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  #181  
Old 13-07-19, 09:27
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Good Heavens, Bruce! One could go broke finding satchels.

Do any of the 11-Set publications explain the surplus requirement? There is nothing at all in the 52-Set tomes covering the addition of just one. It crossed my mind the second satchel might be a carry over from the earlier 9-Sets but I have none of that family of manuals to cross reference for confirmation/explanation.

David
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  #182  
Old 13-07-19, 12:14
Bruce MacMillan Bruce MacMillan is offline
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The kit for the ground station had 7 satchels whereas the kit for a general purpose vehicle had 8. AFV's were only issued 1. There were lots of bits and bobs and multiple headsets and mics so that could account for the number.
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  #183  
Old 13-07-19, 23:35
Chris Suslowicz Chris Suslowicz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Dunlop View Post
Good Heavens, Bruce! One could go broke finding satchels.

Do any of the 11-Set publications explain the surplus requirement? There is nothing at all in the 52-Set tomes covering the addition of just one. It crossed my mind the second satchel might be a carry over from the earlier 9-Sets but I have none of that family of manuals to cross reference for confirmation/explanation.

David
The WS19 "set and standard kit" contains at least one satchel (I think), and the installation kit for the Pershing had extras, presumably to hold the extra headsets and possibly the headset extension cables, though the latter were really too large (20 yards?) to fit.

The original "Satchel, Signals" was intended to replace the leather "Bags, Telephone Receiver" and "Cases, Message Book, Mark IV" as I recall, so having extra headsets would be a good reason for adding satchels to keep them tidily out of the way and stop them getting dirty or tangled up.

(If anyone has an original "Bags, Telephone Receiver", or the message book case, in good condition I'd be interested in it for the hoard/collection.)

Chris.
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  #184  
Old 25-08-19, 00:38
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Chris. If it’s military, its not hoarding. It’s Patriotic Preservation.

Out of curiosity, I took my two Main Set Headgear, No. 3 Microphone and No. 9 Morse Key and they all stuffed easily into one Satchels, Signal.

The two headsets and cable bits for the Remote Receiver all stow in the wooden Remote Receiver Case which would travel with the Remote Receiver when deployed, so for the typical Ground Installation, all expected needs would be covered with the one satchel. I can see individual operating teams mooching an additional ‘ad hoc’ satchel in the field. Particularly for the Remote Receiver. Grunting the largest, full, wooden support box any distance, would be harder than leaving the case with the main set, and grabbing a spare satchel of accessories and the Remote Supply alone. That said, I am still scratching my head a bit over this one.

The only vehicle install I have run across for the 52-Set is for the C15TA. Must reread it to see if a second Satchel, Signals shows up in it.

In the meantime, good luck with your PP, Chris.

David
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  #185  
Old 25-08-19, 01:56
Chris Suslowicz Chris Suslowicz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Dunlop View Post
Chris. If it’s military, its not hoarding. It’s Patriotic Preservation.

Out of curiosity, I took my two Main Set Headgear, No. 3 Microphone and No. 9 Morse Key and they all stuffed easily into one Satchels, Signal.

The two headsets and cable bits for the Remote Receiver all stow in the wooden Remote Receiver Case which would travel with the Remote Receiver when deployed, so for the typical Ground Installation, all expected needs would be covered with the one satchel. I can see individual operating teams mooching an additional ‘ad hoc’ satchel in the field. Particularly for the Remote Receiver. Grunting the largest, full, wooden support box any distance, would be harder than leaving the case with the main set, and grabbing a spare satchel of accessories and the Remote Supply alone. That said, I am still scratching my head a bit over this one.

The only vehicle install I have run across for the 52-Set is for the C15TA. Must reread it to see if a second Satchel, Signals shows up in it.

In the meantime, good luck with your PP, Chris.

David
Heh. Thanks.

The difference between Wireless Set No.1 (and/or 11) and Wireless Set No.52 (or the original No.9) is the intended role.

1 and 11 were "front line" sets intended for infantry/cavalry use (at battalion level) - Battalion to Brigade communication- and had to be portable, hence the separate power and aerial tuning units, and the set being a one man load. The original Wireless Set No.2 was intended for Brigade to Division (also AFV use), and would be vehicle mounted - not even Charles Atlas would be able to carry the set very far.

So for the Infantry sets everything had to be divided into man-portable loads - major components had carrying straps, custom webbing (Bags, Aerial Gear), and everything else went in Satchels.

Vehicle kit would be in (demountable) carriers and storage lockers/bins. Headsets and microphones would go in satchels to protect them from dirt and damage, giving easy access if they were suddenly required.

Wireless Set No.3 has one "Bags, Telephone Receiver" listed for the Ground Station and four specified for the Vehicle Station.

(I can't put my hand on the W.S.2 pamphlet right now - need to sort the bookcase out again!)

