Trailer 2ton 4 wheel Beam Wireless

Vic Eaton · #1 14-11-05, 22:28

HELLO ALL
Ihave a military trailor and wonder if anyone recognises
this one from my description it is a fourwheel two ton drawbar type i have seen a picture of one with two microwave dishes on a revolving beam it had two generators at the rear and apears to
have had a van type body canvas covered with roll up sides a sign
in the photo i have says contact you loved ones by beam wireless
it still has its data plate it has at each end a tubular beam with flat plates welded on the ends they went upwards but have been cut off i was told that after the war most were sent to AUSTRALIA
TO CARRY OUT MICROWAVE tests in the desert i will get a picture
put on here as soon as poss .
REGARDS TO ALL VIC EATON UK .

Vic Eaton · #2 15-11-05, 23:04

HELLO AGAIN
TRAILOR ID PLATE READS
UNDERCARRIAGE TWO TON
FOUR WHEELED NUMBER ONE
MW CONTRACT S3655
CHASSIS NUMBER 947
WD NUMBER X4957761

Richard Farrant · #3 15-11-05, 23:52

Quote:

Originally posted by Vic Eaton
HELLO AGAIN
TRAILOR ID PLATE READS
UNDERCARRIAGE TWO TON
FOUR WHEELED NUMBER ONE
MW CONTRACT S3655
CHASSIS NUMBER 947
WD NUMBER X4957761

Vic,

The trailer was built by Multiwheeler Ltd., ( hence the letters MW ). It was described as Trailer 2ton 4 wheel Beam Wireless. 24 were built on that contract number.

Richard

Vic Eaton · #4 16-11-05, 16:08

Have a look at this picture!!

Vic Eaton · #5 16-11-05, 16:17

HELLO RICHARD
Thanks for the reply this trailor has always been a mystery
i had two at one time but gave one away i only have the trailor bottom i have seen the two dishes at the royal signals museum
in dorset im trying to find out what the flat plates are for at each endim wondering if they were for leveling jacksbut dont seem to be able to find a picture showing them. i have another picture
taken from the other side with a soldier standing next to it when i can find it the board says talk to your friends through beam wireless again many thanks for helping with this.

Richard Farrant · #6 16-11-05, 21:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Vic Eaton
HELLO RICHARD
Thanks for the reply this trailor has always been a mystery

Vic,

Good picture. Was yours complete? I am looking at the gen set and thought the radiator looked like the one used on a GM Diesel power unit. Wonder what the truck is standing behind....

Richard

Vic Eaton · #7 16-11-05, 22:24

HI RICHARD
NO Not complete far from it i only have the basic trailor
i was just looking at the signals museum and they have the number10 set radio that they appear to have had yes i wondered about the towing vehicle behind the one i have has mounted a scan mast its about fifty feet high and pushed up by compressed air also a mounted air raid siren it tows great behind my c15 this one was being pushed into a pit at NORTHWEALD AIRFIELD when
a friend managed to rescue it im one mudguard short lost to the bulldozer sorry to say otherwise it a realy strong trailor quite high off the ground ill put a photo on when poss i often thought of trying to rebuild the van type body looks like it had a door above the drawbar and steps it looks quite differant from the other side
as in another photo i have and shows two generators in that one
which ill try to sort out.
REGARDS VIC .

Vic Eaton · #8 16-11-05, 22:52

HI RICHARD
Just found the other pic it clearly shows two generators side by sideand the door at the front with the top part open and various vents on the side i saw this picture at PORTLAND CASTLE
DORSET the dishes are turned round showing the lengh of the beam with the holes in its about two thirds the lengh of the trailor
vic.

Neil Ashley · #9 17-11-05, 18:27

Vic

If you are not already of this where of the book, 'Wireless for the Warrior' by Louis Meulstee is the bible on all British and Commonwealth Radio sets and their accessories.

