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Old 21-05-22, 15:02
David Dunlop David Dunlop is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Posts: 3,384
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Morning. Charlie.

Unfortunately, the idea of a third battery in the Wireless System to provide 18 volts to the wireless set will destroy said set. You would instantly burn out the heater/filaments in the sets valves which were designed with a very narrow +/- 12 volt operating range. The wireless set will have a theoretical operating range limit factored into its design that no amount of extra voltage will increase. A whole host of environmental factors may, however, increase/decrease range from time to time.

Wireless vehicles would definitely have had wireless suppression kits fitted to them to eliminate vehicle electrical interference with the wireless set. This was not necessarily done to other, none wireless fitted vehicles early in the war, but became much more common as the war progressed for several reasons, from both production considerations and bad experiences from vehicle operations in theatre. My thought would be that given the nature of the work the LRDG was doing, they would have wanted all vehicles wireless suppressed, either from the factory, or mods done upon receipt in the field. So the two vehicles being so close in your photo would not surprise me.

Keeping a pair of wireless batteries charged in the field by the LRDG would be an interesting challenge. The standard norm is a set of four 6 volt batteries. Two charged and running the wireless set while the second pair are being recharged through a charging system via some form of charging set. The charging set for the LRDG would likely be one of three things available to them: a small gasoline powered chorehorse, the vehicle generator from one of their vehicles, or perhaps a secondary mechanical generator driven either directly, or indirectly from the PTO of one of their vehicles. This latter option was often found in jeeps, during the war, mounted over the PTO assembly, between the two front seats.

Hope this helps a bit.

David
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