The WS52 will be similar: set semipermanently installed in a vehicle and ancillaries in the various storage boxes in cupboards. If the Remote Receiver is required it can be dropped off and carried to site for setting up. The Canadian remote control units were self contained, with the headset and microphone in their own compartment and a carrying strap for the complete unit.

At some point I'll produce a complete, illustrated, list of the "Satchel, Signals" range - there were at least 12 of them, for various distinct purposes, in a wide range of sizes and styles. (Some evolved over time as the shortcomings of the original design were discovered.) Satchel, Signals (no number, No.1 or No.1T) was the original, turning eventually into "Haversacks, No.1" in the mid 1950s; No.2 was the battery carrier for WS38 and WS18; No.3 (ditto) for the WS46 (without the wiring harness for the set - fit that and it becomes Carrier Battery WS46); 4, 5 & 6 were for various mine detectors; 7 is for the 60 watt pedal generator ancillaries; 8 is a weird zippered cover for something (probably mine detector related because it's under the Z5 DMC); 9 is one I've never seen; 10 is the backpack for WS 38 Mk.3; 11 is likewise unknown; and 12 is the carrier for the Detector, Mine, No.6A (lightweight version of the 4A for airborne and beach landing operations.

Chris.
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  #186  
Old 25-08-19, 08:20
Bruce MacMillan Bruce MacMillan is offline
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[QUOTE=David Dunlop;262864
The only vehicle install I have run across for the 52-Set is for the C15TA. Must reread it to see if a second Satchel, Signals shows up in it.
David[/QUOTE]

The manual I had for my M152 sigs van (C42/52 setup) lists 4 satchels. ZA27294 was "field pack, canvas, signal, No. 1, MK1/1. Manual was post WW2 dated 1961.
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  #187  
Old 25-08-19, 09:41
Chris Suslowicz Chris Suslowicz is offline
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Originally Posted by Bruce MacMillan View Post
The manual I had for my M152 sigs van (C42/52 setup) lists 4 satchels. ZA27294 was "field pack, canvas, signal, No. 1, MK1/1. Manual was post WW2 dated 1961.

OK, a bit of "research" - basically plugging NATO Stock Numbers into Google (and noticing that both the level and accuracy of detail returned has fallen dramatically over the last few years):

8465-99-973-6154 - SLIDE,WAIST BELT,BR CN/AA.1629

8465-99-973-6226 - BELT,LINEMAN - still leather, I think. CN/AA.0130

8465-99-973-6253 - FROG,WIRE CUTTER - for barbed wire cutter. CN/AA.0960

8465-99-973-6254 - FROG,WIRE CUTTER - for sidecutting pliers. CN/AA.0980

8465-99-973-6260 - LOOP,LEATHER

8465-99-973-6262 - RUNNER,SWIVEL - probably the leather loop for clasp knife on the lineman belt. CN/AA.1595

8465-99-973-6264 - FIELD PACK - not signals related CN/AA.1616 Satchels, Battery Staff, R.A., Mk.2

8465-99-973-6828 - SLIDE,WAISTBELT - CN/AA.1619

8465-99-940-0047 - FIELD PACK - HAVERSACKS, NO.1 (Replacing Z1/ZA.6292 & Z1/ZA.27294 - SATCHEL, SIGNALS No.1 & No.1T)

8465-99-978-8792 - FROG,WIRE CUTTER - a later version (DPM IRR)

5140-99-428-9823 - POUCH, TOOL, LINESMAN - webbing belt pouch

5140-99-428-9823 - POUCH, TOOLS, LINESMAN - DPM version

5140-99-901-5108 - CARRIER, TOOL, WEBBING - Hellerman tool carrier

And my "Satchel, Signals" list, accumulated over the years:

Satchel, Signals
____ - ZA.6292
No.1 - ZA.11947
No.1T - ZA.27294 (Patt. 44 green or Patt. 1937 khaki)
No.2 - ZA.13347 (Shoulder strap stitched to bag at one end)
No.2 Mk.2 - ZA.21324 (Detachable shoulder strap, 'L' strap fittings)
No.2 Mk.2/1 - ZA.29367 (Tropicalized version of ZA.21324)
No.3 - ZA.14869 (Wireless Set No.46 backpack - without harness, etc.)
No.4 -
No.5 - ZA.22756 (For Detector, Mine [Polish] No.3)
No.6 - ZA.24242 (for Detector, Mine, No.4 or 4A)
No.7 - ZA.24805 (For Charging Set, Pedal Driven, 60 Watt - ancillaries)
No.8 - ZA.24907 (Under section Z5, so bomb location & mine detector?)
No.9 -
No.10 - ZA.26516 (For Wireless Set No.38 Mk.3)
No.11 -
No.12 - ZA.29004 (For Detector, Mine, No.6A)

The "Satchel, Signals" range started as a single webbing item, replacing the previous leather "Bags, Telephone Receiver" and "Cases, Message Book, Mark V" according to the 1940 VAOS, with a stores code of ZA.6292. This is the earliest listing I have of the numbered "Vocabulary Of Army Ordnance Stores", and must be pretty close to the initial allocation of code numbers.

