Re: Crystal Clear book (OT)

[Mike Morrow-3]

Fred (FL) wrote:
>In a battle war situation - the last thing a
>operator military person needs to have to do,
>is dial in an exact frequency.

Fred k6dgw wrote:
>Tactical radios -- the ones that are in the heat of combat -- were
>crystal controlled even in WW2.

The soldiers were able to deal with dials.  Crystal control was very much the exception throughout most of WWII.  There was very grave concern for the availability of quartz crystal early in the war that resulted in reluctance to design equipment that needed crystals.

Crystal control was used *late* in WWII mainly for VHF-FM ground comm sets like the SCR-508, -510, -608, -610, and -619, and VHF-AM aircraft comm sets like the SCR-522 and AN/ARC-3 for the USAAF, and the AN/ARC-1, -4, and -5 for the USN.  The main front-line VHF-FM backpack radio was the SCR-300, but it was not crystal-controlled.

Almost *none* of the HF ground sets were crystal-controlled.  The notable exceptions were the low-power single-channel sets like the pogo-stick SCR-511, the famous handie-talkie SCR-536, and the USN/USMC MAB/DAV chest-pack receiver-transmitters.  The SCR-299/399/499 high-power station could utilize crystal control for its BC-610, but it often used MO (Master oscillator, VFO) instead.  All the front-line portable sets were usually MO controlled, including the USN's very common TBX and TCS sets and the US Army SCR-284, -288, and -694 .

Almost *none* of the HF aircraft sets were crystal-controlled, except for the unpopular AN/ARC-9 (Bendix RTA-1B) set.  This includes the SCR-183/283, SCR-287, SCR-274-N, AN/ARC-8 for the USAAF, and the GO, GP, GF/RU, ATA/ARA, ARB/ATB, ATC, AN/ARC-5, and AN/ART-13.

So crystals weren't common at all early in the war, and by late in the war as supply worries abated, only became common in some VHF-FM and VHF-AM applications.

73,
Mike / KK5F



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