19 Set Cable Gasket

[Jordan Baker]

The type pictured by David does fit into the B set antenna bracket on the Mk1* UCarrier.

[universalgrl]

Ok then where does the rubber grommet # 23 fit???

[David Dunlop]

Roberta.

Does it mention the #23 Grommet in the actual installation instruction at any point?

David

[David Dunlop]

I took a look at my cables and found that the B-Set cables I have are all NOS and have been assembled in the same format. The brown label sleeve is located against the straight Pye Connector. This label is actually the "TUNED LENGTH DO NOT CUT" warning. The ID tag for the cable is the small metal black and silver tag crimped to the cable with the ZA Number for the cable on it. It is fastened within the half of the cable at the elbow Pye Connector end. This strange rubber grommet is installed with the round end against the elbow Pye connector and the cone pointing towards the straight Pye connector end of the cable, so it would seem that in some installation situations, this orientation is critical.

To add a second layer to the puzzle, my A-Set Pye cable (between the set and the variometer) also has this rubber grommet installed. See photo. One elbow connector has a brown ID sleeve up against it. The rubber grommet is installed with the round end up against the elbow Pye connector at the opposite end of the cable, with the cone pointed towards the brown sleeve. For the Ground and Truck installation, the orientation of this A-Set cable is irrelevant, but there must be some installations where orientation is critical.

One last wrinkle. While examining these cables this morning, the look of this grommet started to bug me with it's familiarity. Went down to the Wireless Room and lo and behold, the same grommet is also used on 19-Set Control Boxes to protect the head set leads passing through the side of the box. In this application it is held in place by a circular cadmium plated retaining ring and two small screws. See second photo. I have looked at all available grommets of this style in my collection and none of them have any markings on them at all.

Jordan.

Do the Installation instructions for your carrier mention this grommet and how/why it is to be installed?

Cheers


David

[Chris Suslowicz]

I think the coaxial cable (long) grommets are to protect the cable where it goes through a metal plate (e.g. vehicle bulkhead or roof).

The No.23 grommet has a much smaller hole and is most likely for the wire aerial feeder (No.9?) on the truck and ground station. It looks about right for P11 cable between the aerial base on the vehicle and the rigid aerial base on the Carrier No.3 mounted set.

Chris.

[David Dunlop]

Hello Chris.

The Ground and truck Installation instructions are a bit vague. Only reference is that if grommets were not supplied, use electrical tape to protect the cables, but not at all clear what grommets, what cables or where. Must, as you suggest, be where passing through sheet metal structure, not heavier plate. Somewhere I have a detailed Parts List for the Installation Kit. A big 8.5 inch by 14 inch sheet of paper. I will try and find it and see if any type of grommets are listed.

David

[Chris Suslowicz]

I suspect the grommet is a water seal that goes under the aerial base No.8 or 10 on a vehicle roof. It's shown in EMER FZ256/3 of 1st October 1944 for the Canadian WS19 Mk.III, but I've not seen where it's supposed to be fitted. Probably need a late set of installation instructions for one of the "house type" radio bodies to be sure - they had a flat plate on a stand-off from the roof (two or three on each side) and I have an adapter plate to convert a 6 hole mounting to 4 bolts for the 'B' set aerial base mounting. I would imagine the grommet plugs the hole in the roof and is high enough to stop water getting in - the central hole is far too small for co-ax and I think Aerial Feeder No.9, which is P11 rubber covered multistrand like the battery leads with a ring terminal on one end for the connector plate under the aerial base and a plug to mimic the end of an aerial rod for the set end.)