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Anybody know anything about military radios?


subsystem4
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People give me stuff because they think its military. I was given this hand held microphone yesterday and i am having trouble determining its identity.

Its an olive drab plastic/bakelite. The back is marked "Munston". The interior components are marked with two different mfgs. The back half with the button is W J Murdock chelsea MA. From what i can tell they were an electronics radio parts mfg that went out of business in 1960? the diaphram is marked G-228 in white, 141914 W E Co. in black, and 1/43 in red.

 

To me it looks like a cb mic or maybe a vehicle radio mic but i have had no luck after hours of google.

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I'm no expert and am guessing, but it reminds me of the air traffic control tower mic used in the old control towers. There would be a speaker in the ceiling and these hanging by the radio. This way, the operator could move around without being tied down by a headset cord. What doe the plug end look like, tha would help alot.

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I was a ham radio and Civil Air Patrol radio operator in the 1960's and used and owned lots of surplus military radio gear. This mike looks ALMOST government issue, but for military issue I would expect to see a government part number instead of the manufacturer's name in large letters. I would also expect it to look a little more robust. Munston did make some items under Signal Corps contracts but this one appears to be something for the civilian market for use in a vehicle (for something like police or ham radio).

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  • 3 years later...
The back half with the button is W J Murdock chelsea MA. From what i can tell they were an electronics radio parts mfg that went out of business in 1960?

The item you posted seems to be post-WWII because manufacturer's name changed and during WWII they were the Murdock Manufacturing Co. Below there is their press ad of 1942.

 

Source: Aero Digest, Vol. 41 No. 3, September 1942

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Only late WWII they changed their company's name to WM. J. Murdock Co. (but not W J Murdock as on your item).

 

Source: Aero Digest, Vol. 49 No. 4, May 15, 1945

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