The HX Files 029

Hello and welcome to Xtract 029 of the HX files.

In this issue of the HX files I would like to take a brake from the construction of a couple of items I have currently on the work bench. A couple of parts are needed to complete both of them and I am hoping to get those parts needed at the rally in Germany in June. Not wanting to remove any parts from other projects (like I have done before) as these parts would mean a total dismantling of the projects and this time that was not on.

And now, time for something completely different.

 So in this issue of Echo Ireland I would like to write about some of my eclectic mix of “collectables”. Some of these items were bought because of their “rarity” and some because they are just plain weird; I will leave it up to you to decide which is which.

The first items are a couple of ceramic insulators from (I am told) an aeroplane, these would be placed either end of the plane and the aircraft wire aerial would pass through it. In photo 1 bellow,you can see that each has a couple of aluminium rings that attach it to the craft from both sides of the aircraft's skin.

Number 17 set

 In photo 2 above, you can see one of the radios in the collection, it is a Second World War radio called a “wireless set number 17”, there were two versions manufactured, the one I have is the MK2, the MK2’s operating frequency is from 44 MHz to 61 MHz. Some info for you power hungry hams out there, it could produce around 300 watts, nah only joking, actually its power output is more like +/- 250 MW, and with either one of its complement of aerials a distance of some 10 plus miles could be “guaranteed” and that was more than enough as you did not want the wrong people ear wigging. Its main use was to communicate from the ground support units of Barrage balloons and Anti-Aircraft locations to HQ, and it replaced signalling lamps( that would be used in the daylight as well as the night, and you did not want the enemy pilots seeing the beam of the lamp at night). As there was a war on, and metal was used for other things, the radio’s cabinet was not made from metal but from wood, the manufacture used as much wood as they could in its construction, I wonder if they tried to make the valves from wood and found that they wooden work. Some details for those of you with no grey hair, it was a ready to go rig and was powered by two 60v dry batteries in series and a 2v 16 ah accumulator. The No 17 used two valves, one each of an AR6 and AR18 type valve. It was mentioned in a radio conversion book that told you how to modify some of the ex-military radios that were available to the radio amateurs, that you should leave the “No 17” set alone, as it would cause interference to other radios close by even when it was in the receive position. The weight of the radio is around 10kg, and its measurements (in inches are), 14½ W,16 H, and 10 D,  it was made on a budget and when the bombs were dropping you did not want to be carrying a big radio as you would used your hands to keep your hat and trousers on whilst running for shelter. As mentioned earlier, before the “No 17 set” there was the signalling lamp like the one in photo 3 below.

 The case contains the lamp, which had a removable red filter for daytime use, also in the case was a stand made from some small lengths of tubing that would screw together and then be stuck into the ground. Also in the other compartment of the case would be the battery, and a spares kit including a spare bulb.  No space was wasted, as the Morse key is mounted on the inside of one lid and the instructions for its care and use on the other, also the lamp itself has a couple of features, one is at the bottom, it is a small screw that when loosened the lamb could then be easily tilted and lined up to the senders target, and on the lamps top is a sighting tube. Not a telescopic sight but simply a tube with a round hole at the sender/receivers end and a plus (+) shaped hole at the target end , you might be able to make it out in the photo. In photo 4 below,

 you can see some microphones, the bottom left one is a WW2 era throat microphone, it was used in noisy environments like airplanes, top left is also a microphone and not a ray gun from Flash Gordon, top right is a head set from a Marconi marine base radio I think it is was called a triple diversity transceiver, and the microphone on the bottom right is from another Army radio.

And finally

That is it for this issue of Echo Ireland; in a forth coming newsletter I must mention some of the other military radios and Morse code keys and other bits and pieces in the collection. Perhaps you could send in an article yourself about some of your own collections of the weird and wonderful.

73.

Pat.