

Al

Alex Magoun wrote:
> Visit our web site - See http://www.njarc.org
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> Hi all,
>
> Here’s an inquiry about some WWII-era RCA equipment that someone else 
> is undoubtedly more familiar with. Can you offer some insight?
>
> I am editing a 1945 report by British codebreakers about their efforts 
> against German enciphered HF radio teleprinter messages. . . . It 
> turns out that the main radioteletype interception sites were a 
> popular place for American liaison officers to visit in 1944-45, and 
> their reports home to Washington are full of detail not in the British 
> report I'm editing. Two such American reports (both by Navy officers) 
> say, for instance, that the British first used "HRO receivers" but 
> switched over to "RCA AR89". A third report (by a civilian employee of 
> the Army) said they used "RCA AR88's". All three agree that diversity 
> receiving was used, with 2 or 3 receivers per signal.
>
> So, the question is, what is an RCA AR 89 ? There are numerous ham 
> radio web page references to the AR 88, and none to an AR 89.
>
> The AR 88, by itself, is not a diversity receiver. I have seen 
> references to an RCA DR 89, which is a diversity receiver consisting 
> of what seems to me to be 3 AR 88's plus extra stuff needed to do 
> diversity reception. So the specific questions are: was there RCA 
> equipment designated AR 89? And if so, what relationship does it have 
> to DR 89?
>
> Was it a predecessor of the DR 89? Or a misnomer for the DR 89? And so on.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alex
>
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-- 
Al Klase - N3FRQ
Jersey City, NJ
http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/