Wireless Truck Furniture

[David Dunlop]

Hi Chris. I just noticed the 120 V terminal to the right of the table is not the standard issue one, which is much chunkier looking with one round terminal in the middle. Also a couple of odd looking brackets stuck on the front wall.

I am beginning to wonder if this photo perhaps originated at Wilson, the maker of these Wireless boxes.

Ford kept an extensive photo documentation file of all sorts of installations, mods, etc related to their UC production. Could be that Wilson ddi a similar thing with their wireless boxes, documenting new equipment, changes, mods etc as production evolved.

David

[David Dunlop]

Not sure where my brain is hiding today.

Just realized this same photo shows the battery trays Robert was asking about in his Restoration Thread. And therein is yet another oddity. Only two batteries in the system and no hold down assemblies for either tray. Seems very unlikely this vehicle was an active Wireless Truck. Too many things just don't add up.


David

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Not sure where my brain is hiding today.

Just realized this same photo shows the battery trays Robert was asking about in his Restoration Thread. And therein is yet another oddity. Only two batteries in the system and no hold down assemblies for either tray. Seems very unlikely this vehicle was an active Wireless Truck. Too many things just don't add up.


David

I bet those two nubs on the left face of the trays at the bottom facing the table are for the hold downs. Web straps perhaps but every radio tray I've seen has posts, threaded rods and a bar at the top to hold things down.

[Robert Bergeron]

Interesting picture indeed ...

[Bruce MacMillan]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Not sure where my brain is hiding today.

Seems very unlikely this vehicle was an active Wireless Truck. Too many things just don't add up.

David

The seats show some wear and the floor is a bit grotty. The tables legs and other metal work show a lot of paint scratched off. Perhaps this one was withdrawn from service and used for training?

[David Dunlop]

Bruce P.

Spot on! Those nubs are indeed the lower fittings of the battery hold down assemblies. They are riveted to the edge of the steel tray: one rivet either side and if memory serves, they are flush rivets. The centre loop held the vertical steel rod but I cannot recall if they were threaded in or welded.

Bruce M.

Hadn't thought of that option, though this particular wireless box looks a bit too incomplete/misrepresentative. Be a bit like a Bren Gun being declared 'DP' with missing and mismatched parts.

David

[Joe C]

Wow! What a detailed analysis you guys have done. Very impressive. Reaffirms that this is the place to come for my questions.

As for the picture, it is one held by the Military and Communications Museum in Kingston Ontario. The only other detail I can contribute is that I cropped out a "PHOTO.NDHQ" label plate from the bottom left corner. So, not likely a photo of a properly kitted out vehicle although I don't know the specific circumstances of it.

[David Dunlop]

The armour cable snaking up from behind the 2x4's supporting the battery box trays is the standard (common to all 2K1's and 2K2's) Grant Battery feed for the optional Onan Generator installation. It will end just in front of the Wireless Operators seat with a slim rectangular electrical box, the cover plate of which should have a central hole with the two (+ & -) wires hanging out. On the floor of the wireless box in that area should be four holes in a large square pattern, where the tray or box for the Grant Batteries was mounted, or if one is lucky, the tray itself. Most seemed to disappear outright, probably because they annoyed the hell out of the Wireless Operator, if they were not being used.

I covered the Grant Batteries in another post somewhere here, but cannot recall which thread.

Joe.

Maybe this was the wartime NDHQ Smoking Shack, and because it was headquarters, they got to keep the radio.


David

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Hi Chris. I just noticed the 120 V terminal to the right of the table is not the standard issue one, which is much chunkier looking with one round terminal in the middle. Also a couple of odd looking brackets stuck on the front wall.

I am beginning to wonder if this photo perhaps originated at Wilson, the maker of these Wireless boxes.

Ford kept an extensive photo documentation file of all sorts of installations, mods, etc related to their UC production. Could be that Wilson ddi a similar thing with their wireless boxes, documenting new equipment, changes, mods etc as production evolved.

David

It may well be a demonstration/training or test vehicle. It's certainly not complete in the photograph.

I'm beginning to reconsider my "Not a WS52" statement in the light of those "brackets" on the wall. They're "Shock absorbers, Bridge" as used on the WS19 carrier mounts, and are there to prevent a taller radio from tearing the carrier mounts off during acceleration and braking. The British WS19HP had an 'L' shaped bracket that fitted the top of the RF Amplifier No.2 and then attached to a shock mount on the rear wall. This pair look to be the correct spacing for a single large set and I'm wondering if it was the WS9 or WS52.
If so, the wider clamps take the set carrier - which is different to the WS19 type and has shock absorbers built into it - and it would clear the WS19 clamps fairly easily, I think.

I would NOT like to be the person installing a WS52, unless you were allowed to remove all the units from the case, install the carrier and case as a starting point and then populate it with the electronics. Otherwise you'd need an engine crane to lift the beast.

So, combination WS19 or WS52 depending on requirements.

The clamps for the battery trays are 'J' shaped threaded rods with steel angle strips (with the last inch or so of angle removed to give clearance for the wing nuts). Lower the batteries into place and connect up, place the hold-down strips (with threaded rods) on top, hook the rods into the tray 'nubs' and tighten the wingnuts to clamp the batteries in place. The two trays would take four batteries between them for the WS19, I don't know about the WS52 requirements - may have been one much bigger battery each for that?

Chris.

[David Dunlop]

Chris.

Thanks so much for confirming those two brackets on the wall are a pair of Bridges. When looking at an enlargement the other night, I thought they looked like them but mounted on the wall threw me completely. I then just chalked it up to my bad eyes and my getting a bit dotty.

Basic complete 52-Set runs in at 255 lbs, plus another 5 or 6 boxes of stuff to fully get one running that easily triples that weight. The set itself would require the standard 4 HD 6V Batteries at 200 amp hr each. The Remote Receiver also needs 4 LD 6V Batteries at 125 amp hr each. Yikes!

David

[Chris Suslowicz]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Basic complete 52-Set runs in at 255 lbs...

David

Which is why it took six of us to carry one out of the auction and into someone's car. It was complete with the carrier (which keeps the set case clear of the mounting surface by an inch or two as I recall), and I'm glad the purchaser had an estate car (.uk) with a flat bed and rear door or we'd never have loaded it as a single unit.

Chris.

[Johnny Canuck]

WS52 is actually designed to be dismantled, same as a 19 set, much easier to install in a carrier empty and then insert the component. "Plug and play", WS52 has an internal power bar that all 3 components plug into. If I remember correctly 2 bolts on the sides, 2 bolts on the bottom and out they come, moved it myself so it had to come apart.
Complete WS52 WW2 Ground Station/Truck installation was the standard WS52 Set Kit No.1 and 11 additional kits for a total of twelve kits total. Total weight of all kits was 2,119 lbs.
Have collected pretty much all the 12 kits except for the wireless tent from Manitoba Tent and Awning, the suction cup Lamps Operator and the power plug.

Geoff