So, we begin with:

ZA.6292 Satchel, Signals
ZA.11947 Satchel, Signals No.1 (which I suspect was simply a redesignation).
ZA.27294 Satchel, Signals No.1T (Tropicalised version, also known as Satchel, Signals, No.1 Mk.1/1 - these appear in standard khaki or light green (1944 "jungle" webbing canvas), but all on the same stores code.

Then the switch to NATO Stock Numbers:

Z1/8465-99-940-0047 Haversack, No.1 - listed in the May 1960 CES for WS31 as an alternative to Z1/ZA.6292 Satchel, Signals.

This was still being manufactured in 1990, and possibly later still.

Haversack, No.1 mainly appears in dark green tropic-proofed canvas, identical to that used for the 1958 pattern web equipment, but I think some earlier satchels were marked with the new NSN. It's entirely possible that the khaki version continued for desert and Indian issue, since the "Pouch, Tool, Linesman" appears in both 1937 and 1958 shades of webbing, under the same NSN (as, indeed, does the much later nylon DPM version)!

I'm looking for the missing "Satchel, Signals, No.4" (which I think is a backpack for a mine detector and has a large hole in the bottom for cable entry from the search unit), and numbers 9 and 11 (which I have never seen), plus any variants I don't already have.

(I do have some US and Canadian manufactured satchels, mainly from WS19 installations, by various makers. I haven't bothered to compile a full list.)

Web searching is getting less useful as the density of advertising outweighs the actual information content (and my current browser seems to want to take over the world on occasion: filling the disk with 2GB of temporary storage that I think is just advertising crap that requires a restart just to get rid of it and restore normal functioning). Also errors are creeping in, as you can see from:

8465-99-973-6253 - FROG,WIRE CUTTER - for barbed wire cutter. CN/AA.0960
8465-99-973-6254 - FROG,WIRE CUTTER - for sidecutting pliers. CN/AA.0980

which are wildly different items (the portion after the '-' is my research).

Argh!

Chris.
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  #188  
Old 25-08-19, 16:38
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Hi Chris.

The Satchel referenced in the 52-Set Manual is Satchels Signal No. 1 (ZA 6292), but the manual goes on to state a number of variations of this particular satchel exist and all are compatible.

My 1944 RCA 19-Set Mk III came with Satchel Signal No. C1 (ZA/CAN 2120).

My Canadian used but partly American made Mk II 19-Set has a USA made satchel with large block letters across the top flap saying SATCHEL SIGNAL. No ZA or CAN numbering at all on it at all.

Interesting also how the words, Satchel, Satchels, Signal and Signals morphed around as well.

David
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  #189  
Old 25-08-19, 17:33
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default 52-Set Remote Receiver

This last week, I have been running this receiver in the evenings, just to keep both of us happy. Reception results are typically poor at this time of year, but I was surprised at how good reception actually was and how well this receiver performs. It is not going to need much final tweaking, when I get around to it.

One signal that came in very well was a Spanish broadcast at 7.335 MCs at 20:00 hours local time. It took a bit of checking but it turned out to be what I am assuming is a relatively new US Government supported station called Radio Marti. It is based in Miami and is basically a news broadcaster targeting Cuba. Their signal floated in and out a bit but was remarkably clear.

While I was puttering with some research, I heard the two announcers mention Carlos Santana. My ears pricked up and next thing I knew they were playing several songs from his 1970’s album ABRAXES. I found it amusing to be sitting in a home built in the mid 1960’s, listening to a mid 1940’s military radio playing classic 1970’s music involving two languages and three different countries.

David
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  #190  
Old 26-08-19, 00:58
Chris Suslowicz Chris Suslowicz is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Dunlop View Post
Hi Chris.

The Satchel referenced in the 52-Set Manual is Satchels Signal No. 1 (ZA 6292), but the manual goes on to state a number of variations of this particular satchel exist and all are compatible.

My 1944 RCA 19-Set Mk III came with Satchel Signal No. C1 (ZA/CAN 2120).

My Canadian used but partly American made Mk II 19-Set has a USA made satchel with large block letters across the top flap saying SATCHEL SIGNAL. No ZA or CAN numbering at all on it at all.

Interesting also how the words, Satchel, Satchels, Signal and Signals morphed around as well.

David
There was a war on at the time and I don't think they were too fussy about the wording.

I have a few of the US satchels (came in the Pershing (T26E1) install kit) and some Canadian ones (Jelco 44, possibly others -they're all boxed up pending a proper inventory and photo session).

