The impressive...and colourful...Wireless Set No.52 is this week's radio, just for Jon. Tracing its lineage back to the British No.9 set of 1939, the Canadian No.52 was used in Canadian and Commonwealth forces beginning in 1944 at a divisional/brigade level as a ground station or in vehicles such as the 60cwt Chev CMP and Bedford Command, Low Power wireless lorries. They continued to soldier on postwar, notably installed in Dodge M152 wireless trucks.
Produced by the Canadian Marconi Company, the set follows the No.9 design and was originally designated Wireless Set No.9. Mk.II early in its development. It resembles the No.9 in having three components carried in a steel and aluminum frame carrier. The receiver was on the left, supply unit in the centre and sender on the right. Each of the three units slid into the carrier and the upper sections 'floated' on rubber shock mounts to prevent damage to the set. There were lifting handles at either end and provision for the operating manual in an enclosed box on the top. Connections between the units was by way of fixed connectors inside the back of the carrier. Fans were used to cool the supply unit and sender and much of the interior of the set was accessible through removable panels or a hinged door. A separate 'Coil, Aerial No.2A' was in a wooden clad box that could be quickly mounted on the top or right side of the set. The receiver was also manufactured as a stand alone unit that came in its own carrier.
The complete set was 43-1/2" wide, 17-1/4" tall,14" deep and weighed 270 pounds. Operating on a 12 volt DC supply, its frequency range was from 1.75 to 16 megahertz in three bands. The purpose of the colours was to assist the operator in keeping track of these bands. Similar to the 19 set, two 'flick position' frequencies could be pre-set. The transmitter had low, medium and high power settings; the high power selection was protected with a key lock (the key no doubt kept in the officer's pocket). Range with a 16 foot aerial was 40 miles voice and 100 miles CW on high power, however these could be increased substantially with telescoping mast and horizontal wire aerials. A crystal calibrator was built into the receiver to accurately set frequency. Much of the battery and battery charging equipment, remote sets and aerial gear was the same as that used for 19 and 9 Mk.II sets therefore simplifying supply and replacement.
Known for its reliability and performance, the Wireless set No.52 is considered one of the most successful radios of WW2.
operating, see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-D8EZXRizQ