Wayne, no problem today. It was so cold the roadway was dry.

But yes, sometimes i cannot resist the urge and go driving in the salt anyway.

Life is short. Have to make the most out of it.

My experience is when a truck is idle it breaks down anyway.

Final touch
 

Friends,

Applied a final coat of gloss white spray paint to all the accessories inside the box today ( pictures 1 and 2 ) .

Applied a second and final coat to the generator compartment door. Fitted the door . Installed a beer fridge handle ( picture 3 ) , looking for a second one .

Installed the blackout curtain holders around the inside windows after a final coat of white on the inside of the box side and OD from the outside .

Small detail, if you look inside the box from the outside you should not see white paint around the window frames around the blackout curtains..that small detail still applies today to modern trucks.

The blackout curtains are out because they were dried up, crackled and torn after 71 years. Ordered 5 new ones. They will come in the New Year.

Installed the rear door blackout curtain holder ( picture 4 ) after a second coat of OD.From my research ( i might be wrong ) , that was the only holder painted OD Green instead of white. The inside of the door is also painted OD.

Makes sense, because when you open the door to the outside world in broad daylight , if you showed gloss white you could attrack attention and .. fire. With the door OD it is more subdued.

With all the paint done and a little help , the wireless equipment should go in during the week between Christmas and New Year's. God willing, winter not setting in to harshly and if my wife letting me spend more time on the project.

Cheerio, like our British and other Commonwealth friends and Allies would say.

To my friends from MLU all over the world, have a Helluva nice Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Like i said before , have a tought for our troops deployed overseas protecting our safety , way of life and human decency.

:cheers:

If your wife lets you...
 

"With all the paint done and a little help , the wireless equipment should go in during the week between Christmas and New Year's. God willing, winter not setting in to harshly and if my wife letting me spend more time on the project."

...... I will bet you plan on sleeping in it for Xmas Eve.

Nice job Robert.

All the Best to you and your Family for Christmas....Joyeux Noel!!!!!

.............. and may the New Year smile on you with a Gun Tractor!!!!

Cheers

Gun tractor
 

Many thanks Bob.

A Merry Xmas to you , your family and the bunch of OD addicts at the Barn.

Anyhow, sweet dreams. BTW, i am not sleeping in the Wire 5 box during the holidays.

Wireless body
 

Friends,

Could not wait any longer.

I temporarely installed a Wireless set No

19 on the temporary table in the box.

Looks very cool in my humble opinion.



Cheers.

:)

Robert: No 19 set looks sort of familiar. :devil:

Re: the headset on the right hand side...isn't it covering up the canvas tube from box to cab?...or is there one?

No C5 panel "temporarily" installed?

Great job so far, brings back memories.

Wire 5 - Box - Inside the box
 

Thanks for your kind comments Jon.

First of all i would like to thank you for helping me outfit the interior of the box with all the needed Wireless No 19 equipment.

You are right the canvas tube will be going in later in the spring.

No i haven't installed the C5 charging panel yet because of the above discussion with our friend David , the role of said panel being determined as an out of the box use for ground operations only.

I will keep you posted.

Cheers.

19-Set Wireless Truck Installation Kit
 

Once the completed WIRE-5 Wireless Truck was delivered from Wilson Truck Bodys and Chevrolet to the Canadian Army, the next step would have been installation of whatever generator combination the military had in mind for any given truck. The generator tool boxes would very likely have been stored on the top shelf of the Generator Box.

The next step would have been the installation of the 19-Set equipment. The attached photo and list of parts for this installation is from the Working Instructions for the Mk III Canadian 19-Set. It should be noted this is a comprehensive kit of accessories. Not all of the pieces are going to be used all of the time. What the pieces do is allow maximum flexibility in the operation of the Wireless Set No.19.

(1) It can be installed in the vehicle and operated 'on the fly' by simple use of the two whip aerials installed on the roof of the Wireless Box.

(2) It can be installed in the vehicle and operated at a fixed location for an extended period of time, over greater distances, by means of setting up the horizontal aerial system (and several options for doing this are possible).

(3) The Wireless Truck can transport the 19-Set System to a location where it can be dismounted from the Wireless Truck and humped in by hand by the Signals Crew to a remote location, for operation, with or without connection to the Wireless Remote Control Units system or alternate land lines.

A pretty impressive system in it's day, but clearly packing an impressive amount of excess weight by today's standards.

David

This is the Body Tag from the unit I took the pictures from.

Thanks David, very usefull list for Wireless No 19 kit . A lot of kit indeed.

Thanks Dave, i will have a copy made for my box.

