11 Set stuff

[Ron Pier]

I get that Chris! But have you any idea about the other base's? MK1* and No1 And which one is correct for my PU8/4 and anyone got a close up picture for scaling?
So far I've made a scaled up copy of the MK1* as it's clearly shown on an 8cwt truck. Ron

[Mike K]

Ron

Maybe the base Mk1* is a pre-war 1930's issued base. That first pic shows a antenna setup on a pre-war 1930's Mk1 Morris PU 8 cwt , the top locker was not fitted on these early PU's and the antenna base is seen sitting on a tripod .

The later and more common type base, the No.1, has the rubber water shed cover.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Mike. I'm hoping to acquire a rubber watershed, which will hide up most of what I have anyway.....Which is a bit of a shame, as quite a bit of time and money has gone into it. Ron

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

I get that Chris! But have you any idea about the other base's? MK1* and No1 And which one is correct for my PU8/4 and anyone got a close up picture for scaling?
So far I've made a scaled up copy of the MK1* as it's clearly shown on an 8cwt truck. Ron

1940 Z1 VAOS entry:

Cat No. ZA.7833
List of Changes B 3092
AERIAL BASES No.1
Price (each) £1 12s 0d

Ebonite insulator; fitted with brass clamp and guide for aerial lead; mounted in magnesium alloy socket (toothed) fitted with M.S. chain; and 1 magnesium alloy ring (toothed); approx 7.3/4-in. x 5.1/2-in. x 5.1/2-in., overall; used on vehicles fitted with Masts, duralumin.

-----------------

Later on, there's a list of stores for Wireless Set No.1, and this seems to show the evolution of Aerial Base No.1.

Aerial-Bases

Mk.I
ZA.7540
List of Changes A 9104, B 731

Ebonite, with brass socket and shield.

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ZA.7544 SHIELDS. (Price each £0/0s/4d)

Rubber disc, 6-in. dia. x 1/8-in thick

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Mk.1*
ZA.7548
List of Changes B 731

Ebonite, 4-in. dia., fitted with brass clamp and magnesium alloy socket.

ZA.7552 SPIKES
List of Changes A 9104 B 731

M.S. 12-in. long x 1/2-in dia., with flange and footplate welded on.

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Mk.II
ZA.7560
List of Changes A 9104 B 731
Comprising G.M. serrated base, bracket; leaf spring and chain; and Wireless Set, No.1 aerial base, Mk.I or Mk.I*

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Mk.III
ZA.7564
List of Changes B 70 B 731

Comprising 2 toothed rings, 1 upper and 1 lower; 1 helical spring; and Wireless Set, No.1 aerial base, Mk.I or Mk.I*

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Now, from that lot I reckon that Aerial Base No.1 evolved from Wireless Set No.1 Aerial Base Mk.1, via Mk.1*, Mk.2 (with leaf spring) to Mk.III (with helical spring) and then was renamed when Wireless Set No.1 became obsolete.

N.B. the '*' against a mark number indicates a modification, so Mk.1 (or no mark number) is the original design, Mk.1* is the first modified version, Mk.1** is the second modified version, and Mk.II is a redesign or replacement. The * method of denoting modifications was OK for things that didn't change much (such as weapons), but rapidly became an utter shambles when it came to rapidly-developing things like wireless sets.

Further on in the VAOS is the Complete Station List for Wireless Set No.1 in various roles. 1B is the interesting one "For use in Trucks, 8-cwt., 4-wheeled, wireless", and that lists:

Aerial-bases Mk.1 or Mk.1* (1)
Spikes (1)
Aerial-bases Mk.II (0)
Aerial-bases Mk.III (1)

Mk.I or Mk.1* is clearly the ground station aerial, because it comes with a spike mount with footplate and is issued for ground and vehicle station.

Mk.II is likewise specific to tanks, being specified for the Light Tank 1C.

Mk.III is specified for the vehicle station.

So Mk.1 is for demounted operation of the set and Mk.III was permanently fixed to the vehicle.

By the time the W.S.11 came along, I suspect all this had been consolidated into "Aerial Base No.1" for general vehicle use and "Insulator W/T 'B'" for ground station/dismounted operation.

Does that help at all?

Chris.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks for this concise evolutionary package Chris. And verifying what the * means. I'll read through it all again a couple of times to digest it. Hopefully I can print it off for my file and future reference.

Cheers Ron

[cletrac (RIP)]

Ron, you were wondering if one of the aerials was British or Canadian. Any 11 set stuff on an 8cwt truck would have to be British. The 8cwts were obsolete before the Canadian or Aussie 11 sets came into production.

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Dave. Someone suggested that the * might be something to do with a Canadian part. But Chris has confirmed, it's just for an amended part. In that respect I'm going to stick with the one I've made as it's clearly shown fitted to a British 8cwt. Cheers Ron

[kevin powles]

Gents, I need a couple of those watershed and collar, anyone got an original to post some pics?.

Thanks

[cletrac (RIP)]

I got this little handbook thinking there would be more about the 11 set, but oh well.
I thought the wavemaker class C No 1 was just for the 11 set but there's a chapter on using it with the 19 set. It's dated 1941.