Wanted: WS19 No3 control unit

[Chris Suslowicz]

Ooh! Aeronautical & General Instrument Company Ltd.

It's British (and the company is still operating, mostly as a Defence contractor, I think). They also made photographic equipment: Agiflex and Agifold cameras, Agiphot enlarger, etc.

Unless you use an extension cable on the droplead, I think you are going to have severe difficulty in mounting the control unit and Junction Remote Control close enough together - although the control unit was mounted flat on top of the set in the Daimler Dingo, so if there is room you might get both of them on there. The other problem is: where does the remote cable reel mount? If it's on the turret then you need a feed through the rotary base junction (if fitted), or to connect the JRC to a droplead when required for use - it also needs a 12V supply for the relay to work, and I think the green light may have to be visible to the wireless operator when in use.

Best regards,
Chris.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Second thoughts: it's a 'bitzer' and the ID plate is not original. Looking at the (mismatched) knobs (a mixture of UK and US types), the American key jack and acceptance stamp in the watch holder, it's probably an early Philco Mk.II set with an A.G.I. nameplate added.

Is there enough clearance to put the control unit on top of the set? That's the usual Daimler install - with the lampholder facing forwards so the operator can see it. If so, you need a mounting plate on top of the set that fits to four of the three hole sets on the case and is drilled for nuts & bolts to mount the control unit.

I'd also query the variometer position: on the Daimler scout car it was on the right hand side with aerial feeder No.4 through the hull, but in the armoured car it may be on the left (looking from the front) with the aerial bases on external brackets on the turret. (There was a D.A.C. in the IWM (London) a few years ago, but the only things I remember about it were that it had been moved into position under a balcony and the aerial rod had destroyed the base as a result, plus the 'B' set aerial base was a horrible mock-up made of conduit fittings and tinplate (about half the size of the genuine item).

Chris (possibly in rivet-counter mode at the time).

[Russell Boaler]

You're right Chris, the Remote control unit plugs into one of the leads of the leads of the control unit so the two do need to be close together. Alas there's barely enough room for the A and B side aerial cabling above the radio let alone something big and bulky like a remote control unit. The cable reel is mounted on the outside rear of the turret and has a rotary junction built into the inside of the reel (I posted a couple of photos of it on the wireless forum last year). It's unfortunate that I don't have any specific mounting details for the wireless to copy... I'll just have to dream something up that's reasonable.

Re the radio, the last time I looked at this radio must have been close to 20 years ago. I've just recently pulled it out of storage and mounted it in the back of the turret. I'd be surprised if the data plate had been taken from a different radio and put on this one. That said I think it was me who fitted the watch holder way back when I got it as the original was broken. It is also possible that some of the knobs may have been swapped out at some point (although I don't recall actually doing it myself). I'll make contact with you separately to find out which bits are wrong on the radio... I may have another donor British set somewhere that I could pirate some bits off... to improve its appearance for the rivet counters....

[Tim Bell]

I have one of these somewhere... don't recall what the markings are... I will see if I can find it.

I bought it to cut up and turn into a Control Unit No12 for my Sherman - as this is the closest I could find to the one I need.

I am therefore in the market for the Control Unit No 12.

Tim

[Russell Boaler]

Alas Don't have a No12 control unit Tim. The closest I have is a No16 unit as per the attached picture.

Also attached for reference is a picture of a couple of remote control junction boxes. They connect to the remote control box inside the turret via the two wire terminals on the end (and the wiring held on the external cable drum of course). Presumably these were kept in a signals satchel along with a headset for use when someone left the vehicle.

[Chris Suslowicz]

I have a sneaking suspicion we should move this thread into either the Wireless or the Armour forum.

The original A.C. Daimler used a Control Unit No.1 and Junction Distribution No.1 (for the driver intercom), I think. (Though that was for the WS 19 Mk.1.)

The Junction Remote Control _has_ to be fitted to the turret in order to connect to the external cable reel, and it must be within a foot or so of the other control unit, so I suspect they both go on the underside of the turret roof, the JRC plugs in to the operator's droplead (on the bottom box with two switches), and the operator connects to that. That leaves one or two dropleads free for commander and gunner, and the driver can have a Junction Distribution No.1 or No.3 for his intercom down in the hull - fed via the rotary base junction. (How large is the crew anyway?)

Sigh... having just watched all the clips I can find on Youtube, I don't think you can fit the control units to the turret roof because it opens! Nobody seems to bother to cover the radio fit. Turret sides, maybe? Are there any mounting plates or signs where they were removed?

Chris.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Still doesn't show the main control units, but worth a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSyblVR5NmQ

The "haversacks" are Satchel Signals No.1 with headsets, etc., it shows where the spare valve and spare parts cases are stored and the location of the Driver's Intercom box.

The advantages of current training films!

Chris.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Yes, an amazing early British set from a very hard to find maker. Well done!!

QUOTE=Chris Suslowicz;268857]Ooh! Aeronautical & General Instrument Company Ltd.

It's British (and the company is still operating, mostly as a Defence contractor, I think). They also made photographic equipment: Agiflex and Agifold cameras, Agiphot enlarger, etc.

Unless you use an extension cable on the droplead, I think you are going to have severe difficulty in mounting the control unit and Junction Remote Control close enough together - although the control unit was mounted flat on top of the set in the Daimler Dingo, so if there is room you might get both of them on there. The other problem is: where does the remote cable reel mount? If it's on the turret then you need a feed through the rotary base junction (if fitted), or to connect the JRC to a droplead when required for use - it also needs a 12V supply for the relay to work, and I think the green light may have to be visible to the wireless operator when in use.

Best regards,
Chris.[/QUOTE]

[Russell Boaler]

Thanks Chris and Bruce.

I've done a lot of measuring of the space that's left in the turret and I just don't think there's enough space available for the remote control unit next to the control unit. May have to ponder that one a bit more.

Chris - the driver is indeed provided with a No1 distribution box (as per the
attached picture) and is connected via the vehicle wiring system. The DAC has a crew of three so the commander and gunner are serviced by the control box in the turret.

Looking at the wiring diagram I assume that the connections for the distribution box come from the 6 pin plug on the power supply unit. I'm guessing then that I need a special power cable for this, one that has both a 12V power supply wires (+ & -) plus speech and signal wires. Add that to the "I need" list I guess.

Russell

[Neil Ashley]

You will need a different power cable with additional wires in side.

On my Humber AC I wired in the power mic box used on he tanks so you can still talk even if the radios fail. Obviously the driver needs a carbon mic powered by the transformer in the Number One Distribution Box.