:thup:

Robert, when you have the repro plate made for your body, I assume you will have the serial changed. I own the original plate for serial 235. I have no idea what the total production of 2K1 bodies was but clearly at least 235 to give you an idea of the range of possible numbers for your tag.

Grant,

No worries .

I will use a different serial number.



:smoker:

One more question Robert....
 

..... when you get your plate made up will they be able to punch the letters/numbers from the back like the original?????

If so, your source will have a life time contract for stamping CMP ID tags as we have not beenable to find a person or equipment that will do the reverse lettering.

Make my day and tell me some one in your neighbourhood can reverse stamp soft metal.

Bob C.

Metal embossed tags
 

Gentlemen; for the simple tag like the one from Wilson Truck Bodies, as shown by Dave, you should easily be able to get them from as source like this: http://www.metalmarkermfg.com/metal-embossed-tags
In a previous career, I worked for a company that made utility poles, and these types of tags are used on every pole. If I remember correctly, BC Hydro and Manitoba Hydro used some rectangular reverse stamped tags similar to the one posted by Dave. If anyone has a connection at either one of these utilities, you might be able to get them to run off a customized tag or two for free.

Hope that helps!

http://www.metalmarkermfg.com/upload...tags-03-xl.jpg

Data plate stampings
 

Hey Bob, sorry , i ain't no Clint Eastwood on this one . :doh:

Wayne, you certainly are a lifesaver ! I am standing by to hear more. :note:

As for me i intended to use a nice set of WW2 lettering punches i inherited from my grandfather to make a homemade data plate. No reverse letters and numbers .

:rolleyes

Christmas wire 5
 

Friends,

Thank-you all your comments.

Picture 1 : The absolute necessity if you want to restore a Wire 5 box : The Wireless Set Canadian No 19 installation instructions for TRUCK and ground station. It contains specific information for the HUP and the 2G1, 2G2 and 2K1 setups. Thanks Jon Skagfeld.

Picture 2 : The absolutely sublime diagram of the Wire 5 box radio setup. Sketch credit Louis Meulstee.

Picture 3: A very special Wireless 19 control box that is sure to bring up interest with my Sherman owner friends . I found it today in my stuff doing inventory for the Wireless 5 box. Q. Was it ever used in the UC Mk 2 , the 5 cwt Scout Car ( Jeep ) or the Wire 5 box ? As you here know , Wireless 38 sets were carried in armour to communicate with the infantry supporting the armour ( or the reverse ? ) .

This restoration is going very well. I have inventoried my Chorehorses , spare parts for same ( thanks Brian Asbury ) and original Chorehorse parts boxes complete with 3 language Foreign Aid logo ) . Good to go on that aspect.

I also inventoried my spare parts and accesssory inventory for the wireless 19 setup. Good to go .

Q. I have complete and standard No 19 sets on No 23 Carriers and a complete Canadian High Power suite. Should i go standard 19 or go for the High Power setup if i want to represent a Sherbrooke Fusilier ( 27th Armoured Regt ) radio truck in the winter of 44-45 Holland theatre of war ? Or, it would represent higher up in the COC like a Brigade HQ or maybe the whole Armoured Div ? I know the Sigs trucks belonged to Sigs units.So my questions are not about the markings but about the radio equipment carried in the box.

I am open to comments , suggestions and remarks. Make my education on Sigs. Reminder, my roots are not in the Sigs field , but i am willing to learn ( :teach:.)

Remember : Holland / Germany Jan-Feb - Mar 1945.
Thanks .

As a former Sherbrooke Hussar which perpetuates the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment's armoured traditions, you can guess my vote. More to the point, 2016 is the 150th anniversary of the Sherbrooke Hussars (in the name of all its predecessors). Another Signals van will mean little except to a signaller; a marked SFR sigs' van will have a whole lot more resonance. (Just imagine parking your 5-Wire next to Sherman Tank 'Bomb' - reuniting two old war horses.)

27 th A.
 

Affirmative Terry .

It will be parked side by side with our dear Sherman nicknamed ''The Bomb '' next year .

It is marked to the 53 rd in the 5 th A Div.

But the question was : What goes inside, a standard no 19 set or a High Power version ?

It is very much a Sigs question.

Merry Christmas Terry .

