Wireless of the Week - week 10

[Chris Suslowicz]

There are actually three (slightly) different variants of the WS38 Mk.II.

The original had a small box on the top with a "Test" button and lamp to show that the set was indeed transmitting. This worked via a pickup coil around the feed to the aerial base so the lamp would only light with the button pressed, an aerial fitted to the base, and the set on transmit and radiating a signal. It was deleted on economy grounds fairly swiftly.

The second version had a plate screwed over the front panel where the test box would have been fitted. (Presumably while they used up the old stock of panels.)

The final version (as in your example) had a smooth front panel with no extraneous holes plated over.

I think the latter pair were marked as Wireless Set No. 38 Mk. II*.

Other minor modifications involved tying (or taping) the set cable along the top rail of the set, to reduce cable failures due to flexing where it passed through the front panel.

According to the manuals, it is supposed to be possible to run the set from the 162V/3V battery used by the WS18 & 46, but that either requires an adapter that I've never seen (5 pin plug to 4 pin socket), or a modified junction box with the 5 pin plug fitted.

There was also a battery using "can type" cells for the HT section instead of the layer type, but these had a high failure rate in the tropics and required regular testing while in stores.

Chris.