Military Collector Group Post, Nov.13/97 Index: BASIC JAPANESE RADIO COLLECTION PART IX; By William L. Howard WHATZIT; "U.U. Signal Service" ? MEMBER PROFILE; Meet Nick MAY-1 avail; Intrusion Detector Residue Avail; HUMOR; *************************************************** BASIC JAPANESE RADIO COLLECTION PART IX; By William L. Howard In the last 8 parts of this series I have covered the most common Japanese Ground force radios and touched briefly on the radios in aircraft and tanks. It is time to turn our attention to some of the other forms of communication as these were used more by the Japanese forces than radio. Wire Communications There are three types of Japanese field telephones, known to exist. The standard telephone was the Type 92. This is a beautiful piece of workmanship, it is a wooden case with brushed aluminum fittings. The top cover opens to reveal the headset/mike,a second headset, and the line connections. Both the earphone and the microphone are together with a cast metal horn extending down for the mouth piece. There is a push to talk lever along one side of the headphone assembly. The front panel folds down to reveal a rack for two batteries, the removable lightning arrestor and a spare parts kit. Also shown are the bell, generator, and the network components. The lightning arresstor is removed and connected to the terminals on the top. This set should come in a leather case with a long sling and with a brass ground spike which resembles a tent peg. These sets in top condition with all parts can be worth up to $250.00. Missing parts, the value drops rapidly. The lowest price I have heard about was $75.00 for a set less the leather case. The set had a generator crank that screwed in to the side. Often this got lost. Jerry Price of Palm Beach Gardens has a recently made supply of these in case your telephone is missing one. The Model No 2 Trench Telephone This set seems to be a late war development. It was first reported in a British Publication. The two samples that I have seen were both made by the OKI ELECTRIC COMPANY and were so marked in English! The set also came in a leather case. The set was made of wood but did not have the brushed aluminum fittings. The set is more compact than the Type 92 telephone. The set has a side panel that opens to reveal the generator, net work and battery compartment. This set required only one battery rather than the two used in the Type 92 telephone. This set has a generator crank that is built into the drive gear that contacted the armature shaft of the generator. It pulls out, bends to shape and then can be used as a crank. This solved the problem of the removable crank handle getting lost somewhere. This set also has a fibreboard gear wheel to drive the generator and on the sets that I have seen, this gear had been stripped and was non-operational. The Naval Landing Force Telephone This set was made toward the end of the war and reflects a shortage of everything. The set is housed in a laminated plywood case, has the minimum fixtures on it and the three sets I have seen had decals instead of data plates. The actual telephone was inside and resembled a German field telephone but being short of metal, the metal frame was bent to shape and fastened to a wooden base. This set, unlike the other two had a telephone hand set similar to those found on U.S. and German telephones. There was also an ?off set? wooden panel which was removeable and held three tools, a screwdriver, a ground spike and a wrench. Seldom does one find all the tools. This set is crudely made by any standards but it contains all the necessary elements of a field telephone. This set derives it?s value from being used by Naval Landing Forces. Most specimens that I have seen have been sold for $150.00. You could build your own telephone for 1/3 of that and have a set that was equal. Again, it is the collectors of Naval Landing Force material and the relative scarcity of these sets that account for it value. In summary, Japanese telephones, like their rifles and other equipment deteriorated in quality during the course of the war and these items demonstrated that. The naval blockade and the constant bombing of their factories took it?s toll on production facilities and raw materials. Personally, I would rather have one of our EE 8 telephones any day. JAPANESE 8 LINE CORDLESS SWITCHBOARD There were only three known examples of this telephone switchboard in private hands as of 1997. One was dissassembled and was little more than a collection of parts. I had the second set and a third was recently found in an attic in Oregon and was part of a large collection of Japanese communication equipment that was sold to a Japanese collector. This set is a very compact set and can easily be backpacked by one person. It is contained in a brushed aluminum case with a front panel that folds down to reveal a schematic diagram of one circuit of the 8 and a fold open writing desk. This opens to reveal a set of tools which were missing from my set. Across