NSN identification
 

Rummaging through a bunch of copper aerials I found a set with only a NSN number. There are three lengths about 39" long. They screw together much like the 19 set aerials but are shorter. Number is 5985-21-106-4146. Anyone have any idea what they belong to.

It is a Canadian stock number, and I can see online that Canada bought (or at least tendered for) 200 sets back in 2012, and another revised tender for 75 sets in 2013 . I should be able to find more info on this yet. One of the part numbers given for it is AS5160-G, which is a US army part number.

I seem to recall having antennas with our old C42 radios that were in 3 sections, but the NSN does not match the manuals I have here. I recall some of our antennas were screwed together, and some merely pushed in together. But that was a lot of years ago.

C42
 

That NSN is for a C42 antenna. Same number as on my antenna.

Hi Wayne.

I just checked my C42 whip. It is a two section, press fit item. Assembled on its own, it is just over 8 foot and when installed in the aerial base, exposed length is 8 feet on the button.

My two sections have no ID on them at all, but the tubular, pressed fibre tube they come in is marked, “ 5985-99-102-3566 “.

Based on the dates Rob found in the system records, the antenna Bruce has was being ordered about 20 years beyond the service time for the C42’s in Canada. For what, I have no clue.

David

The same or similar antennas were (or are) still in use with things like sputniks and other mast type installations. No need to re-invent the wheel....you need lengths of copper tubing that assemble together. In the case of the 3 piece antennas, it may be just to be able to stow them into a smaller container or pouch, yet still achieve the same length overall when assembled.

Thanks guys. They must have come with the C42 sets I had. All that is long gone now. I've got enough 19 set rods but these may fit the AN/GRC-9.

Rob, it would be interesting to know what the current use is.

Bruce.

Any chance they might be exactly 1 metre long sections?

There was an American sectional whip which was normally 3 metres total length, but could be stretched to 5 metres by adding two extra base sections. I think the individual sections had numbers MS-116, -117 and -118 assigned to them, but I don’t know if that was smallest to largest, or the other way around. It would fit a variety of US made military radio systems and used a course thread connection system between the three sections.

David

Yes David they are 1 metre long. I have a bunch of the US MS rods and they look identical and would probably fit. The question now is why would Canada rebadge ww2 aerial bits. It has the same label as Wayne's photo.

I looked into it further and they are still used on 2 current antennas: the OE-5025/VRC and the ground plane AS-5162/VRC. They are listed as historical use on OE5024/VRC antenna and an electronic warfare antenna group.