I have this tendency to collect webbing items with ZA, YA and some WA stores codes, in the hope of producing a definitive list (and illustrated catalogue) at some point.

Chris.
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  #191  
Old 17-09-19, 19:30
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default Marconi 52-Set Flat Olive Drab (OD) Green paint

This is to set the record straight regarding an error I discovered this past weekend regarding information I has provided back in Post # 52.

In that earlier post I had identified the original paint inside my Coil, Aerial Tuning case as being an excellent example of No. 2 Brown. It is not.

Something compelled me to take the back cover off the coil case on the weekend and take it outside into the sunlight for a closer look. Surprise, surprise! It was not even close to being brown. Turns out to be a very original example of the flat Olive Drab (OD) Green Marconi was using on their 52-Set equipment.

To be certain, I brought my wooden 52-Set Tool Box to the patio and opened it up in the sunlight as well. When I placed the back cover from the coil case inside the Tool Box (which also has original paint inside it, the two colours were a perfect match.

The final, third test was to lug out the Spare Parts Box and open it up. It is lined inside with KimPak, however the visible woodwork inside also matched the OD Green on the other two items.

Happy with all that, I took the back cover from the coil case to our local RONA Store yesterday and had them scan it for matching in the paint shop. I now have one quart of paint available for refinishing both tool boxes.

If anyone is interested in the formula from RONA, it is as follows and was mixed with one quart of their SICO EVOLUTION 863-503, Base 3, in Eggshell Finish:


R 7
V 19
X 1 19 1
Y 1 3


One other observation I had on wartime paints over the weekend it that different finishes of the same colour, give differing visual results. The darkest colour appears to come from a flat finish. If the finish has a fine ‘wrinkle’ to it, the colour lightens. It lightens even more when the finish reaches a full wrinkle. I cannot help wonder if this effect is the result of light reflecting from all the different ridges, surfaces and angles on a true wrinkle finish?

David


NB: For some reason the first two colour codes are getting pushed to the first column. The '7' for R and the '19' for X should both be in the second column, directly above the other '19' and the '3'.

Last edited by David Dunlop; 17-09-19 at 19:36.
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  #192  
Old 30-09-19, 04:07
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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This little pile of bits turned up last week in a bunch of surplus electronics that was headed to the dump, a friend tipped me off about. Some 19-Set pieces were also in the piles of stuff sorted through.

My apologies for the busy background. it was the only available spot for a quick photo. Basically a bunch of mic cases, two NOS headset harness wires, an NOS clothes clip and rubber Pye Connector, three NOS 813 valves (the boxes were riddled with mouse pee) a pair of NOS 6V6G's and a ceramic tube socket assembly that might be 52-Set Sender related. The jury is still out on that however.

David
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  #193  
Old 11-10-19, 01:25
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default WS No. 52 Aerial Base C2

A good friend of mine out Edmonton way found this in his pile of vehicle parts while reorganizing his shop. It arrived in the Mail today in the middle of a snow storm.

Interesting to note that the manufacturer is none other than Campbell Manufacturing Company Limited, the same firm that made the Canadian 20 and 34 foot telescopic steel aerial masts.

There are traces of NATO Green paint on the midsection of the ceramic insulators, which would indicate this aerial base was in service late in its career. Should clean up quite nicely.



David
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  #194  
Old 12-10-19, 18:39
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default WS No. 52 Aerial Base C2

I have had a chance to compare this Aerial Base C2 to the diagrams of it in the 52-Set Instruction Manual. It looks like only two pieces are missing: a small wire D-ring at the very bottom of the assembly, used to retain the wing nut, and, the large 9-inch square, 1/4-inch thick, brown, phenolic plate which fits between the two ceramic insulators.

Drawings of the plate with specifications are provided in the Instruction Manual for everything except the central hole in the plate.

In order to provide effective RF Insulation in transmit mode, this central hole at the very least has to be large enough to safely clear the central conducting core of the aerial base. At its largest, it might be sized to allow the large collars of the two ceramic insulators to lock into the plate on either side to hold the aerial base in position.

Is there a surviving phenolic plate assembly out there somebody can reference the central hole size from, for me?

David
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  #195  
Old 13-10-19, 13:28
Chris Suslowicz Chris Suslowicz is offline
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Hi David,

Assuming the upper and lower ceramic insulators are 'stepped', then the hole in the mounting plate should match the smaller diameter of the insulator, and there will be a rubber or leather washer under the upper insulator to keep rain out of the vehicle. (There will also be a square gasket that goes under the mounting plate for the same reason - I'm not sure what (if anything) they did to seal the mounting bolt holes, unless the square gasket also did that.)

I've got the British equivalent of the roof insulator, which is a ceramic mushroom of considerable size and weight supporting Aerial Base No.3 to provide flexibility for use on the move. Because Base No.3 was never intended to be fed from underneath (and was probably not up to the task for WS53 or ET4336) it's bypassed electrically by four braid straps and the mushroom does the insulating job. That lot mounts via a Tufnol plate (or to a steel bracket behind the cab on the "wireless light" vehicles) and I suspect the plates and gaskets are similar in external dimensions.

