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Show us your field radios!


bfryar44
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Thought I'd post a topic that's rarely seen on collector boards. I'll start off with my examples, a BC-1000 (walkie talkie) and a BC-611 (handy talkie).

BC-1000-A dated January 1944.

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Accessories

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Bryan, Fantastic stuff!!!! The primo stuff you display is awesome. Definitely, Your collection is what my collection wants to be when it grows up.

 

Bob

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Bryan, Fantastic stuff!!!! The primo stuff you display is awesome. Definitely, Your collection is what my collection wants to be when it grows up.

 

Bob

 

Thanks Bob.

 

I really appreciate the comments, especially coming from a guy that has some of the mintiest examples of militaria that I've ever seen. thumbsup.gif

 

Regards,

Bfryar44

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General Apathy

Hi Bryan, thanks for posting a couple of nice radios and all the bits and bobs needed for them, good thread.

 

I have just one question for you ' How do you sleep at nite', are you not worried about the the khaki-nazis coming round to remonstrate with you, have you not noticed how many different shades of webbing you have on the BC-1000.

 

It can't be right mate, Iv'e watched ' Saving Private Ryan' , or as we call it in the trade ' Shaving Ryan's Privates '.

 

Hee Hee, jossing with you Bryan, as we always do. Cheers ( Lewis )

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I have just one question for you ' How do you sleep at nite', are you not worried about the the khaki-nazis coming round to remonstrate with you, have you not noticed how many different shades of webbing you have on the BC-1000.

 

It can't be right mate, Iv'e watched ' Saving Private Ryan' , or as we call it in the trade ' Shaving Ryan's Privates '.

 

Ok Ken, now you made me do it............I laughed so hard coffee is all over my monitor now! :lol:

 

I'll have to post some dark OD field gear "porn" pictures later I guess. Oh the horror!

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Hi All,

 

The topic I waited for. Does anybody have in his collection WWII-dated fully equipped SCR-536-F with the jacks, external headset and microphone? If so, I would be thankful for presentation.

 

Best regards

 

Greg

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776thamtrac

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

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Could maybe explain a bit about how these were used, i.e. what type of units carried what type of radios? Did each squad have a radio or ?????

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776thamtrac
I hate you. crying.gif

 

Seriously, that's the motivation that keeps me going to the yard sales! Nice deal.

 

 

Haha yeah Mike I have to admit that even I was stunned by that deal! They are out there if you keep looking...

CJW

There's no such thing as an "ex"marine

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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

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  • 2 years later...

Found a nice pair of these today at an estate sale: included was a BX-49-A box with the crystals and some of the coils needed to change frequencies (a technician also had to re-tune the circuits after the new crystals were installed).

 

These also have the "cups" that fit over the push-to-talk switch to protect it when the radios are not in use. These seem to be from 1944 and the ID plates just call them BC-611 with no letter C, A or D after it.

 

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bc611ad.jpg

 

A couple of notes on the BC-611:

 

It is still possible to get one working. You can buy or build adapters to use modern batteries in them.

 

These have no volume control and the on-off switch is the antenna: when you pull it up it turns on the power. The antenna is aout four feet long so it was probably a pain to use in confined spaces. When not in use there is a metal cover that screws over the tip of the collapsed antenna. When you remove the cover there is a threaded stud to hold it.

 

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  • 2 years later...

Calling all BC-1000 POLICE. i have just bought a BC-1000 for a good price, dated around MFP Jan 1945, with all the extras but it needs some work on it to get it back to its original wartime state. If you look at the following pictures you will see that i have the correct wartime boxes with the re-enforcing plates in the middle of the ribbed X, as opposed to the French ones that don't. The box finish has had a few coats of post war paint applied from various armies during its life time in service but that's not a problem as i can get the original wartime wrinkle finish done quite easily.

The name plate on mine looks a bit post war or even a replica. What was the correct plate for a dated Jan 1945 or around that time model. Its hard to tell if this radio is a A, B, or C model, what's the difference between models?

I have a wartime dated manual dated Feb 1945 but its just for the A model, not anything later like a B or C model?

Were A models used that late in the war, this manual supersedes a July 1944 copy.

As for the post war spring catches that came in around 1946-48 i have ordered the wartime wire ones, this subject alone can be a nightmare as there are different versions of wartime wire catches, there are thick and thin wire catches, hex shaped wire catches and catches that have a hole in the catch itself.

As with the webbing i also need a new set to replace the old rusty clips and buckles but that's not a problem as last year i saw all the webbing i could possibly dream off at the War and Peace show but at the time i was after German mine bits and TRC-7 parts and wasn't as interested in BC-1000 bits and bobs. What colour of webbing would be suitable for this period Jan 1945 Green khaki or a mixture. Are all the rivets holding latch for the wire catches black or cadmium plated, i have seen the spring loaded hinge at the back for the cover lid in a black finish and on some other radio boxes this is done in a green painted finish, the sames as the catches and inside of the boxes.

The top of the control panel where the switches and writing are located, seem to have two types of finish, one the wrinkle finish and two a normal painted finish, it seems looking at old photo's that there is evidence of a non wrinkled top panel, i think i will leave this alone as it would be very difficult to copy the markings again even there are stick on transfers available as the original makings were screen printed.

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  • 6 months later...
  • 8 months later...

I have a nice pr of BC-611As with a battery card / freq card dated 1942. Gotta hit the storage locker for photos....

 

They have smooth painted finish and sheet metal antenna covers - both covers in bad shape.

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