Radios are milsurps too!

[Sapper740]

I don't know if any of you also collect military surplus radios as I do but as they are "military surplus" so I hope the Mods don't mind if I post some pictures of the various radios in my collection. For my first post here are some pics of a complete ANVRC-53, AN-524A, and an R-446 which I installed in a M37B1. The radios all work(ed)...I say worked as the AN-524A and R-446 were sold to other collectors so I currently only have the ANVRC-53.

[Bob Womack]

Nicely done! By the way, I've got photos of a pair of military binoculars in the Photo Gallery so your radios are welcome as well.

Bob

[browningautorifle]

M37, my section attack vehicle when I first started. We only had the hard tops but they would come off completely if you wanted to.

[Aragorn243]

I saw a radio at a yard sale Memorial Day weekend but they wanted several hundred dollars and that's too much for me. Which reminds me of another item I saw the same day in the same group of yard sales. a gynecological medical kit canvas wrap. None of the tools were in it but they were all outlined in black for each of the compartments. This thing was HUGE, probably 6 feet in length, WWII dated. Figured it would go great in my Yard Sale thread but he wanted $85 for it. I do have my limitations.

[Sapper740]

M37, my section attack vehicle when I first started. We only had the hard tops but they would come off completely if you wanted to.

I'm from the LSVW and ILTIS era although a few of my buddies back in B.C. have Canadian M37's in their collections. They especially appreciate the fender mounted heaters in the winter. By-the-way I am the holder of the unofficial Canadian Land Speed Record for the LSVW on flat land. During OP MARCOT in Stephenville, NFLD we Engineers were tasked with setting up the MAGs (Mobile Arrestor Gear) on runway 09/27. Runway 09/27 is 10,000' long and was built when Harmon AFB was a SAC base with B 52s. I bet my Sergeant his two beer ration that day that given enough distance I could hit 100 kph with an LSVW. He accepted the bet and lost. No beer ever tasted sweeter!

[tiriaq]

Many years ago, I could operate a No. 19 Mk. III radio set. It wasn't surplus then. I forget now how many tubes it had, but it seemed that ongoing maintenance was required. When one was transmitting, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner.

[Flying10uk]

On my to do list is an early post war Philips valve radio, bakelite case, not military, but which my mother's parents purchased new in around 1947. I'm reasonably hopeful of being able to get it working again once I fix the tuning mechanism.

I remember the time that I made a comment that the "valves were having to warm up" because the work's photocopier took a long time to work after first being switched on and the younger members of staff didn't know what the hell I was talking about. For anything with valves in it took a few minutes for it to start working properly, when the valves had heated up.

I've got a few of the spare valve cases, for military radios, and various military radio valves.

[Sapper740]

Many years ago, I could operate a No. 19 Mk. III radio set. It wasn't surplus then. I forget now how many tubes it had, but it seemed that ongoing maintenance was required. When one was transmitting, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner.

Now you're aging yourself tiriaq if you were using a 19 Set before they were surplused. I have a WS 19 Mark II and a Mark III in my collection and now that I'm retired I hope to have time to get at least one of them working. Yes, they're finicky units and require the frequent use of a crystal calibrator to keep them on frequency. They all came with an antenna tuner too for the same reason. They packed a lot into the chassis of the 19 Set: the long range A set for coms back to HQ, the shorter range inter-tank B set, and a crew intercom. I was asked to set up a display at the Texas State Fair one year when the theme was honoring veterans and they wanted a display of Allied kit. I have a pic that I sent the organizers of some of my collection that I set up in the driveway for their approval. The 19 set sits prominently in the display.