19-Set Aerial Bases

[Tim Bell]

What about the spacer block which goes between the aerial base and the vehicle... i've seen these in white, black, brown rubber, green metal, green wood... never quite got to grips with the reasons for the variations in these?

Tim

[David Dunlop]

Hi Bruce.

I think you are right. Vehicle paint would have initially been theatre dependent, wireless sets were painted with whatever paint the manufacturer found it could get a reliable supply of at any given time. I have had a lot of colour variations in sets pass through my hands over the years as well, but can now only match up the few still in my collection.

Currently I can match up:

19-Set Mk II (Cdn): RCA Canada Transceiver and Philco USA PSU in No. 2 Brown Wrinkle

19-Set Mk III (Cdn): All RCA Canada in semi flat OD

19-Set A/C PSU: RCA Canada in semi flat No. 2 Brown

27-Set (Cdn): Rogers Majestic Canada in wrinkle No. 2 Brown

58-Set Mk I (Cdn): Addison Industries in a weird flat green/brown

19-Set Crystal Calibrator: Marconi Canada in wrinkle OD

Vibrator Converter: Electronic Laboratories of Canada in semi gloss OD

A number of years ago I also had a British Pye Communications Receiver Set that was wrinkle black.

The one other observation I can think of is that I have never seen an original paint on a Wireless Remote Control Unit No. I Canadian, or Field Phone Set that was not a flat finish. Perhaps that is related to these items all having wooden cases and maybe wrinkle paints were a metal only finish.

I would be interesting to see what other colours show up from the USA and other Commonwealth areas. I think Australia made their own wireless equipment, not sure about New Zealand.

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

Hi David,

Yes it can be a real dog's breakfast when it comes to colour schemes.

Mind you when sets go to RCEME they may not get the same case back. I have a WS19 AC supply made in 1950 with a brown wrinkle case marked with C/|\.

My WS27 is also brown as are the spares kit.

Both my WS58 MkI sets are brown wrinkle as are the vibrator packs & battle battery box and the WS58 MkI/*/T is also brown wrinkle.

I think the NT11 Marconi calibrators came in OD only.

I have a WS19 that came with a white case. It was painted quite well inside & out. Maybe from a UN deployment?

I had two Canadian Marconi WS11 sets. Both had black wrinkle case but one had a smooth lime green front panel (original) & the other a black wrinkle face

If your British receiver was a PCR series, like Henry Ford, it only came in black.