19-Set Vario/Aerial Base Mounting Plate

[David Dunlop]

Thanks for posting your photos, Patrick. They indeed answer a huge number of questions about what we now know are Plates, Mounting No. 1, complete with their ZA-Number.

Chris is correct, the small black circular stamp is an inspection mark from whatever factory made these plates. It should say INSPEC MECH around the rim with the number of the actual inspector in the middle. For certain, RCA did not make these plates as their stamp would also have been present - another black ring with RCA in the middle.

Interesting that the underside of the plate is unfinished, other than the either cadmium or zinc plating. I think I spotted a bit of paint overspray on one of the underside edges and am wondering now if the normal state of these plates was actually plain plated metal, with no factory painting, like the Seating Plates No. 4 used to mount the variometer on the Truck and Ground Installation Carriers. I have a call into my friend here in Winnipeg to check his plate in that regard.

Nice shot of the connector between the variometer and aerial base as well. Whenever you have a chance, can you take some measurements from it for me? The diameter of the cable itself and the length end to end where it stops inside the end connectors. Interesting that two different end connectors are shown. I suspect the one at the aerial base end was a replacement at some point. It is a solder type and would take a bit more work to install. The one at the vario end is a crimp on style and, I think, another Ross-Courtney product. Probably the original factory fitting. At the aerial end, is that a small yellow collar hiding up by the end connector. Sometimes these have a part number ID in black letters printed on them but on smaller cables the ID information is usually not applied.

I was expecting the usual three BSF countersunk slot head screws to mount the variometer assembly. Interesting they went with the BSF hex head bolts, and I notice they are all the thinner hex head type, not the more common fat head jobs.

Are the four retained fasteners that mount the plate assembly to the top of the transceiver slotted cheese head screws, or also hex head bolts?

As I said, Patrick, a whack of info in your photos! Thanks again for posting.

Now we need to get the title of this thread changed to read:

Plates, Mounting No. 1


David