From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: kc5ijd@sprintmail.com Fcc: Sent Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 07:05:55 Subject: Military Collector Group Post, Nov.24/97 Message-ID: <19971127.070319.3335.14.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.38 Military Collector Group Post, Nov.24/97 Index: SSTR-1; From the Horses Mouth Part I, The account of James F. Ranney, The SST-1 Transmitter MYSTERY RADIO; Candidates Different Military Radio; Bill's Trade & Want list, Short Version; MEMBER PROFILE; Bill Howard HUMOR; We're back sliding! ********************************************************* SSTR-1; From the Horse's Mouth FORWARD; The following material, though it has been in print for many years. It's existence, even to the experts, is generally unknown. Each part in this series was written by a member of the team that developed the SSTR-1(many of them still alive today), & found ways to get them built. These are the men for whom we have so desperately been trying to find an example of their work these past few months. Hopefully this quest will shortly conclude, as an SSTR-1 has been found, & negotiations for it's purchase are under way. I suspect that these accounts where the result of numerous questions that had been asked them over the years. It will become obvious as you read on, that each account was written long after the fact from memory, & that as a result there are some very minor errors or omissions. These will be addressed at the end of each story & some questions presented. I thank Jim Karlow, a member of our group, & son of one of the authors, for making this material available. I hope you all realize the historical significance of this series, save & distribute it in the best manor available to you. It is most distressing that accounts such as these have not been prepared or preserved concerning other equipment of great historical contribution. My admiration for these men, their efforts, & contribution to history, I cannot adequately convey. Most Sincerely, Dennis Starks; MILITARY RADIO COLLECTOR/HISTORIAN military-radio-guy@juno.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART I; The account of James F. Ranney, The SST-1 Transmitter In the early days of the OSS it became apperent that a communications branch would be required. On 9 December 1942, General Donovan explained to a special committee ot he Joint Cheifs of Staff(JCS) the basic requirements for OSS communications, and requested permission to form such a branch. His proposal was still being studied on 22 September1942 when he issued an order combining all OSS signal and traffic facilities in the new communications branch. At the same time, a Research and Development division was set up. In November 1942, the R & D division aquired a small laboratory which could privide technical information unavailable from commercial labs and manufacturers because of war pressures. The following two paragraphs are from the OSS War Report Vol.2; "One of the first models of radio apparatus which the Communications Branch undertook to develop was a lightweight portable radio station suitable for clandestine activities. Development work on this problem led to the production of the Strategic Services transmitter/receiver commonly known as the SSTR-1. An early model, designed prior to the establishment of the Communication Branch, failed to perform satisfactorily when delivered for testing. The model operated from 110 or 220 volt AC or DC commercial power, consuming considerably more electric current than was considered necessary, also the antenna tuning circuit was inadequate for agent operation. The early set was adopted for use only as a stopgap pending the development of a better unit." Major Henry Shore was put in charge of the project to design and build an improved version of the "suitcase radio", as a civilian employee of RCA before he entered military service, Shore turned to the RCA laboratories in New York City for help. He was told the labs were already overloaded with government work, and under no circumstances could they accept the job. Major Shore persisted, and ultimately a plan was worked out whereby one of the lab's employees, Earl Anderson, would work on the project at his home, and on his own time. In a letter to Arthur Van Dyke of RCA labs, dated 25 September 1942, Shore requested an AA-1 materials priority, and $200 to cover the cost of constructing the first model. Mr. Anderson was given one of the original portable radio sets for evaluation. He considered the receiver, while not perfect, was adequate, but the transmitter was a hopeless case. It utilized two stages, a crystal oscillator and two tubes in the power amplifier. The tubes were 35-volt heater type, making battery operation impractical. Output was rated at 35 watts. The antenna tuning circuit would not accommodate the wide variations of antenna impedance likely to be encountered in agent operations. He also discovered, with no crystal plugged into the transmitter, it was prone to self oscillation, something that could not be tolerated in a transmitter designed for clandestine operations. Accordingly, Anderson started from scratch with his own design, eventually settling on the single 6L6 crystal oscillator circuit familiar to anyone who was in the OSS communications. The transmitter was stable and efficient, producing 15 watts output with 400 volts on the plate of the 6L6. With a suitable power supply it would be practical to operate it from a storage battery as well as AC mains. The antenna matching problem was solved by using a tapped plate tank coil which made it possible to match a wide range of antenna impedances. The prototype was built on a steel panel 4 inches wide and 9 1/2 inches long. Why these dimensions were chosen is unclear, although Dean Cortright, W9IRY, says that somewhere along the line it was decided the pieces of equipment should be capable of fitting inside a typical European loaf of bread. There were some in OSS Communications Branch who felt the power of 15 watts was too little, so a series of test was arranged. In a letter dated 3 October 1942, Major Shore informed Anderson that he was sending him three crystals for test on 3510, 3910, and 4830kc. The SST-1, which would be set up at Mr. Anderson's home on Long Island: the base station