antenna leads

[Chris Suslowicz]

That WS53 has been 'got at' by the look of things, and the output connector modified from a single-pin (coaxial) Niphan to something rather more recent.

The co-ax output from the WS53 used something very similar to the accumulator connectors (possibly 1 size smaller) and the WS19-style co-ax (Duradio No.1?) in (I think) 25-ft lengths with a Niphan connector on each end so they could be "daisy-chained". The dipole centre was bakelite or similar plastic, with a Niphan plug (male) and two nickel-plated brass bars with wing nut terminal to clamp the aerial wire.

Aerial wire was the standard "Wire, Electric, R4" issued in 41 yard packets for making up non-standard length dipoles, and ready made dipoles (9A, 9B and 9C) on the wooden board spools were issued with the set.

(41 yards is a deliberate length: it's a quarter wavelength at 2 MHz (with a bit left over for joints, etc.), so 2 packs will make you a dipole at the lowest frequency likely to be used. WS53 can go below 2MHz (1.6, I think) but it can cope with that much mismatch.)

I have most of one of the dipole centres, bought in a 'mixed lot' of radio bits on eBay - which included a No.69 offensive grenade! (Fortunately inert, unfortunately tatty. Hence the tagline...)

Chris.
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You know they're out to get you when you find a grenade in your morning mail.