I attach below manual diagrams from this book which depict the Mk.1 and 2 Station Trailers of Wireless Set No.10. The book recalls that approximately 24 Mk.1 Receivers were ordered which fits in with Richards comments on the trailers.

If any one is interested in this book it can be obtained from www.epemag.wimbourne.co.uk for £36.00 plus postage. Volume 2 of the series covers the standard sets of world war two and it is a very substantial book for this price.

Neil Ashley · #10 17-11-05, 18:28

And again.

Vic Eaton · #11 17-11-05, 20:12

HELLO ASHLEY
Well ill be blowed i never thought that i would ever see
diagrams like that now i can see what the flat plates were dont the outriggers come out a long way i have only just see this so will take a good look at those diagrams and of course get that book many thanks for that its clearing up the mystery of this trailor which has dogged me for so long you would have to go some to beat the folks on mapleleafup thats for sure.
regards vic .

Vic Eaton · #12 17-11-05, 20:50

HI ASHLEY
Dont seem to be able to get that site for the book do you have a postal address i can send to .
regards vic .

Alex Blair (RIP) · #13 17-11-05, 21:46

Quote:

Originally posted by Vic Eaton
HI ASHLEY
Dont seem to be able to get that site for the book do you have a postal address i can send to .
regards vic .

Vic
Go Here..

http://www.epemag.com/

Tony Smith · #14 17-11-05, 21:59

Vic, the following is from the Wireless for the Warrior site. Phone and postal address there.

Vic Eaton · #15 17-11-05, 23:28

HELLO ALEX
Thanks for that have managed to get that site will phone them tomorrow will let you know what book is like
REGARDS VIC .

Vic Eaton · #16 17-11-05, 23:32

HELLO NEIL
Why the devil i called you ashley i dont know sorry for that mistake its either old age or excitment about the drawings
vic

Vic Eaton · #17 17-11-05, 23:41

HELLO TONEY
Thanks for the help i seem to be going along by leaps and bounds now it looks like i need vol 2 that has the number 10 set
and the trailor info i was told as i say that most of these trailors ended up in AUSTRALIA have you ever seen one there .
vic uk.

Neil Ashley · #18 21-11-05, 09:31

Vic

Short of you living in Dorset under an assumed name, I was much surprised on Friday to be confronted by another Mk 1 Station Trailer.

Condition wise it was horrendous (collapsed roof) with extensive corrosion and striped of all internal components. Having said that it is only sheet metal on an ash frame and for a body builder would be any easy restoration.

Idealy it should go to the Royal Signal Museum at Blandford who would have all the radio equipment to complete the trailor, but I doubt if the would be interested in the work. I have taken some photographs and if the owner agrees I will post them.

Does anyone know of any other survivors? There are a few of the GS Trailers on this chassis on the rally scene.

Vic Eaton · #19 21-11-05, 19:58

HELLO NIEL
Thats interesting i wonder if you can see how those dishes
were attatched to the roof ive have never seen any thing apart from the bare trailor as i said before i had two but when the second one came along it had more on it such as the tubular beams front and back so gave the other one to phillip copeman from marks tey near colchester he put on smaller wheels and uses it to this day i would like to see some photos of it if poss ill
send you a film if you can take any for me im trying to locate a mudguard are there any on there if so would be interested in all or one i offered that second trailor to the signals museum but they said they didnt have any space to store it . ive often wondered how the rest of it was constructed.so any pictures of it will be greatly appreciated. been working on my radio truck today finaly tested out my gas fired rear body heater and it works well just making an ajustable vent to the fan to slow down the air flow as it heats up. nice part of the country DORSET here at the moment its thick fog, in BISHOPS STORTFORD.

Les Freathy · #20 23-11-05, 00:12

evening guys

Good subject radio trailers would you be interested in other types used by the British and Americans

les

Les Freathy · #21 23-11-05, 22:30

Good evening Vic
Your trailer find sounds very interesting do you propose to build areplica body for it. i have found a couple more images for you the stablizing legs seem to be rather elaborate for such a squat trailer
les

Les Freathy · #22 23-11-05, 22:32

and heres the second

#23 24-11-05, 07:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Les Freathy
the stablizing legs seem to be rather elaborate for such a squat trailer

Not really when you consider the application.

