Wireless Remote Control Unit No. 1 (Canadian)

[David Dunlop]

Another little mystery with the Northern Electric RCU I have has surfaced.

The January 1943 manual I have for these Canadian Remote Control Units No. 1 shows a style of headphones that employ dual spring steel head bands on friction post adjustable swivel mount ear pieces. This NE set, however, has the style of headphones in the attached photo. The Northern Electric RCU headset has yellow Philco and British Broad Arrow stamps on the back of each ear piece. One end of the adjustable spring steel neck support has a 3/8 inch yellow circle stamp with 'RCA' in the middle. The ear cushion assemblies have TOP moulded into the top, an tiny octagon with a capital T moulded into one side and the number 'M-301' at the bottom.

I was uncertain about the correct use of this headset with the RCU, but then went looking in a bin of bits I had saved from a Dominion Electrohome RCU No 1 Cdn years ago. It was a 1945 built unit and lo and behold had the same style headset. The manufacturer of this headset is unknown to me. The back of each ear piece, as shown, has a silver paint 'C Broad Arrow' stamp followed by the capital letters 'FEB'. There is also the word 'TOP' moulded into the rubber cushions, the same tiny octagon with the capital T inside, but the number at the bottom is 'NAF-48490-1'. The yellow circle with 'RCA' in the middle also shows up on one end of the spring steel head band.

I found a photo on line yesterday of two more Dominion Electrohome RCU's, both dated 1945 and both have this style of headset.

Seems that sometime between January 1943 and 1945 the headsets for the Wireless Remote Control Units No. 1 Canadian were upgraded for some reason.

Anyone know of a company involved in war production that had the initials FEB?

David