Wire-3 Fitted For Wireless Box details

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Ive got no idea on what the round wheels/chains are for on the wireless table.

As for the other item. I believe it is two different items stacked together. The left one I think is a folding table with a handle to carry located on one side. im not sure what the other item might be. I can see the securing strap is attached to a footman loop.

I think it's the same folding table, just stowed in a different position. The LHS has what appears to be a large map case or plotting table in a webbing case.

The charging switchboard is the standard No.5 (or C5) from what I can see.

The right hand aerial mounting is for the older aerial base (No.2?) used with WS11 - the "cage" is the anchor point for the big spring.

Chris.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jordan,

Fantastic find and great to see the way you are documenting it

Thanks,
Hanno

[Jordan Baker]

I have started in on reproducing the wireless table as fitted to the Wire-3. One thing I am trying to figure out is the purpose of the tray at the bottom of the table. I initially thought it was for one or two batteries but I can't figure out how they would sit in it.

The tray measures 9-1/4" wide by 21" long. The 4 studs on the angle iron? What would they be for. How would a battery/batteries sit and be secured. Did the 4 studs originally have a threaded rod on them with a wing nut?

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

I have started in on reproducing the wireless table as fitted to the Wire-3. One thing I am trying to figure out is the purpose of the tray at the bottom of the table. I initially thought it was for one or two batteries but I can't figure out how they would sit in it.

The tray measures 9-1/4" wide by 21" long. The 4 studs on the angle iron? What would they be for. How would a battery/batteries sit and be secured. Did the 4 studs originally have a threaded rod on them with a wing nut?

Batteries make some sense, but the typical 100-125 A.H. ones are in wooden boxes with bases of 15-1/2" by 7-1/2" so two would fit, though not very well and typically wireless trucks used two pairs (one pair to power the radio while the other pair was being charged). Alternatively two pairs of a different sized batteries would fit, though why a WIRE-3 would use a different size is unclear when contemporary WIRE-5 and HUW's used 100-125 A.H. ones.

Some questions: are there terminal strips in front of the table on the inside forward face of the cargo box that would suggest batteries were stowed under the table? Do you know where else in the box batteries would be if not under the table? Was there a No.5 Charging panel and, if so, where?

[Jordan Baker]

Hi Bruce.

Thanks for the reply and giving some insight.

With your battery measurments I'm not sure two would fit on that try on the floor. It has that central rib and two pieces of angle iron on the end of it. I'm still scratching my head on what it could be for.

There was a C5 charging board mounted inside the truck. In post number 3, photo 2 you can see it along the front panel of the box mounted just to the left of the ws19. Also on the floor of the box is an oval hole. This was for the power cables from the Chorehorse to feed up to the charging board. In this picture you can see the hole in the floor just to the left of the table.

As for the terminal strips. I'd assume the truck would have some. I have my thoughts that they might be mounted on the wooden boards that are attached to the top bows. The two boards running along the sides have two sets of holes. In the pictures in the first couple of posts you can see two sets of two holes and there is definitely something mounted in them. What would be the length of the terminal strips?

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Jordan Baker

Hi Bruce.

Thanks for the reply and giving some insight.

With your battery measurments I'm not sure two would fit on that try on the floor. It has that central rib and two pieces of angle iron on the end of it. I'm still scratching my head on what it could be for.

There was a C5 charging board mounted inside the truck. In post number 3, photo 2 you can see it along the front panel of the box mounted just to the left of the ws19. Also on the floor of the box is an oval hole. This was for the power cables from the Chorehorse to feed up to the charging board. In this picture you can see the hole in the floor just to the left of the table.

As for the terminal strips. I'd assume the truck would have some. I have my thoughts that they might be mounted on the wooden boards that are attached to the top bows. The two boards running along the sides have two sets of holes. In the pictures in the first couple of posts you can see two sets of two holes and there is definitely something mounted in them. What would be the length of the terminal strips?

Ah yes, I see the No.5 panel. It feeds the batteries so its location suggests they were up front near the panel and therefore also near the table. Do you know, or have evidence from holes, where the batteries on a WIRE-3 went? For comparison, the WIRE-5 had two pairs on the right side beside the wireless operator with the No.5 panel and terminal strips right above them. The HUW had a similar 2 pair battery arrangement under the wireless table centrally located immediately behind the cab/rear body partition. The No.5 panel was hung on the underside of the table and the terminal strips were on the rear face of the body partition (ie. right above the batteries and just below the No.5). I expect the WIRE-3 used the same battery pairs as the HUW and WIRE-5.

On your table, on the bottom angles between the legs are brackets with holes. Are these to secure the table to the box floor? If not to secure the table, then perhaps they were to clamp a battery tray on to that mystery tray you're asking about? Maybe the tray is really stiffeners (and space for lead lined acid sumps? ..the HUW has lead sumps on its battery holders) for another, removable battery tray that clamps in place there and the studs are for alignment? The HUW table (with the No.5 panel), battery pairs, operator seats and chorehorse were all "quick release" removable so a complete station could be set up remotely from the vehicle. Is this feature duplicated in the WIRE-3?

As for the terminal strips being on those wooden rails on the top lips of the box...perhaps...but only if the batteries are somehow stowed in the rear of the box or just under the rails. Are there pairs of holes on the front wall of the box forward of the table for terminal strips?

Pics of HUW table with terminals trips and HUW battery trays attached.

[Jordan Baker]

Do you know what the distance between the holes on the terminal strips are? I'm wondering if they were mounted on the wood boards. If you look at post #9 drawing number 1 I've shown the wood board that is mounted to the top bows. The hole centres are 5" apart. Each side has two sets. That would give the truck 4 terminal strips. The wood boards acted as a lower frame for holding the top bows together when setup as a ground station. See the picture for the holes (with bolts/nuts) on the wood. You can also just make out the charging board on the extreme left.

The bottom angle brackets on the table were simply for mounting the table to the floor. Those knobs I was looking for pass through the angles and go into bolts welded on the underside of the floor.