19 Set Cable Gasket

[Chris Suslowicz]

I suspect the grommet is a water seal that goes under the aerial base No.8 or 10 on a vehicle roof. It's shown in EMER FZ256/3 of 1st October 1944 for the Canadian WS19 Mk.III, but I've not seen where it's supposed to be fitted. Probably need a late set of installation instructions for one of the "house type" radio bodies to be sure - they had a flat plate on a stand-off from the roof (two or three on each side) and I have an adapter plate to convert a 6 hole mounting to 4 bolts for the 'B' set aerial base mounting. I would imagine the grommet plugs the hole in the roof and is high enough to stop water getting in - the central hole is far too small for co-ax and I think Aerial Feeder No.9, which is P11 rubber covered multistrand like the battery leads with a ring terminal on one end for the connector plate under the aerial base and a plug to mimic the end of an aerial rod for the set end.)

[Chris Suslowicz]

I have been reading the Truck & Ground Station working instructions.

Paragraph 42:

"(42) Place the Waterproof Cover No.5 over the equipment ensuring the Leads, Aerial No.3 passes through the grommeted hole provided. Fix the rubber grommet on the Leads Aerial No.3 into the hole in the waterproof cover, also pass the lead of the Aerial Feeder Assembly No.9 through the hole provided for the Antenna Rods G [This is almost certainly a typo for 'F'] at the rear of the supply unit and plug into the socket immediately below."

OK, so that's the grommets on the coaxial cables sorted (they fit to the canvas covers to stop rain running off the canvas and through the cable entry holes). Simples! (Squeak)

Grommet No.23 is not mentioned in this pamphlet (which is the 1943 Canadian one), but appears in the 1944 Parts Identification EMER FZ256/3. My suspicion is that that fits into the cable/aerial rod 'F' hole on top of the waterproof cover at the rear of the supply unit, and is intended to keep rain from running down either the Aerial Rod F, the Leads, Aerial No.5 (when used to connect the set to the 34-ft mast), or the wire aerial feeder, and shorting out the paxolin aerial base, etc.

If Roberta could check her grommet (to coin a phrase) I suspect she'll find the bottom 'F' rod or a wire aerial feeder cable is a good fit for the central hole. Also the grommet should be a tight fit in the hole on top of the waterproof cover No.5.

I don't have a Grommet No.23 or I'd be able to test this; anyone got a spare?

Chris.

[David Dunlop]

Chris. You have been doing some nice detective work. One quick question. The No. 5 Cover. Is that the big one intended for use with the large wooden carriers? If so, I had always wondered about the large hole to the rear of the PSU. It is fitted with a square of brown leather but the opening is still quite large for inclement weather. If the No. 23 Grommet of Roberta's fits that opening, that is a great discovery and something to keep an eye out for in the future.

David

[Chris Suslowicz]

That's the one, the sort of tent arrangement for Carrier, Set, No.3 (or 23).

Chris.

[universalgrl]

The rubber grommet # 23 is a perfect fit for the large opening in the # 5 cover. It's the correct size fit for the F rod. but I don't think it would fit the cable going out to the mast.
If you are lucky enough to have both pieces use a good rubber or O ring lubricant (not ky HA HA), the grommet was good but the cover piece was starting to crack.

Here's another question. I have the # 16 ZA 28542 and # 17 ZA 28543 control box for my 38 AFV installation, but I found another # 17 ZA 24891 box that is marked 510 not 38. Would that be for the CDN 510 set.

Both of the first 2 boxes are tropicalized which is a good thing on the west coast as it's currently coming down in biblical sized buckets right now.

[David Dunlop]

Nice work, Roberta. That grommet looks right at home! Looks like I have to add another fiddly bit to my 19 Set Needs List. I always assumed it would get shorter over time. Good to know the correct way these things are supposed to go together.

David

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by universalgrl

The rubber grommet # 23 is a perfect fit for the large opening in the # 5 cover. It's the correct size fit for the F rod. but I don't think it would fit the cable going out to the mast.
If you are lucky enough to have both pieces use a good rubber or O ring lubricant (not ky HA HA), the grommet was good but the cover piece was starting to crack.

Here's another question. I have the # 16 ZA 28542 and # 17 ZA 28543 control box for my 38 AFV installation, but I found another # 17 ZA 24891 box that is marked 510 not 38. Would that be for the CDN 510 set.

Both of the first 2 boxes are tropicalized which is a good thing on the west coast as it's currently coming down in biblical sized buckets right now.

Hmmm, I think you'd do better with a leather preservative if the gasket on the cover is starting to crack.

On the control unit front, ZA.24891 is Control Unit No.17 (The original "Mk.1" version and would have had fabric covered dropleads. ZA.28543 is the Mk.1/1 with rubber leads and tropic proofing, while ZA.38153 is the Mk.2 presumably with the WS38 or 88 / WS31 or SR B40 switch.)

The AFV control units (16, 17 and 33 (the last one being for command tanks with 2xWS19 and an AFV set)) were used with the WS38 AFV, WS88AFV, WS31AFV, CPRC-26, and I suspect your example is for the Australian A510. All those sets required an external audio amplifier, and the first three had a combined PSU and AF amplifier unit. I think the CPRC26 relied on dry batteries for power, and probably the A510 did as well. The WS31 had power units/LF amplifiers in both 12 and 24 volt versions, but the WS88 version was only produced in the 12 volt version.

Wireless for the Warrior Volume 2 is your friend for all this stuff.
Louis spent decades researching this stuff and I don't know what we'd do without them.

Chris.

[David Dunlop]

You are going to have to go back to wherever you found that No. 23 Grommet and try and corner the market. There are probably a few of us could use one.

David