Show us your field radios!

[BC312]

forum support, a short answer to your question is that the handie talkie is designed for short range two-way communictaion only responsive to other radios with same frequency/crystals.It is obviously very portable but with only a range of 1.5 miles.I am not sure on the requirements of distribution to whom gets it but I would assume that they can be requisitioned to meet the above mentioned requirements such as squad-squad, squad-to platoon leader etc.. also used by the USMC.It seems to get mostly related to airborne use but not it's intended development.

One interesting note I would like to add is the handie-talkies were also authorized for for adaptation for air sea rescue purposes by the AAF for communication between rescue units

 

The correct handie talkie for air sea rescue and for AAF and airborne ground to air use would be the AN/CRC-7 VHF survival radio. The BC611 is AM and would have to be VHF to comunicate to aircraft. As qoted by Military radio Historian Dennis Stark. The AN/CRC-7 was also popular with fighter pilots of the time and airborne.

[subsystem4]

Anybody have a TBX or TBY radio set?

[Mad Cat]

Here is a shot of my garage sale find Handie Talkies. Lo and Behold these were lurking in a basement around the corner from me all these years!

WWII Handie Talkies: $10

Front Seam WWII Helmet with liner: $10

Level of excitement when I got them back home: Priceless

What is the range on these? Like how far can you actually effectively communicate using them? I've always been curious.

[airborne53]

hello

onr tby4 with some accessories

 

Links are dead.

[Mad Cat]

I want to buy an old PRC-25 and 77.

[12thengr]

While we are on the TBY radio. A power supply or charger that I recently acquired.

[12thengr]

A 55# boat anchor.

[12thengr]

Almost forgot! The all important Data Plate.

[warpath]

Field phone and backpack rradio set

[warpath]

Top

[Vpep]

Looking at all of these fantastic radios, I thought I would add one I'm working on. Here is my AN/GRC-9 or "Angry Nine" as it was more affectionately known. These came out after WW2 and were used in Korea as well as early in Vietnam. I dont have all of the accessories yet, but am slowly locating them. The only piece that is not the correct vintage for the radio is the BA-48 battery, but finding one of those dated from the 1950s is going to be tough. My next acquisition will be the legs for the GN-58 A generator.

[Radioman31v20]

Where do you guys find these at? Kevin

[Hue Miller]

Back during the period of 'irrational exuberance' ca. 2008 when everyone was getting rich before the crash, i sold a couple of BC-1000 with the Navy modification battery saver switch added to the front. They were still O.D.,  not grey like used by S.P. later. I got around $1500  each, but you know what, now i sure wish i had kept one.

[carrabassett]

You never know what you’re going to find! Earlier this spring I stopped at a local yard sale towards the end of the day and noticed this military-looking chest painted baby blue. The woman’s daughter had it in her room and had since grown up and moved out so she said “I’m getting rid of stuff, take it for $5 if you want it.” I couldn’t refuse and just quickly used a little paint remover on the top to reveal the original color and ID plate. Then, a few weeks ago I’m at a flea market and I see this radio but the guy in front of me buys it for $10. I did some research and low and behold, it was the radio that went inside my chest! Fortunately, the guy was a dealer so the following week I went to his table and bought it off him for $20. So, for $25, I think I have a neat little representative display of a “code talker-type” field radio (although maybe not exactly historically correct as I’m no expert on the WW2 Code Talkers). It is needing some TLC but it’s still coincidental how you stumble across things sometimes. Like my dad always told me, “all comes to he who waits!” If anyone has any interest, comments or information, please contact me. I don’t actually have a use for it but it’s a nice chest and heavy. It appears the radio (which needs internal tubes and parts) is a TBY-2 model circa 1941 and the chest is for a TBY-6 model radio according to their data plates. Thanks for looking!

[robinb]

Nice score on that TBY. I'm a fan of them myself. Have 6 or 7 different models of them. Still haven't found a fiber chest yet. Did pick up a steel one a while back.

[dustin]

How about some emergency field radios, more accurately "Transmitters"? 

Almost the complete series of BC-778's missing in the image are the BC-778B and T-74 (AN/CRT-3). The T-74 is packed in the bag, though developed, adopted and placed into production during the war it arrived too late to actually see use overseas. What you are looking at L-R; BC-778A, BC-778C, BC-778F, BC-778D and BC-778E. I need a BC-778B to complete the collection. These are better known as the Gibson Girl and as the complete assembly reference SCR-578A or SCR-578B.  

 

Like you TBY nerds, there is a series by alphanumerical type sequence (TBY-1, TBY-2 etc.) and if memory serves the TBY goes up to -8? So, one could have up to eight models of TBY's. Like the Gibson Girl, some revisions were internal then there are external differences. You can clearly see (below) the external differences on the -D and -E models. Like all radios or transmitters and other electronic devices, the fun is in accumulating the accessories!! My collection consists of three 100% complete units as per timeframe; SCR-578A, SCR-578B and AN/CRT-3.

 

 

Left unit is the AN/CRT-3 and the right SCR-578B. The cylindrical tube is the BG-109A, the accessory component to the SCR-578A, The BG-110A that holds the transmitter is seen with the transmitters themselves. The assembly consists of two bags. 

 

[carrabassett]

Wow, great collection, Dustin! Plus thanks for all the education! I’ve got one or two hanging around somewhere so I’ll have to check what model(s) I have. Thanks again.

[blademan]

I love this thread!  Here are a few of mine. Here is 5th marine rbz, and a TBY-8 in box. 

 

 

 

[carrabassett]

That's a beauty! Thanks for posting!

[robinb]

WW2 SCR-188-A. The largest set that I own. More of a head quarters radio set. 

[robinb]

My TBY series of radios.

[robinb]

TBX-8.

[robinb]

MAW.

[robinb]

DAV-2 direction finding set.

[robinb]

DAG-1 direction finder.