Leads , aerial No 5 Canadian

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Thanks Chris . Q to all radio experts : What i am really asking is how do i setup a remote antenna away from the 15 Cwt wireless truck (applicable to the Wire-3 & 5 trucks ). I want to use my 20 & 34 feet masts on the ground (with insulators of course ), not on top of the truck . I need a lead from the No 19 set to the masts . What caliber cable and lengths restrictions do i have to avoid signal loss ? I have seen and worked modern radio installations where the antenna masts were miles away to avoid adversary artillery (mortar ) ranging on your actual position . All i want is to position my antenna mast maybe 25- 50 feet away from the truck . What are the principals involved with radio signal loss ? The goal is to set up the masts so they become more tangible for onlookers at meets and good conversation starters while remaining operational . Thanks .

The simple answer is that you don't. The WS19 was designed as a vehicle radio, intended to (mostly) use a whip aerial over short to medium distances (a few miles). Longer distances (rear link) would use the high power version or the WS52 with a long vertical aerial for groundwave, or a horizontal aerial for skywave (long distance) propagation.

WW2 direction finding was not that precise and very definitely not portable, so it didn't really pose a problem unless the enemy were close enough to actually see your aerials. If it was a problem, then the set could be removed from the vehicle and "dug in" with a trench and overhead protection using batteries only (and having charged batteries supplied on a daily basis to avoid running a generator that would give your position away).

Remote aerials were used with larger sets (12, 33 & 53) which couldn't easily be removed from vehicles - being intended for headquarters and (later) command vehicles.

The Aerial Coupling Unit 'J' allowed this to be done for vehicle sets (WS22 and WS19), but it required a coaxial cable between the local and remote coupling units, had to be tuned at the remote end, and was limited to a few hundred feet. (For further separation of radio and commanders, you dug the set and operator in and used the Wireless Remote Control Unit No.1 (or British equivalent 'E') and as much telephone wire as necessary - but it needed a local operator at the set.)

Remote aerials mostly appeared post-WW2, with the switch to VHF (and advances in direction finding that made it essential to keep radios away from the actual headquarters for the protection of HQ, hence the development of the "radio village" connected to HQ by line.) The use of VHF also required remote aerials due to being line of sight and the need to avoid the signal being blocked by trees or hills.

WW2-era sets ending in '9' (9, 19, 29), plus the WS52 (which was a Canadian redesign of the British W.S.9) were intended for AFV installation, and the possible use of remote aerials was never considered by the designers.

Best regards,
Chris.