Chris.
(Not going anywhere (except possibly back to bed) at the moment, I have a foul cold.)
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  #196  
Old 13-10-19, 17:27
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Thanks for your feedback, Chris, and for reminding me to get my Flu Shot soon. Hope you are feeling better in time for work next week.

There is, indeed, a noticeable step at the wide ends of the upper and lower porcelain insulators. Both also have what I thought were thin, hard fibre washers around the steps. A closer look after reading your post and I realized they are dried out leather. Several other fittings along the aerial base also have these gaskets and I think if I can track down a bottle of Neatsfoot Oil locally, they should all revive nicely. So I shall size the centre hole on the phenolic plate to fit the insulators.

As for the lower side of the plate, Chris, the edge is lined with a thin gasket that does cover the 8 mounting bolt holes. It looks to be about 1 inch wide and looks like it could either be cork, or a material I cannot think of the name of at the moment. Kind of a synthetic cork, made of little black, grey and brown speckles, all fused together.

David
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  #197  
Old 06-11-19, 04:02
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default CASES, Operating, Remote Receivers, WS Cdn No. 52 (ZA/CAN 4729)

This arrived at the local Post Office yesterday, from a good friend, and I picked it up on the way home from work today. With its arrival, I now have the complete set of three wooden parts and equipment cases issued with the Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian.

It is in very fine condition, the interior being basically new, finished in flat Olive Green. The exterior was stripped of original paint and a coat of NATO Green applied, late in its Military Career and then a second overcoat of thick tan paint was applied to the front portion of the case and another set of NATO markings applied.

Interestingly, the original wartime Parts List for the case is still glued in place on the inside of the lid and a two page listing of the same parts was also still inside the bottom of the case. This second list references the parts by the newer NATO Parts Numbering System.

The ZE-12 Remote Supply is stored in the central compartment and can actually be operated from inside this case in situations where there is a lack of space available where the 52-Set is operating.

The small right side compartment is lined with Kimpak and is where the spare valves, fuses and light bulbs were stored.

The left side compartment held the cables, horizontal aerial, aerial insulators power cables and headsets for the Remote Receiver.


David
Attached Thumbnails
WS No. 52 Remote Receiver Case 5.JPG   WS No. 52 Remote Receiver Case 6.JPG   WS No. 52 Remote Receiver Case 7.JPG   WS No. 52 Remote Receiver Case 8.JPG  

Last edited by David Dunlop; 06-11-19 at 14:15.
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  #198  
Old 22-11-19, 20:57
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default WS No. 52 Supply Unit (SN 5792)

This little (though remarkably heavy) gem arrived in this morning’s Mail, the beginning of the end of a process that started several weeks ago.

The Serial Number is 5792 and the interior chassis area, apart from a little dust, is almost factory new. The front panel, tells a somewhat different story. This set was sitting quietly in a work shop down East for several decades. Said shop appears to have been heated by means of either a wood stove or oil stove, which threw a lot of smoke. The photo of the front panel does not do the amount of crud accumulated on the panel justice at all. The set must also have been stored close to the ground, as humidity has had a chance to oxidize the plating behind the front panel plate. This is particularly noticeable along the bottom inch or so, where the paint has lifted, and also, to a lesser degree, immediately above the Receiver Power Supply assembly on the right side.

The set was rebuilt in 202 Base Workshop, Montreal in 1966, with three Mods being done. I have yet to check my files to determine what those modifications were, so more on that later, as the information unfolds.

Interestingly, both dynamotors were built in 1945, and since the Supply Unit was built in 1944, clearly the dynamotors were replaced at some point while the set was in service.

For the time being, I think I will be limiting myself to a slow, careful cleaning of the front panel of this Supply Unit, so it at least looks like it belongs next to the main set receiver I have been working on. I might even get this cleaning done this weekend. The Sender is currently on its way to me so if I get the Supply Unit cleaned up this weekend, I will still have something to do next weekend.

David
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WS No. 52 Supply Unit 1.JPG   WS No. 52 Supply Unit 2.JPG   WS No. 52 Supply Unit 3.JPG   WS No. 52 Supply Unit 4.JPG  
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  #199  
Old 23-11-19, 01:53
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Couldn't wait! I gave the front panel a quick surface cleaning to at least get all the grime off. What is left in terms of discolouration now is mostly yellowing of the varnish top coat. That I can eventually lighten with a form of very fine jeweller's rouge and I will try to match it up with the lower panel on the Receiver until I can get around to a complete refinish of the Supply Unit front panel.

