Wireless Remote Control Unit No. 1 (Canadian)

[David Dunlop]

I thought there was an existing thread for this but could not find it, so if this turns out to be a duplicate, my apologies.

I have dusted off one of these units, which although virtually complete and little used, underwent the postwar NATO refurbishment that completely removed the original factory markings on the top of the wooden case. I popped open the chassis this afternoon during a dedusting cleanup of it and discovered it is a product of Northern Electric.

The down side to that discovery, is that I have no existing information on file for the Northern Electric markings for these remote controls, only RCA Canada and Dominion Electrohome. So, the call goes out. If anyone has a Northern Electric Wireless Remote Control Unit No. 1 (Canadian) with nice original factory markings on the lid, can they take a good detail photo of these markings and email to me. This set has the later version headset, not the early version shown in the manual, so I will likely date it as a 1944 product, only to tie in with my Mk III 19-Set which is a Northern Electric product. Should anyone have a 1944 dated NE remote control unit with a surviving serial number, can you let me know what it is so I can also extrapolate an appropriate serial number?

Looking through my notes, it seems I have crossed paths with three RCA units in the past: 1942 C 03061, 1943 C 25113 and a 1944 C 33237. Along the way, I have also met up with three units built by Dominion Electrohome Industries Limited. All of these were built in 1945 with serial numbers C 60633, C 62404 and C 65020.

Interestingly, on the RCA units, they are identified as: WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL UNIT NO. 1 (CANADIAN), whereas on the Dominion Electrohome ones they are identified as: WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL UNITS CANADIAN NO. 1 ZA/CAN 1332.

The only manual I have seen issued with any make of RCU has been an RCA publication dated 5 January, 1943.


David

[David Dunlop]

Another little mystery with the Northern Electric RCU I have has surfaced.

The January 1943 manual I have for these Canadian Remote Control Units No. 1 shows a style of headphones that employ dual spring steel head bands on friction post adjustable swivel mount ear pieces. This NE set, however, has the style of headphones in the attached photo. The Northern Electric RCU headset has yellow Philco and British Broad Arrow stamps on the back of each ear piece. One end of the adjustable spring steel neck support has a 3/8 inch yellow circle stamp with 'RCA' in the middle. The ear cushion assemblies have TOP moulded into the top, an tiny octagon with a capital T moulded into one side and the number 'M-301' at the bottom.

I was uncertain about the correct use of this headset with the RCU, but then went looking in a bin of bits I had saved from a Dominion Electrohome RCU No 1 Cdn years ago. It was a 1945 built unit and lo and behold had the same style headset. The manufacturer of this headset is unknown to me. The back of each ear piece, as shown, has a silver paint 'C Broad Arrow' stamp followed by the capital letters 'FEB'. There is also the word 'TOP' moulded into the rubber cushions, the same tiny octagon with the capital T inside, but the number at the bottom is 'NAF-48490-1'. The yellow circle with 'RCA' in the middle also shows up on one end of the spring steel head band.

I found a photo on line yesterday of two more Dominion Electrohome RCU's, both dated 1945 and both have this style of headset.

Seems that sometime between January 1943 and 1945 the headsets for the Wireless Remote Control Units No. 1 Canadian were upgraded for some reason.

Anyone know of a company involved in war production that had the initials FEB?

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

The p/n NAF-48490-1 is the number for the chamois cushions. I have other headsets like the HB33 & HB7 that use the same cushions.

From a RCA RCU I pulled the earpiece out of the cushion to see if there were any other marks but nothing, only the silver FEB.

[David Dunlop]

Bruce.

Has the production year information survived on that RCA unit? I am curious if it falls into the 1944 - 1945 cluster with the NE and DELCO ones I have run across.

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

I have two RCUs, both by RCA. One was repainted post war but date of 1944 is still visible. The second has original paint and is 1945.

I wonder if the C/|\ FEB is just an inspection stamp?

[David Dunlop]

Thought I would bring this forward again to see if any photos of an original NE lid are available.

David

[David Dunlop]

Just in case somebody has recently come across an original looking NE unit.

David

[Rod Salter]

What is this one?

Found at https://www.google.com.au/search?q=w...V5UsvpaRGJO1M:

cheers rod

[David Dunlop]

Rod.

That one looks like an RCA Victor Company Limited product.

David

[David Dunlop]

I tracked down my photos from the 1980's of two original Wireless Remote Control Units I had in my possession at the time: a DOMINION ELECTROHOME INDUSTRIES unit, and an R.C.A. VICTOR COMPANY LIMITED unit. I also had a NORTHERN ELECTRIC made unit but for some dumb ass reason at the time, never took a photo of it. Hence the search now.

First noticable thing is the variation in nomenclature used by the two companies illustrated, along with the variation in font lettering thickness.

Secondly, if you look closely at the R.C.A. unit you can see how the serial number was hand stamped onto the lid subsequent to the stencilling being applied. The ones I have seen have all been in white paint and most are quite faint. This makes it rather tricky to recover the serial number information from them if you have to strip back later layers of paint.

David