11 Set stuff

[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,

[Mike K]

The headphones talk reminds of the mic/headphone sets ham radio supplies had back in the early 80's . New in boxes , the harness was rubber all over and marked NYLEX 1956 . They were same as WW2 era 19 set sets with the fabric ear muffs and the dynamic mic insert , they may have been made for the 62 sets the army here were using at the time . Nylex was in Bay road in Cheltenham , Melbourne

Anyway they were $2 a set . They had lots of them .

The same shop also had WW2 dated headsets with the bakelite ear pieces, these were 2 bucks new . Ive still got a few of them

not me selling this but this is the same set I was buying for 2 bucks !


http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Military-...item417d3e13b1

[Ron Pier]

Here's a nice picture of a WS11 being used as a ground station. I calculate the bike to be a pre war Ariel. Ron

[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/

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

Here's a nice picture of a WS11 being used as a ground station. I calculate the bike to be a pre war Ariel. Ron

Looks like a Aust. 11 set to me .

[Mike K]

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[Ron Pier]

An 8 cwt Mike. But not really configured as a proper FFW. I think.

Ron

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

An 8 cwt Mike. But not really configured as a proper FFW. I think.

Ron

Hi Ron

Yes its a AD HOC setup , the scene is Greece . This was common scenario .

Years ago I bought a 109 set from a AIF sigs veteran . He showed me his old photo album , pics in Syria , and he mentioned that the wireless vehicles his unit used arrived as GS trucks , each vehicle crew scrounged bits of wood and made wireless tables in the field , a case of improving . The vehicles he had taken pics of I identified as 1 Ton Fords ,1940 models . This chap was a mate of the guy who wrote "Saga of a Sig" , I think it was Ken Clift but I could be wrong .

[Mike K]

Another pic

[cletrac (RIP)]

I got this helmet with DLR5 headphones off ebay for $56. The helmet usually sells for double that.

[Mike K]

These are the reels of wire for the 11 set remote units . The thicker wire isn't original , its some kind of coax . The reels are dated 1942

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's the Aussie manual in PDF format.
Aussie 11 set manual
I have the British manual in PDF format but it's not online that I know of.

[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 .

[cletrac (RIP)]

I made up this list of the stuff needed for a complete Vehicle setup. It came off the British 11 set manual. Can anyone help with the missing ZA numbers?

[Chris Suslowicz]

Yes, but it will take some time (I will need to transcribe some of my 1940-ish VAOS which only exists as a rather scruffy photocopy).

How much detail do you need? (Some of the items will have a detailed description to allow (for instance connectors) manufacture by the stores depot.)

[cletrac (RIP)]

It would be nice to have enough detail to know what all I'm looking for. I have several pictures already.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Aerial coupler and remote.

[Mike K]

My copy of the UK 11 set manual is dated November 1939 .

What is interesting is, it was printed in Sydney , Australia .

Reprinted with permission of the Controller , His Majesty's Stationary office , London .

The reprint date is 1 41 .. Jan 1941 maybe ?

A ham VK2DID, was kind enough to give the book to me many years ago .

Makes you wonder how many UK sets were issued to Aust. units ,must have been enough of them around to justify the printing of the manuals in Sydney

[cletrac (RIP)]

I found a few online pics. An aerial bag No2 MkII plus contents and the morse key and mount. Even an original hammer.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a whatzit for you. It's with that 11 set on ebay Australia. It has a jack to plug in a speaker.
The last two pics are a 'military radio speaker' with the same plug.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by cletrac

Here's a whatzit for you. It's with that 11 set on ebay Australia. It has a jack to plug in a speaker.
The last two pics are a 'military radio speaker' with the same plug.

Its all junk , the vendor doesnt know what it is by the sound of it'

The golf bag antenna kit is the standard kit , apparently the early ones had alloy mast sections but they changed over to plated steel ? probably as the allloy was needed for aeroplanes

[cletrac (RIP)]

Mike, the speaker is from the junk guy and the whatzit is from the $1500 set. I was just wondering what it is.
One site said that the alloy aerials were fragile and you needed to carry spares.

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by cletrac

Mike, the speaker is from the junk guy and the whatzit is from the $1500 set. I was just wondering what it is.
One site said that the alloy aerials were fragile and you needed to carry spares.

David none of those bits are for a 11 set and I don't think anything there is military

The last item may be a filament supply transformer , a lot of early tube radios had A and B batteries , because many rural farms did not have electricity . For town use, instead of replacing the batteries , you could buy a mains power unit for the tube filaments .

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by cletrac

One site said that the alloy aerials were fragile and you needed to carry spares.

Yes that would be the reason, the signallers would have thrown the masts around and bent them . The post war golf bag kits I have ,have the copper or brass plated steel mast sections .

[cletrac (RIP)]

I got a couple more items off ebay. The condenser was made by EK Cole.
The aerial bag looks to be a No 2 like the 1 set used. It held most of the same stuff as the 11 set used. Maybe somebody will trade me for a No 2 Mk II.
I was curious about Canadian 11 set makers.
My remote unit A was made by N E Co in 1940. Maybe Northern Electric?
My Power Unit No 1 was made by Canadian Marconi in 1941.

[Bruce MacMillan]

Both of my 11 sets were made by Canadian Marconi, dated 1941. I believe production ceased that year as WS19 sets were in production in January 1942.
I think Marconi was the only manufacturer in Canada.

Don't know the total number made but I had s/n C95 and C632. Also had a couple of remote made by Northern Electric in 1941.

The aerial unit "C" was made by R.T.E. in 1941.

When the demand for 19 sets increased Canada requested and received 200 ws11 sets from British stores for training. What happened to these is unknown.

There are some photos on the web showing Army Cadets in Vancouver training on assorted wireless equipment at the armoury. This included many WS11 sets. Sadly all was lost when the armoury burnt down.

Just had a quick peak in "British Royal Signals in the Second World War" and it mentions that the UK produced 19,000 #11 sets from pre war until 1942.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a Royal Canadian Horse Artillery group in Italy in September 1943. Look at the remote unit A they're using. I guess the 11 sets made it past 1942.