antenna leads

[things_green]

I asked this question a few years back on the WS19 reflector with no success.

I bought these at a silent key sale 10 years ago....not knowing what they were but knowing someone, somewhere must be searching for them ;-)

approx 30 ft long.
ZC 14116.
GL/R MkII Connectors twin No 2K

I'm thinking BIG transmitter in a mobile role?
WS10?

The case is paxoline with the nomenclature plate missing, of course.

There 3 leads but two have the 2 prong input leads hacked off.

[Chris Suslowicz]

GL/R = Gun Laying Radar? (Just a guess.)

Is the cable twin or coaxial? I'm thinking the clamps on the (non-plug) end fit straight to the antenna (probably a folded dipole).

Chris.

[things_green]

thanks for your thoughts Chris....

coaxial cable, when did 'we' start using this?

I too thought some sort of feeder for a dipole...could be horizontal as the clamps rotate.

and thanks....while photographing the coax I saw another 'Z' No. on one of the chopped leads. (initially i assumed it was the complete leads stock number.)

therefore I suspect the initial ZC 14116 is for the 2 prong plug with;
ZC 12795/10 for the clamped 'Y' fitting.

Dipole for a radar?

cheers,
Brent

[things_green]

Hopefully I have answered my own query?

The image is the Ant Coupling Unit from the top of a local (30 miles away) museums WS53.... I took the pic 8 years ago and have just made the connection ~doh~

I realise the one in the image is a single prong socket but I don't know if its original, it was installed by a fantastic group of keen amateurs. All silent now.
Still its only guesswork.

The WS 53s Working Instructions state;

"it also has a feeder plug for an 80 ohm feeder line to a dipole aerial."

I'll take the lead up to the museum ('m a member) and see if it fits.

if anyone has the equipment list from a WS53 equipped 3 tonner that may help?

cheers,
Brent

[Chris Suslowicz]

That WS53 has been 'got at' by the look of things, and the output connector modified from a single-pin (coaxial) Niphan to something rather more recent.

The co-ax output from the WS53 used something very similar to the accumulator connectors (possibly 1 size smaller) and the WS19-style co-ax (Duradio No.1?) in (I think) 25-ft lengths with a Niphan connector on each end so they could be "daisy-chained". The dipole centre was bakelite or similar plastic, with a Niphan plug (male) and two nickel-plated brass bars with wing nut terminal to clamp the aerial wire.

Aerial wire was the standard "Wire, Electric, R4" issued in 41 yard packets for making up non-standard length dipoles, and ready made dipoles (9A, 9B and 9C) on the wooden board spools were issued with the set.

(41 yards is a deliberate length: it's a quarter wavelength at 2 MHz (with a bit left over for joints, etc.), so 2 packs will make you a dipole at the lowest frequency likely to be used. WS53 can go below 2MHz (1.6, I think) but it can cope with that much mismatch.)

I have most of one of the dipole centres, bought in a 'mixed lot' of radio bits on eBay - which included a No.69 offensive grenade! (Fortunately inert, unfortunately tatty. Hence the tagline...)

Chris.
--
You know they're out to get you when you find a grenade in your morning mail.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by things_green

thanks for your thoughts Chris....

coaxial cable, when did 'we' start using this?

I too thought some sort of feeder for a dipole...could be horizontal as the clamps rotate.

and thanks....while photographing the coax I saw another 'Z' No. on one of the chopped leads. (initially i assumed it was the complete leads stock number.)

therefore I suspect the initial ZC 14116 is for the 2 prong plug with;
ZC 12795/10 for the clamped 'Y' fitting.

Dipole for a radar?

cheers,
Brent

Co-ax pretty much came in with WW2, the UHF and Pye connectors were pretty much standard until things 'improved', with larger/heavier connectors for external use or field equipment. (e.g. Niphan connectors on army radio where the connection needed to be watertight and be assembled with wet/muddy/gloved hands.

Early radar operated at surprisingly low frequencies! The early sets operated on 54 - 84 MHz, SLC (Search Light Control radar was I think around 160 MHz or maybe 400), and so aluminium tube dipoles and small arrays would have been the order of the day.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GL_Mk._I_radar

Chris. (I googled for GL Radar!)

[things_green]

brilliant sleuthing, thankyou Chris.....

I know the Silent Key was an early (1950s) Guru on the WS10 and radar, we had a WS10 set-up on the coast near here.... and then he went commercial and opened a repair and component supply shop...so he had some fascinating kit at his SK sale.

GL/Radar seems, now , very very likely.....

now to find someone operating or restoring one.
I even have a Broad Arrow marked cavity magnetron.

Thanks again for your insights.

Brent