11 Set stuff

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Thanks for confirming the C8 David.

The Australian set that you have on Ebay equates to a little over £800. The only other British set that I've seen, was sold at the W&P show something like 12-15 years ago for £1000.

Obviously the British sets are much more rare. How rare are the Ozz sets becoming?

Ron

Hi Ron

Id say there are still quite a few Aust. 11 sets hiding in sheds barns and old garages .

The immediate post war radio magazines here, have adverts from surplus stores , selling lots of radio stuff , including 11 sets . The army here got rid of the 11 sets very fast at wars end , the sets performed poorly . A small number of the UK built sets have turned up here , I have one and Ive seen another one at a hamfest , these may have been sent out as examples for AWA to copy ?

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Mike. Lucky that a lot of rare stuff turns up more readily in Australia and Canada. Usually found in some remote area of bush. We do have some remote areas, but probably never more than a few miles from civilisation.
Ron

[cletrac (RIP)]

I got a set of the repro plugs from Kevin and also got these two accessories. The pouch is to hold a voltage meter. The mike came off ebay. I still need the transceiver and various accessories.

[cletrac (RIP)]

I bought this voltage meter off ebay but I'm not sure if it's the one that was used with the 11 set. I also got a grungy microphone NO 3 for $10 to get the plug for a headset I have.
When did they use the muffs on the 11 set headphones? I have 2 pics with them being used and lots of pics without them.

[Ron Pier]

Although I like collecting/owning this stuff, I'm completely vague about how it works. Would the volt meter be part of a separate requirement/tool kit?

My Australian version came with this 'Thermocouple' gauge, showing amps.

Ron

[Mike K]

This is the Aust. 11 set test meter with its probe . You press the probe against the test panel on the front of the set .

I think TP means tropic proofed - a feeble attempt at moisture proofing , usually shellac was painted inside

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Although I like collecting/owning this stuff, I'm completely vague about how it works. Would the volt meter be part of a separate requirement/tool kit?

My Australian version came with this 'Thermocouple' gauge, showing amps.

Ron

Hi Ron

yes the voltmeter is a separate item . The set itself has a small test panel on the front , you can measure the plate voltages of the valves , without pulling the set from its case , a neat idea

The meter in your pic is a RF thermo ammeter , it measures the radio frequency current , flowing within the antenna circuit - it can give you false readings as it measures both forward and reflected current and adds them together . Mike

[Mike K]

I came across this lead with its brass tag

connectors leads ZAA 4139

I think its a 11 set part . The ZAA refers to it being of Aust. pattern

Maybe its part of the remote unit ?

[Ron Pier]

Thanks Chaps I knew you'd give chapter and verse. Trouble is my wireless supplier didn't sell me one of those tropic proofed volt meters, so I could be in trouble in the jungle Ron

[Bruce MacMillan]

Regarding David's voltmeter:

These were very common in the 1920-30's. Every repairman carried one. Many farmers had battery powered sets so it was usefull to test the A & B batteries.

The one that was issued with the 11 set is "voltmeter, pocket, 250V #2"

Useful for 1st echelon work and checking both LT & HT batteries. Besides the two power supplies available the 11 set also came configured for battery operation with four 60V batteries providing a 240V supply.

Regarding Ron's ammeter:

This ammeter measures radio frequency current going to the aerial. It doesn't measure battery current. There were two issued depending upon the power supply used. The LP supply had "ammeter #1 350mA" and the HP supply had "ammeter #3 1A". Very useful when tuning the transmitter.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by cletrac

I bought this voltage meter off ebay but I'm not sure if it's the one that was used with the 11 set. I also got a grungy microphone NO 3 for $10 to get the plug for a headset I have.
When did they use the muffs on the 11 set headphones? I have 2 pics with them being used and lots of pics without them.

Hmmm... that's a somewhat modified civilian voltmeter, and definitely not part of any military set.

Note that the microphone and headset plugs are different, and it is for a reason. The microphone plug is No.10 and has a straight barrel. The headphone plug is No.9 and has a wide "step" at the base.

The reason for the "step" is that originally all microphones had carbon granule inserts and required a 3 volt supply to operate. This was supplied by dry cells. If you plugged the headset into the microphone socket, this would discharge the battery fairly quickly (in addition to the set not working at all well). The step prevents the headphone plug from being inserted far enough into a microphone socket to make contact with both of the contacts, thus avoiding the problem.

As to the "muffs", British headsets tended to use plain Bakelite earpieces, the American ones for the WS19 had circular felt or velvet over sponge rubber muffs, and the Canadians excelled themselves with chamois leather covered sponge (oval) muffs that went around the ear instead of pressing on it, making them supremely comfortable and also excluding background noise - ideal for long periods of use.

Chris.

(There's also a 3-contact version of the No.10 plug, used with Microphone, Hand, No.7 with the ZC1 transceiver - the third contact is needed for transmit/receive switching.)

[cletrac (RIP)]

Chris,
The headset in the 8cwt picture earlier in this thread has round muffs used with an 11 set in North Africa. That's why I asked.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by cletrac

Chris,
The headset in the 8cwt picture earlier in this thread has round muffs used with an 11 set in North Africa. That's why I asked.

Hmmm... they look like CLR or DLR earpieces with some sort of cover, and it's an early "all steel" headband. I'll have a rummage and see if I can pin it down to an actual type.

Chris,

[cletrac (RIP)]

Is the Morse Code Key ZA 4354 for an 11 set?
I guess it's for an 18 set.

[Mike K]

The Aust. 11 set manual is available here

http://tosty.id.au/WS-11-AUST-MANUAL/

a few more manuals

http://tosty.id.au/

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a list for the components used in a complete 11 set station from the Aussie manual.

[Mike K]

The valves or tubes in Nth American parlance , listed in that list will not swap over to a UK or Canadian made No. 11 set .