The radio beam width of these microwave links is very small using dishes of this size at 10GHz I believe (Louis M's book is at the bottom of a huge pile presently) and would only be 1 deg or less.

Over a path of some tens of miles and with the low power and insensitive µW receivers they had then, the link alignment would be highly critical and just walking around in the unstabilised trailer would likely have the signal come and go at the far end as the suspension/tyres move a few fractions of an inch.

Think of it like someone signalling with a highly focussed and small flashlight many miles away, absolute stability and alignment is vital.

R.

Vic Eaton · #24 24-11-05, 16:24

HELLO LES
Well i didnt intend to but im getting awfully tempted to have a go .Thanks for the other photos they are more than i would have dared hoped for at first i couldnt understand the why those support jacks were not just one under each corner its quite a set up that and can now see why from the latest mail you would have to understand RADIO as our friend seems to ,when i left school many years ago i wanted to work in radio so took a job with a firm called MARINER RADAR only to find they only made battery chargers so spent the rest of my working days in the furniture game so missed out on the radio
regards vic .

Les Freathy · #25 24-11-05, 16:39

Good luck Vic it will be a first if you can pull it off, finding a dish will be a major problem the only things you see nowadays are on the dinner table or hanging on the house wall. I take onboard FV623s comments i know nothing about electronics so we could be on a learning curve
les

Vic Eaton · #26 24-11-05, 19:15

HI LES
Yes it would be a learning curve thats for sure i keep looking at the saterlite dish on the roof of the school where i work part time i wonder if they would miss it . the signals museum has both dishes on a stand you can see them on thier web site. un like a truck these trailors apart from the chassis are all parts that have long gone so will start looking harder now .and see if it would be worthwhile building the box body.

Larry Hayward · #27 01-12-05, 00:26

Vic,

You may wish to join the Defence Electronics History Society in the UK at £15 pa. See www.dehs.org.uk for details as this organisation holds tons on information on all type of electronics, from airborne radar, gun laying radar, naval radar etc right through to military radio again for air land and sea use. It was started by several top scientists who in retirement wanted to record the subject for posterity. Quite a few from the war time years remain as members and they have good memories! As for your trailer its development ultimately began with the experimental work carried out on microwave radar/radio by the Telecommunications Research Establishment at Worth Matravers Dorset and by the Signals Research Development Establishment at Christchurch before going into limited production. How have you guessed I have a connection with Dorset!

Good luck with the rebuild.

Les Freathy · #28 07-12-05, 11:43

Morning Vic
Just out of interest heres the predecessor to radar trailers
a lot were to be seen in kent stretching up to London. My father once told me that on Romney marsh where we generate from some of the locals nick named them lugole trailers, for obvious reasons
cheers
Les

Vic Eaton · #29 07-12-05, 20:21

HELLO LES
Thats interesting i have a brittains model of one like that and wondered what it was suposed to be i was in ROMMNEY a couple of years back on holiday while there i saw a jeep in a drive way not yours was it . i bet none of those trailors survive or do they never say never i say .also saw another military vehicle i think it was on the other side of the road but cant remember what it was. regards vic
thanks for the picture,

Neil Ashley · #30 11-07-06, 18:12

Attached are photographs of a surviving Beam Wireless Trailer which is for sale.

Both I and the owner like me would like to see it preserved as it is very likely the only surviving (just) example of this very rare and historically important radio installation.

Condition wise it is horrendous and needs a complete rebuild.
It would however make an ideal living caravan if some one wants to meet's the challenge.

The owner is only asking £80.00 for some-one who will guarentee to preserve this rare piece of radio communications history. Please contact me for details of the owner.
No time wasters please.