T-36 radio help needed please - SCR-187
 

My 1944 T-36 Snow Tractor, one of four known survivors, needs some bits and pieces associated with the SCR-187 radio which was original fitment, and where better to ask than here as my knowledge of radio equipment isn’t that great.

My cab still has the T-36 radio socket mounting plate;

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.u...adiosocket.jpg

… and I have an image of the socket sitting loose on another survivor, it is rectangular, with a screw on cap, and looks to be 2-pole from a poor interior shot which isn’t worth reproducing here;

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t36socket2.jpg

… hole centers 1 11/16” horizontally and 3 ¼” vertically. Anybody got one or know what it is? Sockets like this are not uncommon but all the ones I can find are square rather than rectangular.


Finally, can anyone point me at the radio mounting bracket which would have mounted the SCR-187 to the top of this bracket, on the left side of the cab;

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t3600078.jpg

There are a handful of images on my T-36 page here;

http://www.gwim2.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/t36.htm


… showing survivors and how it looked originally.

All help appreciated, any bits would need posting to me here in Scotland

Gordon@Dodge.org.uk

Gordon, that socket is the standard US slave socket as used in Sherman etc.

Thanks Adrian
 

Know anyone that can sell me one please?

In fact any UK contacts that might have bits of the assembly ? I can import small bits, not sure about the whole unit, and won't really need it for ages, but ...

regards

Gordon

link
 

Hi Gordon

SCR = Signal Corps Radio ?

This link has some info

http://radionerds.com/index.php/SCR-187

BC = Basic component of SCR

The BC 191 Is the transmitter part of SCR 187, this transmitter is also a part of other SCR sets like like SCR 193 as used in 1/2 ton Dodge command cars .

The set appears to be intended for air to ground liason use, and it was fitted in Piper Cubs and similar aeroplanes with a 12V System ?

The BC 191 is a 12V transmitter .

It is a subject on its own
 

Some of the paperwork shows not only a transmitter and receiver, but power packs and a dozen other associated parts.

Any old radio specialists about?

There is one enormous problem with the BC 191, these days: Audiophools.

The transmitter uses 4 large triode valves (VT-4C or (civilian) 211), and these are highly prized by the valve audio amplifier crowd, to the point of ridiculous prices being paid (500 USD for a pair). As a result, any transmitter you are likely to find will have had its valves "liberated", and they will be neither easy nor cheap to replace (unless you are very lucky).

Chris.

Well
 

... thanks for the info, but at the minute I don't even have the wooden board that it mounts on, so I'll have to build bottom-up first and fill in the gaps later :)

The other thing that strikes me is I was expecting just a transmitter and recover unit, plus mike and ariel lead, but the images I see have lots of bits and boxes with them.

An empty unit I could put on the bracket would be a good start, better try for that. The radio regulations here in the UK are such it's probably not legal as originally configured anyway.

thanks

Bc 375
 

gordon

This web site explains a lot

http://www.radioblvd.com/using_the_bc375e_today.htm

The BC 375 is basically the same transmitter , but is run from 24 to 28 Volts . These were fitted in larger aircraft like the B24 .

My BC 191 I found at a hamfest here , with the big triodes sitting inside it :thup2: The sets got a bad reputation after the war when hams tried to use them at max. power output , a very dirty signal resulted.

I have an article written by a Guadalcanal US army signaler veteran , he used the BC 191 and he wrote that it was the most reliable transmitter set he used in the islands . Just about everything broke down as the tropical climate created terrible conditions for anything electrical but he reported , the BC 191 kept going day and night

A U tube movie http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http:...HQsiQBZ_wFdpPQ

Thanks Mike
 

I'll have a look.

Don't think I'm after usable hardware, just complete and tidy looking

Gordon