19-Set Vario/Aerial Base Mounting Plate

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Just got a response back from my friend here in Winnipeg about his Plates, Mounting No.1 and he confirms an unpainted underside. The top of his has been painted flat black by hand at some time. One can make out some brush marks on the larger surfaces apparently and some drips down the edge on one side, so his might have been all plated metal originally. Chips in the paint show plated metal beneath and no sign of a primer.

Thin head hex bolts used for all three items attached to the plate.

Chris: I have seen those little spring retainers on the four hex bolts BA No.2 that bolt the assembly to the top of the transceiver used with some other piece of equipment at one time, but I am beggared if I can remember what piece of equipment! Whenever you get around to tracking your Plates, Mounting No.1 down, can you spec out these four BA No.2 hex bolts for us? Total shaft length, length of thread and how far from the head the retaining clip slot has been cut?

When I think of it, it makes sense they used thin head hex bolts to mount this Plates assembly. Not enough room around the variometer to get at cheese head slotted screw with a screw driver. Would think one has to be careful tightening them, however. With the shaft cut for the retaining clips I could see the bolts shearing easily at that point if you had some knuckle dragger working the spanner!

David

I suspect the retaining clips are the same as those used on the WS19 control units, and possibly the supply unit retaining screw. That may be a suitable source of patterns for the clip, although they all use "fillister head" screws.

My plate came as a bare plate, no screws or clips.

All the early/unissued mounting hardware that I've seen has been 'bright', i.e. unpainted (plated) steel. I suspect it was painted to suit the application prior to installation. The post-WW2 hardware seems to have been supplied in green finish.

I'm somewhat surprised that lock washers are not fitted to the various bolts.

(My suggestion of "Plate & Bracket Assy No.1" came from Wireless for the Warrior Volume 2, where it is used throughout. It may be a mistaken designation for the bracket used for the "Condenser X5, 5kV" used with the RF Amplifier No.2, but I'm not sure of this. I wish we had more "Comm. Inst." EMERs (i.e. more than zero) available for the WW2 kit.)

Chris.
(Still gap-filling the "Satchel, Signals" collection - I currently have numbers 1, 2, 3, either 4 or 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12! I have no idea what went in No.8, possibly a test meter of some sort. There are several variations of the No.1 and at least a couple of the No.2 satchel.)

Chris.