was in the Washington, D.C.area. The base station call was ANNR, and Anderson would use the call ATJS. The "control"(comparison) transmitter would be Anderson's ham transmitter, a Hallicrafters HT-9, capable of 115 watts outputs, 7.56 times that of the SST-1, which at this point was referred to as "Transmitter X". Tests were conducted on 5, 6, and 8 October 1942. The following are excerpts from Mr. Anderson's letter of 10 October 1942 reporting the results: Antenna system: Except in one instance the antenna consisted of a flat top section 50 feet long, suspended 20 to 25 feet high and a down lead inside the building about 15 feet long. The ground was connected to a steam system. Monday October 5 I was very much surprised to have ANNR answer my first call on 3510kc. I did not expect me through WAR also operating on that frequency with higher power....... I then changed to 3910kc. The interference was also troubling on this frequency but not as severe as on 3510 and we were able to work very well. I then switched 4830kc. which ANNR reported to be best because the only interference was from South American broadcast stations, and it was not severe. Tuesday October 6th. This entire evening was devoted to determining the relative signal strength of the two transmitters. A total of 15 test were made in order to average out the effects of fading and interference.....The average report on transmitter X was R 6.05 and on the HT-9 was R 7.6. The antenna current of transmitter X was .4 ampere and of the HT-9 wa 1.1 amperes so that the power ratio was 7.56. Thursday October 8. Solid communication was obtained with ANNR and one further test was. A piece of wire 29 feet long was laid out along the floor and was use as an antenna on transmitter X. The signal was reported as 2-3 but quite readable. The results of the test were considered very satisfactory, and the power or 15 watts acceptable. There was discussion about substituting an RF ammeter for the pilot lamp antenna current indicator. Due to space limitations, and difficulty of obtaining suitable meters, this idea was abandoned. A final decision was made on the frequency coverage which was specified to be 3 to 12 megacycles. A contract was let to the P.R. Mallory Company for a power supply, and the SST-1 was on it's way. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ed) It should be noted that the SST-1 is the transmitter section of the SSTR-1. Also the stopgap radio set mentioned in the beginning of this account is totally unknown to us. Though there were several such radios used, the description supplied in this account does not match any of those known. ********************************************************* MYSTERY RADIO; Candidates Three proposed candidates have been received for the next topics of this heading. In order of their appearing here in future they are, Navy RBZ, BC-721(SCR-585, Navy AMA), & the Marine Corps R-1484/PRR-15. So start collecting your tidbits of info. Dennis ********************************************************* Different Military Radio; It's a different kind of "military radio", but if you have Real Audio on your PC, you may enjoy listening to an aircheck from American Forces Vietnam Radio, from April 1969. It's on the Reel Radio Repository at: http://www.reelradio.com/gifts/index.html#afvn69 Included is DJ Army Specialist Pat Sajak and "news compiled from commercial and military news agencies" aired on Channel 54 Saigon, along with instructions on taking your malaria pills and keeping your tent from leaking. 73, Bob W9RAN ********************************************************* Bill's Trade & Want list, Short Version; Hallicrafters S 38 D in original carton Realistic POCKET SCAN 4 channel Dual Band scanner30-50 and 148-174 MHz band with about 14 crystals Post WW II Wire recorder, looks to be in excellent condition Four items of radio equipment that make up a drone aircraft control system. Circa 1950- 1960. TS 174/U Frequency meter, less case, with tubes Weston Signal Analyzer, looks like 1930?s vintage equipment. Comes in a black box, has a form of multi-meter and many plugs for sticking into tube sockets. Think it is for testing tubes under load in a circuit. If interested ask for more details. SB 22 Swichboard, assembled parts model, has no cover or headset. I think this is made up from spare jack panels and operators pack. No provisions for the battery pack in the rear. Think these parts were stuck in the extension board case. A real challenge to make it work but looks good for display. Small bag of assorted DAVENS. Don?t know what they are but Dennis thinks they are resistors. Great for restoring your old set if the original DAVENS are bad or missing, not checked, don?t know how! 3 small bags of assorted crystals, FT 171, DC 34, FT 243 and some we can?t even identify. Reproduction of Japanese Radio batteries, for display purposes Have A and B batteries. A batteries can be stuck in a field telephone for display. B Batteries can be put in Type 94-5 sets and Type 94-6 sets as well as several other sets. Have batteries with the capability to provide power through the use of dry cells inserted in to the dummy batteries.. If interested ask for price list. Chassis for BC 611 Handi-Talkie Complete, needs coil and crystals and outer case. BC 191 right side panel, reproduction. will sell for $25.00 or trade. AN/PRC - 6 in poor condition, if interested, ask for details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SHORT WANT LIST Generally I am looking for WW II German, Japanese and Italian radio sets and field telephone equipment. I am also looking for Russian radios that may have been used by the North Koreans or the Chinese in Korea during the 1950?s. I am also looking for Warsaw Pact and Chinese equipment used by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. I am looking for Soviet equipment supplied to the Arab nations that was in use during the 1967 and 1973 wars. Main items of interest of US equipment are the AN/PRC 77 back pack radio and the R 442 Aux Receiver and the RT unit of the VRC 12. These must be cosmetically complete but not necessarily working items. If you have any of these items, contact me by e-mail or by telephone I have an extensive want list(s) for both U.S and Foreign radio and communication equipment. If you think I may want something