Antenna Base

[Chris Suslowicz]

Top half of Aerial Lead-in No.16 Mk.1, I think. It's for various command vehicles using the WS19HP or bigger sets (e.g WS53, RCA ET4336).

Basically it's an Aerial Base No.3 bypassed by tinned copper braid straps to a metal disc underneath with a central bolt. The bolt is fitted to a large ceramic 'mushroom' insulator (Insulator, W/T, 'H') on a circular mounting flange. This fits to an adapter plate for the vehicle roof, or a different adapter plate to a metal bracket on the front of a "house type body" radio truck. Aerial feeder connects to the large threaded bolt under the insulator, and it takes either Aerial Rods 'D' or various adapters for 'F' rods (a single straight one, or a twin 'V' are the usual type.

The tinned copper straps bypass (electrically) the rubber base, which is not suitable for high power use but retained for vibration mounting on the moving vehicle.

It allows the use of an 8 - 16ft vertical made of 'F' rods, a twin 16-ft sloping 'V' for use on the move, or a static 34-ft vertical aerial.

The Mk.2 version had four 'studs' on the upper part of the mounting flange that took a 'Bracket, Aerial Supporting' (discussed earlier on the group) to help take the weight of the 34-ft mast. (The original Base No'3 was intended for duralumin mast sections, but WW2 production was switched to steel.)

The later Aerial Lead-in (No.25?), and the one fitted to the K9 for use with the D11/R230 setup was all ceramic and did not have any vibration mounting rubber section.

Chris. (Wearing out his copy of Wireless for the Warrior Volume 2 again!)