11 Set stuff

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Gina Vampire

Euan



i am not sure when 11 production ceased in australia but I had suposed early on and the 19 was the standard as soon as stocks allowed.

The AWA production of the 11 ( Aust ) went well into 1942 . We think the production began late 1941 . It took AWA a long time to tool up and get the set into production, a huge effort that was wasted because they did not do any proper testing of the sets in a humid moist environment , how the set stood up to the tropical climates turned out to be less than ideal . Being on the other side of the globe , all kinds of improvisation was put into place , it all took time . Imagine drawing up the blue prints, making the dies, jigs and small gears and making the nuts and tiny screws etc.

It was only by 1944 that the then new PVC coated wiring and other water proofing solutions began to have an effect. The local 22 set ( Aust. ) was an example of this new approach . I have an audio tape of a chap who was in the army radio testing branch. His unit took over an old toy factory in Burwood Melbourne, they ran all kinds of water proofing tests on the 22 set ( Aust.) Even immersing the whole chassis in a water tank and then switching it on .

The little Australian made mk 2 108 infantry sets turned out to be a waste of time, the sets broke down during the Kokoda track campaign . The Mk3 version of 1944 did have the PVC wiring , but too late .

What was the first radio they got rid of onto the surplus market after the war ? The AWA 11 set , most of them probably unused .

Lou Meulstee reckons just under twenty thousand 11 sets were built in the UK. There are less than ten known surviving in the whole world now. What happened to them all ?