The first photo is of it sitting beside the Receiver. When I cleaned the two rubber cones on the headset leads, I discovered the left one still had a large circular red stamp on it which shows up in the photos in the 52-Set manual. The right hand connector had been exposed to high heat at some time as the cone is drooping in one location. I will likely replace that cord with an NOS one I have tucked away somewhere.

The 2nd photo is of the entire 52-Set Project parts accumulation to date. Feels nice to finally be at the 60% mark for the main set pieces!

David
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WS No. 52 Project 22-11-2019 A.JPG   WS No. 52 Project 22-11-2019 B.JPG  
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  #200  
Old 25-11-19, 04:41
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default 52-Set Supply Unit Modification Instructions

I thought I might take some time at this point to document the relevant Modification Instructions for the main set Supply Unit. Over the years, I have found many wireless sets with holders for the modification cards mounted to the inner chassis, but the card is no longer contained within. If you want to know what was done to the set in terms of upgrades, this can be frustrating. The only thing you know for certain with an empty card holder is that at least one modification was performed to that particular piece of equipment, the addition of the Modification Card Holder. If no card holder is present (assuming one was not removed), then no modifications were ever done to your equipment.

Modification Instruction No. 1: This simply adds the metal card holder to the large central plate on the top of the Supply Unit Chassis. Nice and simple. See Photo 2 in Post 198 above.

Modification Instruction No. 2: Another simple one. There is a large resister (R38A) at the back of the supply that needs attention. It is located in the lower left corner, viewed from the back of the supply, mounted horizontally, directly above the 3-pin contacts for the Receiver Supply Module. The red lead on the right hand side of the resistor was prone to getting snagged between the supply chassis and the Carrier No. 4, getting the insulation rubbed through and shorting to the chassis. The fix was to take a small piece of electrical tape and secure this lead, either to the adjacent lead, or back on itself to keep it out of harms way. See Photo 3 in Post 198 above.

Modification Instruction No. 4: This is the most complicated of the three modifications that were issued for the 52-Set Supply Unit. It is a two-part modification to prepare the set for operation in Arctic conditions (read ‘Very Cold!’). At this point in time, the first part of the modification would be very hard to verify. It involved removing the grease and oil from the bearings on the two dynamotors and replacing it with lubricants suitable for cold weather operations. The second part of this modification involves the OZ4A valve located in the receiver vibrator supply module. This is a gas filled valve and for the sake of this discussion, its working conditions are very similar to those of a florescent light tube. If it gets too cold, an OZ4A will not fire properly so the receiver supply will shut down. To solve this problem, a large resister was installed in the receiver vibrator supply. It was mounted underneath the receiver supply chassis, one end soldered to the Pin-2 terminal of the OZ4A socket and the other end to a grounding ring lug, mounted underneath one of the mounting screws of an adjacent transformer located on the nearby side of the chassis. See the attached photo. The resistor in question is the large, black one; oriented diagonally, roughly dead centre in the photo. Once this resister was installed, a 6X5GT could be installed to replace the OZ4A in cold conditions and the vibrator supply would be quite happy regardless of how cold it got. I believe an OZ4A could still be used with this modification in place. Just don’t take the 52-Set camping in Alert in January.

So, hopefully, if you own a 52-Set Supply Unit with an empty Modification Card Holder inside it and you can find these changes to your Supply Unit, you now know these mods were done.

David
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_1088.JPG  
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  #201  
Old 26-11-19, 00:04
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Default WS No. 52 Sender (SN 6498)

Today’s Mail delivery was the Sender, Serial Number 6498, photos attached. This was a nice arrival for several reasons.

The arrival of this Sender completes the electronic parts of the main set of the 52-Set. This brings me up to 80% of the main set items with just the delivery of the Carrier No. 4 remaining to sort out. Even without the carrier, the parts will now look like a complete set.

In addition to all of the above, this particular Sender is nice to have for another reason. It still has its original panel decals, and they are the first version of these decals in that the three tuning decals all have the red ‘A’ and blue ‘B’ Flick identifiers on a white rectangular background. That this version of decal was still in use at serial number 6498 is also a helpful bit of production information. Now, with my main set receiver and remote receiver I have all three versions of this decal.

As you can see, this Sender has a lot of grime and dirt on it, but should clean up OK. Also interesting to note how the grime infiltrated the top of the chassis while it was inside the carrier; heavier towards the front of the chassis and tapering off towards the rear. In addition, it seems the grime did not make it down to the lower sections of the chassis where the usual dust accumulations are far more noticeable.

I would be remiss in not thanking Jacques Fortin in Montreal for taking the time to rebuild the slow motion drive bearings for the Frequency Dial and replacing the missing clear, Lucite dial pointer on the right side of this dial, while this set was in his custody and care following its purchase.

