11 Set stuff

[Chris Suslowicz]

The remote units would be a lot faster to manufacture than the sets and the contracts were probably completed (or not cancelled in time) when the WS11 was declared obsolete and production ceased. Also, some remote units would be needed for training purposes, replacements, et cetera.

The great thing about your unopened unit is that you have all the ancillaries - which are very hard to find. (And people still insist that the shoulder strap with pouch is for a Very pistol, despite cast-iron evidence to the contrary.)

Chris.

[Mike K]

It is unusual to find a unissued remote unit like that one is .

If you read the instruction plate under the lid, these remote units are actually to be used with wireless sets No. 1 and 11 .

The No. 1 set was a pre war 1930's British set , a handful of these sets were shipped out here pre war . At least one survives in NZ . There is a surviving pre war militia signal veteran, living in Adelaide , well into his 90's . He used the No. 1 sets .

This pic is of a No. 1 set in use in Tasmania of all places

The grainy pic depicts Woodside barracks, Adelaide and a No. 1 set in use with militia troops

The last pic is taken from the No. 1 set manual ..looks like a 11 set remote doesn't it

[cletrac (RIP)]

The remote unit A was also used with the NZ ZC1 as indicated in the picture.
I also picked up a counterpoise for the 11 set.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by cletrac

The remote unit A was also used with the NZ ZC1 as indicated in the picture.
I also picked up a counterpoise for the 11 set.

That's a rare find. Never seen a counterpoise before .Is it of Canadian origin ?

I have a ZC1 , its over the other side of the Tasman waiting to be shipped . I'm not in a hurry , been waiting 5 years so far. I did have a CW-morse contact with a ZC1 in NZ many years ago .

[Chris Suslowicz]

The counterpoise is a "multi purpose part" and was issued with a lot of radio sets that could be used as ground stations. It certainly appears in the WS19 Truck and Ground Station and the WS62 working instructions.

It's ZA.2784 Leads, Counterpoise, No.2 Mk.II

There are versions with bakelite (black) bobbins on the end, brown (ebonite) ones, and a later version with conical rubber ones moulded on, presumably to prevent snagging on things when being reeled back in.

Chris.

[cletrac (RIP)]

On the "erection of 11 set" video the bobbins are all missing and the wires are all a dark colour. This one mustn't have been used much to have shiny wires like that.
On ebay there are some from the Falklands war that have more and longer wires but are basically the same type thing.

[Chris Suslowicz]

According to Wireless for the Warrior Volume 2 (the appendices) there are Leads, Counterpoise, No.2, No.2A, and No.2 Mk.II so at some point there must have been a Mk.I, probably replacing the "earth mats" on early sets.

The Falklands era counterpoise has 8 radial wires and two cables with slotted lug connectors. This was issued with the "Larkspur" era kit (e.g. C11/R210) for use with the remote ATU; the longer cable would connect to the ATU earth terminal, the shorter cable to a "Pins, Earth, Small" - yes, still in use after 50+ years (though they cheapened the design a bit) -at the base of the 27-ft mast, and the 8 radials would be fanned out around it.

A later version still was issued with Clansman; this still has two lugged cables but the 8 radials end in heat shrunk sleeving and have short lengths of para cord so they can be pegged down easily.

Chris.