[nrv-hams] Clues!! Unknown military type radios

[bats at starpower.net]

Hi, Cam & Tom!

Cam - Good AN reference site!

Short Story - Likely not useful for current Ham activities, but certainly qualify as a) unique collectables, or b) boat anchors?  Like too many similar items in our basements!  ;-)

These look like airborne radar receivers used in electronic intelligence (ELINT) or counter measures (ECM) platforms, in this case the TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber airframes.

http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/jetds/an-apr2aps.html

AN/APR-1  40-3300 MHz Radar Intercept Receiver; manufactured by Galvin; used in TBM-3S

Galvin is arguably the oldest and original mobile radio manufacturer, starting pre-WW2, and likely not in business anymore.  Because they became Motorola!  Yep, Galvin invented the predecessors to our mobile radios!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola#History

About that plane family::

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_TBF_Avenger

TBM-3S - TBM-3 conversion as an anti-submarine strike version.  So likely had an ELINT receiver to capture the sub's RADAR when surfaced, as a handy beacon for bombing!

See other variants with ELINT and similar roles, which might also be the source of these boxes.  There had been a lot of box swapping over the decades....

TBM-1E - TBM-1 conversions with additional electronic equipment.  (vague usually means intel..?  ELINT?  ;-)

TBM-3Q - TBM-3 conversion for electronic countermeasures with large ventral radome.  (ECM)

TBM-3W - TBM-3 conversion as the first ship based airborne early warning control and relay platform with APS-20 radar in ventral radome.  (might include ELINT or ECM roles?)

OK, wondering when that 3W "is due???"   ;-)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TBM-3W_at_NAS_Patuxent_River_c1946.jpg

Enjoy!

Gene :)
N3EV


----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Kington via nrv-hams <nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net>
To: NRV-Hams: A mailing list for members of the New River Valley (VA) Amateur Radio Club. <nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Wed, 08 May 2019 18:14:22 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [nrv-hams] Unknown military type radios

http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/jetds/an-apr2aps.html

Best regards,
Thomas Kington Jr

Sent from a mobile device.

> On May 8, 2019, at 10:39 AM, Cam Coble <cam at doubleclickdata.com> wrote:
> 
> Anyone have any ideas what these are?
> 
> https://roanoke.craigslist.org/clt/d/military-radio-rare-find-over-70-years/6877464103.html
> 
> 
> --
> Cam - W4XXV