you have, contact me by e-mail at THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 ********************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE; Bill Howard William L. Howard I first got interested in radio while a Cub Scout back in 1954. I built the crystal radio set and the one tube set with help from an amateur down the street. I lived near fort Monmouth and toured the old Signal corps Museum when ever I could. I went to Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa and then went to the Citadel, graduating in 1964. I was comissioned as an Ordnance Officer. Was trained as a Tank-automotive maintenance Officer, was sent to Europe and was assigned to the unit which controls Nuclear weapons. In 1966, I was transferred to France and serve as the commander of the 11th Military History Detachment during the move out of France. I also transferred to Military Intelligence and was sent to Vietnam. From 1967 until 1968, I was a member of the Combined Material Exploitation Center in Saigon. Originally served as chief of the Weapons and Munitions Section, I was later sent out as the OIC of a field collection team.. We back hauled all captured material to the CMEC for in-country exploitation. Knew most of the Chinese Radios that were used in the war. I left active duty in Feb 1970 and worked for Sun Oil company and then Liberty Mutual Insurance company and was active in the Army Reserve with a Maneuver Training command, running field training exercises for reserve and National guard units in a four state area. During this period I put together a large collection of foreign weapons and material. I sold the collection to the Hershburger Brothers of Indianna. Walt Hershberger later became the first Foreign Material Training Officer with the newly re-created technical intelligence unit at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In 1976, I returned to college at the University of South Florida and got a second undergraduate degree in Engineering. Graduated in 1979 as the Soviets were invading Afghanistan. I went to work for Battelle Memorial Institute in columbus, Ohio. I was a researcher in the Ordnance Technology Division where we did many classified studies on soviet block weapon systems and other topics. left Battelle in 1981 due to a personnel cutback and went to work as the Special Assistant to the President of Leatherwood Industries in Stephenville, Texas. We made the ART II sniper scope and also held the patents on the MAC 10 submachine guns. I left there in 1983 and was still active in the US Army Reserve. I had transferred to Armor Branch and was now a Mobilization Designee to the Defense Intelligence Agency. During my summer tours there I wrote the national intelligence collection requirements for Cuba, Indo China and for Soviet Science and Technology. When I finished those tours, ill health in members of my family forced me to spend the next few years caring for them which was a full time job. Once they had passed away, I moved back to Florida and oficially retired from the Army reserve. I began collecting again and started building radios. My ambition had been to eventually establish a museum to preserve the history of the Army?s technical intelligence operations. to this end I again started collecting weapons, radios books, and documents that relate to the subject. My mother passed away in 1994 and I now have a large home in the Tampa Bay area which houses the collection. the garage, office and workshop area are filled with WW II, one bedroom is Korean War era, another bedroom is the Vietnam war era and a large ?Florida Room? is the current period, 1970 to now. I was an invited guest to the building dedication ceremony of the new eight and a hlf million dollar foreign material intelligence complex in 1988. Since then, I have been brought to Aberdeen Proving Ground on several occassions to teach the introduction to technical intelligence phase of the technical intelligence analysis course taught there twice a year. . In 1996 I was nominated for the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. In 1997, I was a distinguished guest at the Change of Command Ceremony/ THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 ********************************************************** HUMOR; Husband and wife are getting all snugly in bed. The passion is heating up. But then the wife stops and says "I don't feel like it, I just want you to hold me." "Just WHAT??", stammers the husband. The wife just explains that he is obviously not in tune with her emotional needs as a Woman. The husband realizes that nothing is going to happen tonight and he might as well deal with it. So the next day the husband takes her shopping at a big dept store. He walks around with her as she tries on three very expensive outfits. She can't decide. He tells his wife to take all three of them. Then pick out matching shoes worth $200 each. Finally, they visit the Jewelry Dept where she gets a set of diamond ear rings. The wife is so excited. She goes for the tennis bracelet. The husband says "You don't even play tennis, but if you like it then let's get it." The wife is so excited she cannot even believe what is going on. She says "I'm ready to go, lets go to the cash register." The husband says, "Oh no, honey, we're not going to buy all this stuff." The wife's face goes blank. "No honey - I just want you to HOLD this stuff for a while." Her face gets really red and she is about to explode and the Husband says "You're obviously not in tune with my financial needs as a Man..." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 things Men SHOULD NOT say out loud in Victoria's Secret 10. Does this come in children's sizes? 9. No, thanks. Just sniffing. 8. I'll be in the dressing room going blind. 7. Mom will love this. 6. Oh, the size won't matter. She's inflatable. 5. No need to wrap it up. I'll eat it here. 4. Will you model this for me?? 3. The Miracle What?? This is better than world peace!!! 2. 45 Bucks??! You're just gonna end up NAKED anyway!! And the number one thing that a man should never, never, ever say out loud in Victoria's Secret: 1. Oh, honey, you'll never squeeze your fat ass into that. --------- End forwarded message ---------- When finished reading use browser back button or go to http://www.prc68.com/MCGP/MCGP.html