If you don't need a hardcopy manual, you can get PDF format ones (they do require Acrobat Reader 10 or later) from the (UK) 19 set group:

Doc 340
Wireless Set No.19 (Cdn) Installation Instructions for Truck and Ground Station, Sep 1943

Doc 573
Wireless Set No.19 (Cdn) Canadian EMIE Elect L169, Installation Instructions WS19 Truck Utility, Quarter Ton M38-M38A1

Doc 331
Wireless Set No.19 MK II (Cdn) Installation Instructions for WS19 MK II CDN in Armoured Scout Car - Ford Canadian Ref No PC764716-192 Jul 1942

Doc 575
Wireless Set No.19 Mk II Installation Kit M4 Medium Tank 76mm, Parts list & Standard Kit List, Less Tubes and Instruction Book, Comp WS19, PSU & Variometer diagrams, Zenith Radio Corporation

Doc 629
Wireless Set No 19 All Marks (US) Document kit for installation in T26-E1 Pershing heavy tank, 1944

Doc 669
Carrier Universal, Mk I (Canadian) Carrier Universal, Mk1 (Canadian) for use with Wireless Set No. 19, Nov 1942

http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/index.html#info

(Disclaimer: I'm one of the moderators/admins of that group.)

Chris.
p.s. Don't bother with the Pershing since the war in Europe ended before it entered Commonwealth service. There were trials versions only, I believe. (Bovington has one.)

Thanks a lot Chris.

I will look it up.

Anybody on this frequency can please give me the exact dimensions of the wireless table that goes in this particular truck in need of a period correct table ?

So if you haven't read all the previous treads , it's a 2K1 box of 1944 by Wilson .

I guess i will have to reproduce the table.

Many thanks.

Cheers.

storage boxes
 

Found a couple of storage boxes this week end that will go very well in the Radio box to store spare parts and antenna gear .

As a matter of fact i was able to tuck away neatly all the clutter in the larger box ( picture to follow ) .

Here we go.

The wireless parts box is full of parts , ready for the final stages of the restoration.

Wireless equipment for the 2K1 box
 

Gents,

Here is what goes in a Wire 5 - 2K1 box . A lot of wireless equipment.

Not visible but stored elswere on the truck are the 20' and 34' masts. The horizontal antennas. The antenna leather bags and all the guy wires. Field phones (4) and telephone wire carrier ( 1/2 mile ) .

The spare parts box for the no 19 set containing fuses , springs and the morse key is on the shelf on the left side next to the Remote Unit .

Also not visible, the Canadian CH-300 Chorehorses ( 2)

Visible in the picture : The remote units ( 2) , the satchel signals ( 3) , the headsets ( 3) the complete and working No 19 set with control box on the carrier . The no 19 HP Amp and tuning set will go in when the table is installed.

The spare parts chest and tool box. The no 9 antenna base ( 1) for the ''A'' set with the ''F'' rods ( 4) antenna. The no 8 antenna bases (2) with connectors . The ''G'' antenna for the no 8 base and ''B'' set.

The spare tubes box for the no 19 set is on the large spares box.

We also see the No 5 Canadian Charging panel for ground operations.

A Canadian vehicule map case on the left , hanging from the wall .

The installation instructions for ''Truck and ground operations '' dated 1944 are on the front wall behind the no 19 set.

All ready to be installed and operated as soon as i can find the wireless table or reproduce one. Could somebody give me the dimensions please ?

Have i missed somthing from the CES ( complete equipment schedule ) kit ?

A lot of work to collect everything.

:smoker:

So are you referring to this table ??

Wireless table dimensions and measurements for 2K1 Wireless 5 CMP C-15 truck
 

Affirm ! That's the one i need measurements for Dave. :note:

Even better , a spare table. :D

I will try and get you some measurements and a couple more shots of it the next time I go for a visit.

Many thanks mate ..

I will be in Ottawa week of march 7-12.

If you have not had time to drop by the truck at your end of the country , i will drop by the War Museum.

The have a nice early all steel bodied wireless box, with a table and a WS 52 on it.

Penthouse tent for wireless truck
 

Friends,

I worked on the ''penthouse tent '' that goes on the left (passenger ) side today.

For now it is just an awning but the sides and door will go in later .

In the picture you see it rolled up nice and tight in it's '' stored'' position .

Next week i will take measurements and i have the one on the right ( driver ) side made.

It will be nice to be out of the sun or rain at HMV meets.

On the left side ( passenger side ) will go the map table and a few chairs and ice chest and the one on the right side will be for storage and for the generator and fuel cans .

I will have an extension cable to bring over power for lights and a nice big fan in the penthouse tent on the left side.

Comfort in the field .

:yappy:

whay happened to the Wireless truck restoration tread ?
 

Hey friends,

What happened to Richard's tread and my story restoring the box ?

This one? http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=21831