the top of the switchboard are the connections for the lines from the subscribers. At first I felt that there must have been a top cover which was missing but after looking at the other two sets, I decided there was no top cover. Across the top of the front panel are the drops which have an aluminum cover which is raised when in operation. This cover plate is free and there is nothing to keep it up so the line drops can function. It does have holes in it so I concluded that the incoming wires were fed throught the holes and were used to hold the cover back. Not really a satisfactory solution. Below the drops are a row of holders where tags could be place to indicate which line went to the terminals. Below this were laminated plastic markers numbered 1 through 8. Below these are two rows of lever switches, the top row switches are red, the bottom row were black. On the far right are another set of switches, presumably for the operator. Three drops on the left are also protected by a travel cover. At the top on either side are two panels with ?two holes? which are too small for a standard headset/mike plug and to big for a dual pin plug. Something which nobody has yet turned up, went in to these holes. The schematic on the front cover does not reveal what they were for. I assume that this switchboard was designed to be transported in a leather case, which long ago became separated from the switchboard. This set also required the operator to have a telephone as there is no generator for ringing the subscribers. These sets cost more to manufacture as there were more switches than found on a comparable U.S. switchboad of the period. It is, however easier to maintain as there are no cords or plugs to break or get cut. Training of switchboard operators must have taken more time than training of some one to operate the U.S. BD 71 or BD 72 switchboard. JAPANESE 10 LINE CORDLESS SWITCHBOARD This switchboard came complete in two leather packs. One pack housed the switchboard and the second pack held the terminal board and a spare parts kit. This switchboard was painted dark green , unlike the 8 line set. The front panel folded down to reveal the switches and the instruction panels. Unlike the 8 line set, this set had protectors for the drops which were removable but held in place by a short length of chain to keep them from getting lost. Other than the two extra drops, the controls were the same as on the 8 line set. The terminal board unfolded and revealed the screw terminal connections for the lines from the subscribers. These were on a hinged panel which lifted up to reveal a form of lightining arrestor, similar to those found on the Type 92 field telephones. This consisted of fuzes and the spare parts box contained replacement fuzes. This set appears to have been designed for rapid relocation as the terminal board can be quickly disconnected and while one person was packing up the switchboard, the other was disconnecting the the subscribers lines and getting ready to move. JAPANESE 12 LINE CORDLESS SWITCHBOARD The 12 line cordless switchboard is reported to be for use at Battalion and higher levels. Based on it?s size and construction it is more likely to have been used at a higher level or a fixed facility. It is large, bulky and heavy. It is well made and housed in a wooden chest with anodized aluminum fittings. The chest has handles on both sides which would allow it to be transported by two men. Catches on both sides allow the hinged front cover to fold down, exposing the controls. The cover may be folded back upon itself to make a writing desk for the operator. The example in the photographs show where ink had been spilled making a permanent stain. Across the top are the drops which, like the 8 line switchboard have an aluminum cover which is raised when in operation. This cover plate is released by a catch and held up by the same catch. Below the drops are a row of laminated plastic markers which can be labled as to which drop is connected to what line. Below these are three rows of lever switches, the top row are red, the center row are white and the bottom row are green. On the far right are another set of switches, presumably for the operator. Three drops on the left are also protected by a travel cover as in the 8 line switchboard. Two catches on the side also allow the top cover to be opened revealing the terminals to which the telephone lines are connected. Also visible is the crank handle for the ringing generator as well as two more terminals, presumably for connection to the operators telephone. The top cover shows the schematic and the instructions. The rear covers are hinged in the middle and by by opening the upper panel, access to the internal parts of the switches can be gained. By opening the lower panel one gains access to a metal panel held in place by retaining screws which can be opened. I did not have time to examine this set in great detail but I suspect that possibly the dry cell batteries were installed here to provide power to