Wireless Set No. 52 Canadian - Project

[David Dunlop]

Morning James.

Yes, I can pick up the sidetone of my voice in the receivers when transmitting via the A-Set and/or IC Mode on my Mk III.

I must admit I have been away from it for a few years and my ears need some serious retraining in the art of working a classic set like the 19 or 52, but I can hear myself. Wasn’t at all certain initially, but did find it.

Make certain you don’t treat the 19-Sets Microphones like modern ones. The rubber mouthpiece has to be in full contact with your face and surrounding your mouth, and then talk normally. Try blowing into the Mic, softly at first and slowly increase the air volume while holding the Pressel Button down. Your ear should pick up the sound of the air passing across the screen face of the Insert. Once your ear is ‘tuned in ‘ you should then be able to find your voice.

It can be a bit of a challenge listening passed the Dynamotor when you transmit, but it is doable. Tens of thousands of servicemen did it for many years with their lives on the line.

My 19-Set is currently on the Wireless Bench right beside a doorway with a barn door, so I stepped into the other room initially for a quieter background. When I was satisfied I was hearing what I needed to, I walked back around to the set and my ears could still monitor my voice.

A friend and I are going to try a cross town net with our 19-Sets on the 11th, so I will need some more practice. What I really like, however, is the fact that after nearly 80 years since these sets had their time in the Sunlight, I can still turn one on and work it, with all its strengths and weaknesses, and it is behaving exactly like it did for all our Service Men and Women so long ago. Gives me chills.

David

[David Dunlop]

These are the last parts of the Type 10 Headgear I wanted to document.

All of the ones I have were fitted to Type 10 Headgear and all were made by Philco and stamped as such on the rear bodies. It is interesting, however, that two distinct versions exist when one looks at the front cover plates fitted to them.

Some of these receivers have a thin, brown phenolic front cover fitted. All but one of these I have on hand show some degree of bulging out of this cover from the front of the receiver. It is almost as if some degree of moisture worked its way into the brown phenolic and caused it to expand. Because the entire rim of the phenolic is crimped in place, the expanding material had nowhere to go but bulge outwards in one or more locations. It does not seem to have any negative impact on the performance of the Receivers. It is just…noticeable.

The other Receivers, Watch, LR I have are all fitted with a thin black cover that is either Bakelite, or black anodized metal. All are dead flat smooth and all work as intended.

Where this all gets interesting in my mind is when I start grouping the oddities in the Type 10 Headgear together. What I find is:

Some of the headgear all have, brown, phenolic Receiver, Watch LR covers, a classic cloth loomed with tracer Jumper Wire fitted to the Insert Holder in the Mic and rubber coated Contact Spring backs across from the Insert rim.

The second bunch of headgear have smooth, black covers on their Receivers, Watch LR assemblies, a black vinyl covered Jumper Wire fitted to the Insert Holder and the backs of the Contact Springs are clean with the Insert Rim opposite them sporting a black strip of tape.

I cannot help but think these two sets of differences probably reflect the start and end points in production of the Type 10 Headgear. There are probably headgear out there with just one or two of these changes evident, but they would all fit a linear trend of problem solving throughout the production run of these headgear.

David

[James D Teel II]

David,

You’re correct in that I’m used to “modern” 1985-present military radios. I’ll put my “listening ears” on and try again.

James

[David Dunlop]

Keep us posted, James.

You might want to try putting the headset on first and get it adjusted for a good fit. Let your ears adapt to them for a few minutes and then fire up your 19-Set and listen to it warm up. Max your RF Gain but make sure the AF Gain is backed off to a comfortable level. Let the Set warm up a few minutes and when you feel your ears are ready, try out a wee transmit to yourself.

Best regards,

David

[David Dunlop]

This item is also known as COVERS, Waterproof No. C2 ZA/CAN 4764, and fastens to the top front of the Carriers No. 4 on the 52-Set when not in use. Should wet weather require it can be unrolled and lowered down the front of the set. A metal bar sewn into the lower edge provides enough weight to keep it in place.

If anyone has one at hand, can you tell me the length and width of the Lift the Dot fasteners across the top of the curtain and the diameter of the heads on the two stud fasteners on the straps? I am guessing the stud fasteners are probably truss head, but they might be flat head.

I may end up having to replicate this item so would like to do a little planning ahead, if an available original does not turn up.

Some years ago I bought some Lift the Dot fasteners for a webbing project I was working on but these are probably about half the size of what is needed for the CURTAIN.

Thanks,

David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Stand by....

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

This item is also known as COVERS, Waterproof No. C2 ZA/CAN 4764, and fastens to the top front of the Carriers No. 4 on the 52-Set when not in use. Should wet weather require it can be unrolled and lowered down the front of the set. A metal bar sewn into the lower edge provides enough weight to keep it in place.

If anyone has one at hand, can you tell me the length and width of the Lift the Dot fasteners across the top of the curtain and the diameter of the heads on the two stud fasteners on the straps? I am guessing the stud fasteners are probably truss head, but they might be flat head.

I may end up having to replicate this item so would like to do a little planning ahead, if an available original does not turn up.

Some years ago I bought some Lift the Dot fasteners for a webbing project I was working on but these are probably about half the size of what is needed for the CURTAIN.

Thanks,

David

[David Dunlop]

I am not at all certain if the Type 10 Cdn Headgear pre-existed the Wireless Set No. 52 and was merely adopted for use with it By Canadian Marconi, or was developed in conjunction with the evolution of the Wireless Set No. 9 Cdn and 52-Set, and spread out from there to other, contemporary wireless sets. RCA Canada, and Philco, certainly advertised their involvement with the ones issued with the 52-Set, but I do have other similar headgear at hand that are original, with No. 2 Brown paint on the microphone with just a yellow C-Broad Arrow on the back and no sign of RCA, or Philco, stamps anywhere. Having restored two of these headgear for the 52-Set Project, I was going to consider that phase completed, but a few oddities popped up with the Type 10 Headgear that I thought might best be dealt with here as they would cover all such headgear, regardless of the wireless sets with which they are used.

The first and simplest item is the black, leather Sleeve Assemblies that cover the adjustable, spring steel headbands of the Type 10, and other headgear. These sleeves are correctly mounted on the headband when the stitched seam is running along the bottom of the headband, with the smooth loop of leather over the top of the metal to avoid chafing the back of the Operator’s neck.

Most of the ones I have on hand look like neglected work boots these days, being pretty much scuffed up. I got curious about that this morning and decided to see what a bit of cleaning might accomplish.

The first photo shows the Sleeve after several minutes of cleaning with a tin of Kiwi Neutral Shoe Polish. This is the pale waxy looking colourless shoe polish. All the dirt and grime cleans off nicely, but it does not do much at all for the scuffs, other than soften them up a bit.

The second photo shows the same Sleeve after good rub in of Kiwi Black Shoe Polish, a couple of minutes of waiting and then a good buffing with a shoe brush. The history of wear can still be seen and appreciated up close, but the overall improvement to the look and texture of the leather cannot be denied. I think I will be cleaning up all my other ones in a similar manner now.


David