Canadian 19-Set Working Instructions

[David Dunlop]

Bruce.

Thanks for posting that! I am definitely going to have to keep an eye open for one. Interesting that the publication code for it contains 'PC'. Probably Philco Corporation, as the Mk III version of the manual has 'RCA' in the code.

There is no production date at all on either the transceiver or PSU of my Mk II, so the best guess I had was late 1942 or sometime in 1943. I see your manual is dated 1 August 1942. Brilliant! Slowly we make progress.

Let the quest begin!


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

My Mk.II is dated 1942 but with no month. It has no Russian markings and is very close to first set made being serial C-127. The pictures in the Mk.II manual show a similar unlingual set. I agree that Russian/English Mk.II sets would date mid 1942 to mid 1943 when it was replaced by the Mk.III set.

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Bruce.

Thanks for posting that! I am definitely going to have to keep an eye open for one. Interesting that the publication code for it contains 'PC'. Probably Philco Corporation, as the Mk III version of the manual has 'RCA' in the code.

There is no production date at all on either the transceiver or PSU of my Mk II, so the best guess I had was late 1942 or sometime in 1943. I see your manual is dated 1 August 1942. Brilliant! Slowly we make progress.

Let the quest begin!


David

[Bruce MacMillan]

here are a couple I have. The MK II is provisional. I wonder if this is the first release.

The MK I & MK II has no date but must be early.

[David Dunlop]

Great time line developing here for these manuals. Be curious to see if by the time Bruce Parker's edition hit the presses, what, if any, references were made in it to the Mk I Set. Would not surprise me if the Mk I was rapidly being withdrawn from service. No mention at all of the Mk I by the time the RCA Mk III Canadian manuals came out.

Based on Bruce MacMillan's manuals, it would appear Philco (P.C.) may have been the prime, initial US maker of the 19-Set Mk II and was responsible for all subsequent publication of the Working Instructions. I think RCA ended up in that position this side of the border, regardless of who actually made the Mk III sets.


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

From what I recall Candians never built Mk.I sets, just Mk.II and Mk.III. American production was only Mk.II.

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Great time line developing here for these manuals. Be curious to see if by the time Bruce Parker's edition hit the presses, what, if any, references were made in it to the Mk I Set. Would not surprise me if the Mk I was rapidly being withdrawn from service. No mention at all of the Mk I by the time the RCA Mk III Canadian manuals came out.

Based on Bruce MacMillan's manuals, it would appear Philco (P.C.) may have been the prime, initial US maker of the 19-Set Mk II and was responsible for all subsequent publication of the Working Instructions. I think RCA ended up in that position this side of the border, regardless of who actually made the Mk III sets.


David

[David Dunlop]

I was pretty sure Canada never got into production of the Mk I, but we must have had some Mk I's in service, imported from England, for a while since Bruce MacMillan's early two part manual is a combined edition for the Mk I and Mk II. If, by the time your Working Instructions Manual was published, it makes no reference to the Mk I, Canada must have dumped whatever stocks of Mk I's it had on hand very quickly, in order to upgrade to the Mk II then being produced here. Does your Mk II manual give any reference at all to the Mk I, or was it completely ignored?

I cannot recall ever seeing a photo of the Mk I but I think I have a manual tucked away somewhere for a 19-Set that has a line drawing of the front of one in it. Must be a bit of a rare bird these days.

Cheers, BP!

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

Canada never made the MK I sets. I believe only Pye in UK did. Production was started in 1941 but was replaced by the MK II in 1942. It appears to have had a narrow window of service. This would date the manual from mid to late 1942.

The manual was probably a cross over between the two sets. This might have allowed the MK I to be used for training.

The line drawing of the 19 set mounted in a Matilda tank is of a MK I set. WftW Vol. 2 has line drawings of all 3 MKs.