operate the telephone lines to the subscribers to the switchboard. Signal Lihts At least three types of signal lights have been observed. The Model 100 sugnal Light This set came in a canvas pack and consisted of a periscope tower, a battery box with rheostat, a small tripod. several colored filters and a key switch and power cord. I had to fabricate a power cord and switch before I finally got it working. When extended to its full height, the tower is about four feet above the operators head and appears to have been designed for use in a trench or behing a field fortification. I conclude that it is a rare item as nobody seems to know anything about it, have never seen one and never even saw a picture of it. It would look good standing in the corner of the room bt without the tripod, it loosk like a childs toy. GENERATOR POWERED SIGNAL LAMP This set came in a small wooden box and consisted of the signal lamp head, a case of colored filters, a power cord with a key on it, a box of spare lamps, and a tripod which was missing. The second part of the unit was a hand cranked generator that produces 6 volts. Regular automobile lights can be obtained from an auto parts store which fit this light so replacxement bulbs are not a problem. The crank handle stows under the generator and two sets of folding legs close down and are held in place by leather straps. I have owned two of these generators. One had been butcherd by removal of the power socket and the second had the correct socket but the drive transmission had stripped gears. I did a parts swap and got one that works and one junker, which I sold. For those who may have seen Sam Heaveners catalogue a few years back, he had one of these for sale at a price of $400+ I think. I do not know how complete it was. THE HAND HELD SPRING MOTOR SIGNAL LIGHT This is an interesting signal light and a solution to the difficult task of replacing light batteries. This came in a small case that could be carried on the belt. It had a crank handle that was used to wind a clock work spring motor. Once fully wound, the mtor was started and it powered a small gnerator which provided power for the light. The signal light head was a small brown bakelite case with a brushed aluminum top cover. Beneath the cover were three lenses. red, blue and clear. The lamp head had a contact switch that could be pressed like a key for sending morse code or could be locked in the on position. It had a clip so it could be hung on the uniform or hung above a map or desk. By keeping a few turns on the spring motor, a steady light could be maintained but I would not want to do it for very long. Wound to full tension and allowed to run down, it provided power for about two and a half minutes. These are fairly common items but like everything else are getting scarce as collectors snap them up. I got the one I have from Manion?s Auction on a bid of $125.00. By the time commission and shipping charges are added to the bid price, the cost went up. In Part 10, which will be the final installment, I will do a quick wrap-up, say a few words about the E.E.I.S. and leave room for Dennis to add any comments on the series which may have come in as it was running. THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 *************************************************** WHATZIT; Say Dennis, have you ever heard of the "U.U. Signal Service" ??? I have an old brass aneroid barometer that is about 5.5 inches in diameter. On the face it has bold letters with that nomenclature. I'd guess it is about 1940 vintage. I have no idea what the U.U. stands for. 73, Frank ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just geussing Frank, Prior to WW-II, there were many wireless servises, such as Western Union, operating all over the world. In the beginning weeks of WW-II, the equipment & the operators were forced into military service. This particularly true in the Pacific & Alaska. There are some quite heroic acounts, particularly in the Phillipenes, just before the fall, of these man & their equimpent. Like I said, just a guess. Dennis *************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Meet Nick My primary focus on Mil collecting can be summarized in terms of "How did we get where we are?" and "Why?" My full time professional job is director of engineering for the advanced programs division of Tracor Aerospace, which is now about a billion dollar business. Needless to say, I am constantly looking a the past roadmaps to glean some insight so that perhaps we are not destined to make the same mistakes. Part of that is related to advancements in technology, and, more importantly, importing technology into the MIL business. Used to be that the MIL market was a driver for whiz-bang technology, and now it is a fairly lowly follower. I have made a study of tracking the development and integration of FM communications into the MIL and police applications, and particularly tracking the commercial FM business as it emerged from WW2. I've had the chance to interview