David
Attached Thumbnails
WS No. 52 Sender 1.JPG   WS No. 52 Sender 2.JPG   WS No. 52 Sender 3.JPG   WS No. 52 Sender 4.JPG  
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  #202  
Old 26-11-19, 21:16
Bob Carriere Bob Carriere is offline
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Default Fantastic work David......

Can you describe the process you follow to carefully clean all the yellowing from the front face..... are you using solvents?..... or tell us WHAT not to use....and the inside low pressure blow gun or vacuum cleaner with small computer keyboard attachment. What about the whitish oxidation of the inside surfaces.

Not sure I will ever be able to dig in and replace parts but would appreciate making the radio more presentable.

Always enjoy reading your trials and tribulations.

.........spark on!!!!!
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C15a Cab 11
Hammond, Ontario
Canada
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  #203  
Old 26-11-19, 22:56
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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For what it's worth, the yellow for the most part is tobacco. Not sure what solvent works best on that. Giving up smoking perhaps?? I cleaned up a yellowed R107 (thanks Ben!!) with soapy water, a touch of varsol and a very soft cloth so to dissolve without soring the shiny original paint.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Carriere View Post
Can you describe the process you follow to carefully clean all the yellowing from the front face..... are you using solvents?..... or tell us WHAT not to use....and the inside low pressure blow gun or vacuum cleaner with small computer keyboard attachment. What about the whitish oxidation of the inside surfaces.

Not sure I will ever be able to dig in and replace parts but would appreciate making the radio more presentable.

Always enjoy reading your trials and tribulations.

.........spark on!!!!!
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  #204  
Old 27-11-19, 01:36
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Good Evening, Bob and Bruce.

Funny that you should ask about this phase of the restoration work right now. I have been sorting out the details regarding the original factory panel finishes, thought I had it all figured out, and then had a stunning revelation last weekend while looking for some wireless parts squirrelled away years ago. I will definitely be covering that here in the near future.

In the interim, over the years I have found some distinct differences in how one cleans a panel and the inner chassis assembly.

On the panels, I usually start with a soap and water wash with a damp cloth, rinsing the cloth frequently. As Bruce mentioned, it is not uncommon to find a layer of nicotine on the panel surface. I am lucky that I part time at a local automotive detail shop so I have access to commercial cleaners and have a good idea of ones that are safe on these 75 year old finishes. One I currently use is called ‘Orange Crush’, followed by a solvent called ‘RemoveAll’. In most cases, those two products get you back to the original varnished paint surface from the factory. Then you have to decide how much hand polishing with a very fine jewellers rouge you want to do. And I will stop there at the moment.

On the inside, I start with three different tooth brushes: a soft, medium and firm and an air gun pushing usually 25 pounds of air. I will do 40 pounds if no exposed lacquered wiring of any gauge is in the area. Too much risk of cracked coatings getting blown away and destroying the part in question. I end up moving the chassis around a lot because I like to have the shortest distance possible for the dirt to exit the chassis. No point blowing it off/out of A and onto/into B. Never use soap and water on the inner chassis unless its deionized water. More on that later.

David
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  #205  
Old 27-11-19, 02:09
Bob Carriere Bob Carriere is offline
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Default Interesting.......

....old fashion water and Dawn soap(safe enough for oil covered ducks) and lots of elbow grease.........

Never heard of Orange Crush, except as a soda drink when I was young, or Remove All. I am always afraid that the lettering/numbers are just decals!!!!

I noticed you do not use anything abrasive. What about the famous "brake cleaner" readily available or the old fashion Carbon tet of the 50s (I still have some)..... or Naphta although quite flammable..... or chloroform which is a fantastic de greaser for the waffle switch contacts........ but not to be used inside your basement workshop...... same for acetone......

Looking forward to your next postings...

Bob C
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  #206  
Old 27-11-19, 19:43
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Bob.

You likely would not run across these products outside of the commercial auto detailing sector. The Orange Crush (and another product called HD Clean) are sold in 45 gallon plastic barrels. The Remove All and an equivalent called Safe Solve are sold in chubby ten-gallon white plastic jerry cans equipped with a bung that you pop out and screw a plastic spigot into.

The Orange Crush and HD Clean can be sprayed onto a flat surface and a toothbrush used to loosen up grime quite easily. A quick wipe off is recommended, however, only because one is dealing with 75-year-old paints and varnishes. The Remove All and Safe Solve are a bit more aggressive if you are not careful. For those I spray onto a cloth and then gently rub the more resistant marks to remove them. Great for tars, grease and reasonably fresh paint overspray, but again, I would not trust them to sit on old varnish and enamel paint. They both will lift the surface of the paint if you are not careful.

For polishing, I found a product years ago at Princess Auto called ‘Dursol’ It was a pale pinkish cream in a tube and I applied it with my finger tip as you can really tell when it dries and needs wiping off that way. This product is still made but now called ‘Autosol’ and Canadian Tire carries it. Photo attached. I found it polishes down yellowed varnish nicely. You have to be patient, however. I usually work in two-inch square areas at a time, slowly lightening the varnish until I get the shade I am looking for. Then I start an adjacent area and match the result to the first part done. It is a slow process, but worth it in the end I think. One word of advise. Good lighting is mandatory for this work. Shadow free if possible and always the same lighting each time you are working on the project.

