Canadian Wireless Test Equipment

[David Dunlop]

I was doing some equipment research on line over the weekend when I stumbled across a PDF File posted at some time by Jerry Proctor, which I found a very interesting read. It is a copy of a mid-1960’s Royal Canadian Navy equipment listing of all Oscilloscopes in service at that time with the RCN. It was several pages long with illustrations and descriptions of each scope.

The first surprise was that the total number of oscilloscopes in use was 39, including four identified as ‘British Admiralty Pattern’. Based on the NATO Stock Numbers, the rest of the equipment was either of Canadian or US manufacture.

The second surprise was the 5th illustration, which happened to be of the OS8-B/U Oscilloscope that I have always known to be a US Navy Contract Item from 1952. I picked one of these up years ago for around $50 Cdn all in. It is a rugged little design and probably close to the first truly light weight portable scopes built. Mine is a US Navy contract item built by Hickok.

Having seen this RCN document now, I wonder if a contract was ever placed for a run of OS8-B/U scopes that have RCN ID tags on them, or if what the RCN needed was simply bought direct from US Navy Stores?

David