some pretty neat people who had a hand in the war and post-war FM business at GE and Motorola. What I am curious about is the state of the art in tube technology in Japan leading to and during the War. Reading all of the anthologies about tubes and tube history, I find that there is little PUBLISHED about this subject. Some of the questions that occur to me on the spur of the moment are like this...... Where did Japan obtain tube technology in the 1934-45 time frame......home grown? Copied? Pilfered? Europe? Little of all of these?? Did Japan have a substantial effort toward refining the tube technology during the war? US communications reflected a "full court press" as evidenced by development of tubes for radar, VHF com, and the like. Did Japan do anything like that also??? Did Japan make substantial headway toward refining their RADIOS during the war? I see that the first ground radio seemed to be a lot like our crudest radio (example: BC-186/187 and its corresponding SCR-178,179 group). Did they progress beyond it in a manner similarly to the US??? Now, once we understand the Japanese scene, let's turn our eyes to Germany, and discuss the same question in that context??????? I suppose my greatest disappointment is that the US Signal Corps made a valiant effort to meet the needs of the War, but that so many things that happened were unintentional and largely serendipitous. Even with the 'discovery" of FM, the acceptance was slow, and with substantial initial resistance from the Corps. It seems that the user groups were the primary drivers. I suppose that I was looking for a$weighty and philosophical, long-term "plan" for the evolution of communications technology, but what we got was a series of rapid, cover your ass responses. Perhaps the commissioning of the five Army radios in a concerted development effort was far-reaching (the AF1-AF5 radios, which brought forth the SCR-299/399 and the SCR-609/610, among others) which were truly bell-ringers. I just expected greater "depth" than that! Do you have any comments or insight regarding this?????? 73, and thanks for the interest...... Nick enb@eng1.tracor.com *************************************************** MAY-1 avail; I just had to buy two MAY's to get one. Don't need the extra, it deserves a better home than the middle of my floor. It is in exc shape & includes almost all the acc including audio acc, xtals & case, coils & case, even the discone antenna. Will sell it or trade, the later prefered. Bunch of other stuff avail, ask for the list. Got a pickup? Don't live over kilomile away, bring it! I'll fill it up with stuff, no charge! Dennis *************************************************** Intrusion Detector Residue Avail; I am doing some weeding and I found that I have a pile of demiled (thanks Gov) TRC-3 transmitters. There are over 40 units here and I would like to get rid of them to you or someone else in the group before I offer them elsewhere. I would like $25 plus shipping for the pile (or trade for ??????). They are in pretty bad shapes. All the probes are gone (cut off), most are missing antennas and battery covers. These are intrusion detector transmitters, marked: Detector Set Model TRC-3 Federal Stock Number 6350-179-1678 Dorsett Electronics Tulsa Oklahoma. This is a small green plastic box that you can hold in your hand. It runs on 2 9V batteries. The one I have in front of me is on 134.500 MHz. Thanks, Tom Bryan tbryan@nova.org *************************************************** HUMOR; This guy goes up to a bar located at the top of the Empire State Building in New York. It looks like a nice place and he takes a seat at the bar next to another guy. "This is a nice place, I've never been here", the first guy says. "Oh really?", the other replies, "it's also a very special bar. You see that window over there, fourth from the right? Well, the wind does strange things outside that window. If you jump out, you'll fall about 50 feet. But then the wind catches you and you're pushed back up." "No way, that's impossible", the first guy replies. "Not at all, take a look", the other man replies and walks over to the window, followed closely by the first man. He opens the window, climbs over the sill and falls out. He drops 10...20...30...40...50 feet, comes to a stop, and whoosh! He comes right back up and sails back through the window."See, it's fun. You should try it", he says. "Well, what the heck. OK, I'll give it a try", the first man says and proceeds to fall out the window. He falls 10...20...30...40...50...100... 200...300...500...1000 feet and SPLAT!.... ends up as road pizza on the sidewalk below. After calmly watching the first man fall to his death, the other guy casually closes the window and heads back to the bar and orders another round. The bartender arrives with the drink and says, "You know Superman, you're a real asshole when you're drunk". --------- End forwarded message ---------- When finished reading use browser back button or go to http://www.prc68.com/MCGP/MCGP.html