I played with the upper left hand corner of the Sender panel last night, photo attached. Basically the area down to the bottom of the fan door and to the right, just covering the ‘Canada Decal’. Not really an attempt at obtaining a desired end product. More to just get rid of the ugly, hand painted, red ‘R22’ visible in the first Photo of Post 201. It was bugging my gizzard! This was done with the two previously mentioned liquid cleaners, with just a bit of Autosol brought into play at the very bottom of the fan door where a couple of runs of red paint had accumulated. You will see the grime along the top left corer of the frame cleaned up rather well. Note the untouched upper right corner to compare. Also, I was surprised how well the angle bracket on the left edge of the panel by the door cleaned up. See its grime covered partner on the right side for comparison.

One interesting discovery. Take a look at the Power Selector Switch directly above the High Power Lock at the lower right. It is the same switch as was used on the Canadian Wireless Set No. 19 Supply Unit Mk II.

David
Attached Thumbnails
Autosol Metal Polish.JPG   WS No. 52 Sender 6.JPG  
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  #207  
Old 28-11-19, 00:05
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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I decided to continue through with the basic cleaning of the front panel this afternoon and also did the various knobs and bakelite fittings. A full clean of the panel will happen when I am finally able to schedule the Sender into the project later on.

To give you a better idea of how the various cleaners work that I was discussing earlier, I did some sample work on the top chassis area shown in the second photo.

I cleaned the top chassis frame all sides with just the Orange Crush and a medium toothbrush, wiping down with a cloth afterwards, Roughly front centre, there is a square steel plate with its plating in good condition. I cleaned that with the Orange Crush and toothbrush, followed by sone Remove All and the toothbrush and then wiped it down with a cloth. I then took a small amount of the Autosol on my fingertip and rubbed it on the the left half of the square plate and wiped it off with a cloth. Kind of makes the factory plating pop again after 70 or so years.

To the left of that plate, at the front chassis, you can just see an orange electrical sheath arcing over a bar. I initially thought that was a black wire until the grime started to wash off with the Orange Crush. I then discovered the bar this wire was looping over was actually a very robust brown, phenolic terminal strip running the full depth of the Sender, about 3/4-inch wide and 1/4-inch thick. I thought it was supporting four long, heavy duty caps at first, but as the second one in from the front started to clean up, realized it was four big resisters. Looks a lot different with the grime gone.

Finally, to the right side top sits the Band Selector Switch, its long shaft running full to the rear of the chassis. The shaft supports two massive ceramic terminal discs. A little Orange Crush and the toothbrush again, produced the comparison to the untouched ceramic terminal disc at the rear end of the shaft.

David
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WS No. 52 Sender 7.JPG   WS No. 52 Sender 8.JPG  
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  #208  
Old 28-11-19, 03:12
Bob Carriere Bob Carriere is offline
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Default Wow.......

....lots of work before it appears inits original shade of gray/grey.

Not sure I would venture myself at tooth brushing the internal parts.

I would most likely do like Bruce and start with mild detergents/soap to see how that works then proceed, in safe areas, with some of the solvent based cleaners. Not an easy task .........

Cheers
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  #209  
Old 28-11-19, 03:33
Bruce Parker (RIP) Bruce Parker (RIP) is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Carriere View Post
....lots of work before it appears inits original shade of gray/grey.

Not sure I would venture myself at tooth brushing the internal parts.

I would most likely do like Bruce and start with mild detergents/soap to see how that works then proceed, in safe areas, with some of the solvent based cleaners. Not an easy task .........

Cheers
Any polish is going to have abrasives in it which will work at the original surface to some degree. Better dissolve and clean off the gunk without touching the surface you want to preserve if you can. Or polish off the original surface just enough to get a consistent colour and varnish the snot out of it.
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  #210  
Old 28-11-19, 18:36
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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True enough, Bruce.

I was a little concerned at the extent of the discolouration on the Sender panel when I first saw photos of it, and once it arrived. After its initial clean and a closer examination, my impression is the front panel can be saved. There may end up being a couple of dime sized paint chips along the perimeter, but I can live with that.

I do not want an original Navy Grey Gloss finish at all. I much prefer some degree of varnish patina that naturally developed with this equipment and I am leaning towards the look of the upper panel on the main set receiver.I think that will be attainable, or very close to it with polish and elbow grease and a lot of patience, when the time comes to do the work on the Sender.

I have been toying with the idea of finally committing to a polishing kit for my Dremel. My hands are not as durable as they used to be, but I have the Winter to think on it.

David
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