19 set Bakelite watch holder advice

[Ron Pier]

Just for interest. The MK 11 19 set in my MK2 carrier has the pocket watch on the main wireless. Ron

[derk derin]

Thank you David for that information. That makes a lot of sense. So I will install the watch holder in its original position and just live with it sitting 90 degrees to the left.
Don T. has the 1957 CFTO on having any Bakelite watch holders removed from service.
Ron,
That was another thought I had, the Mark II 19 set had the watch holder on the transmitter/receiver so would have sat in its proper upright position. I guess if I want the pocket watch straight I will have to look for a Mark II wireless set. All 3 of my 19 sets are Mark III!
Appreciate the input.
Cheers,Derk

[David Dunlop]

The Mk II 19-Set was likely in full service at the peak of use for the military issue pocket watch. Ron's postings are an excellent example of the pocket watch working at its best with the Mk II set.

If you look at the Power Plug directly above the watch holder in Ron's Carrier configuration, you can see the short 'dogbone' power socket connector runs straight up and down. To release it from the radio, the spring clip on the wireless set plug is pulled down, meaning the two ends of the spring clip are oriented horizontally into the sides of the plug assembly.

If this set was in standard configuration, with the PSU sitting to the immediate left of the wireless set, the dogbone would also be horizontal in position. in this position, to lock the wireless end of the dogbone in place, the spring clip must be relocated such that its two ends have to engage the sides of the power plug on the wireless set vertically and when released, the clip swings to the right, up against the handle assembly for the wirelsss.

However, in that position, the wire spring clip on the lower part of the power plug sticks out enough that when a pocket watch is in the holder, the stem ball winder and lanyard ring interfere with any movement of the spring clip. This caused more than its share of broken watch holders and enough wireless operator frustration that the problem was duly noted in the Wireless Set No. 19 Mk III having the watch holder relocated to the centre front of the new PSU. I suspect the designers realized this would be a bit of an issue in a handful of installations, but were also aware of the decline in use of the pocket watch, so the trade off was acceptable.

Thanks for posting those pictures, Ron.


David

[Ron Pier]

Thanks David for that concise description of why they changed the location....I did wonder why. Ron

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Thanks David for that concise description of why they changed the location....I did wonder why. Ron

The other reason for changing the location (from the set to the supply unit) was that with the change from the Mk.II with a 6-pin power connector to the Mk.III with two 12-pin connectors, the clearance between the watch holder and the power connector was severely reduced and some pocket watches (with tall winding stems) would no longer fit in the holder.

(Even if it would fit, the operator would need to remove the watch from the holder in order to wind it - the one my father had didn't keep very good time anyway, so he used his own pocketwatch (a gift from his uncle, which I must get restored someday) instead. Quite how he managed to keep the watch when he was deported to Kazakhstan by the Russians, I have no idea!)

Best regards,
Chris (G8KGS).