Mystery antenna mount

[Chris Suslowicz]

I wonder: does it fit "Insulator, W/T, 'H'"? (The large "mushroom" that was the base for "Aerial Lead-in No.16" and other Wireless Body or high power applications.)

Chris.

[Chris Suslowicz]

IDEA!

Is it an early version of the "Aerial Base C2" used on wireless trucks?

The one shown as "Fig.9" & "Fig.10" on pages 41 & 42 in the Wireless Sets, Canadian No.52 Vehicle and Ground Stations book (ZA/CAN 0077) from May 1944 looks as though it could be a development of this. (It's certainly got the threaded rod that goes through two ceramic insulators - on on each side of the roof plate - with one nut and a wingnut (with an optional extension rod for certain installations similar to the British "Aerial Lead-in No.16").)

May have been for Wireless Set No.9, the precursor of the WS 52?

(I suspect it was too rigid for use on the move with 'F' rods inserted, and the main purpose was static use with 'F' rods or to provide a feed to the telescopic mast (20-ft or 34-ft) and/or wire aerials in a static role.)

Best regards,
Chris.

[Bruce MacMillan]

not the greatest diagram but this mount is for the WS9 Mk1. Looks like a roof mount.

[David Dunlop]

That is a great match to the mystery mount, Bruce.


David

[Chris Suslowicz]

This monstrosity is the British version... clearly the Canadian Marconi Company had more sense and simplified it! (From Signal Training, Volume III, Pamphlet 25.)

It takes Aerial Rod 'D', I think, so the Canadian version is simplified (!) for ease of production and to take Aerial Rods 'F' instead. the "pinch the spring" clamp is the same as on Aerial Base No.8, and the missing parts are the steel (or Paxolin) plate with the large central hole, and the insulators that fit on either side of it. The curved "skirt" is probably a rain shield to keep water off the ceramic insulator.

Chris.

[derk derin]

My god that looks like a complicated antenna mount!
Derk

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by derk derin

My god that looks like a complicated antenna mount!
Derk

It's from the early days of mobile wireless, while they were still working out how to do it. I think this is a modification thrown together to fit a vertical rod aerial instead of the "Roof Aerial" while not modifying the vehicle too much.

Sanity returned after the "Roof Aerial" was abandoned as hopelessly inefficient and far too bloody complicated. It's probably mid-1930's tech, if not earlier.

The replacement was "Aerial Base No.3" which was still top-feed so needed an "Aerial Lead-in No.(whatever)" and then that was modified into "Aerial Lead-in No.16" before being simplified into "Aerial Base No.(20 or 25, I can't remember)".

(I'm collecting the aerial bases as they turn up, but it's slow going. Some of them were _very_ short-run, or in the case of No.19 a single prototype.)

Chris.