Identification request

[Robin Craig]

Mike,

Don't put yourself down too much, you are quite swift, trust me.

FFW? I would have said FFR with the R being radio, perhaps FFW was a wartime thing, R was what we called that in the UK. Wireless had connotations of grandad and a pipe and carpet slippers.

Be back at you with suggestions

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Robin

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Larkspur series were generally all 'wireless', it was the US that used 'radio' (and antenna instead of aerial). By the end of the 1960s, just about everyone had converted to 'radios' with 'antennas'. I stuck with FFW (Fitted for Wireless) as that was the nomenclature used when the vehicle pictured was under development.

Interestingly, the same vehicle type at the same time was listed as an FFR when fitted with US sourced radios. Go figure: wonder what the Aust Army called a vehicle with a US and a Brit radio!!

Mike

[David Dunlop]

Mike.

They might be a pair of R216 Receivers and PSU’s, but I have no idea if that would be part of the Larkspur series or Clansman, or even what frequencies they lurked about on.

David

[Bruce MacMillan]

Originally Posted by David Dunlop

Mike.
They might be a pair of R216 Receivers and PSU’s, but I have no idea if that would be part of the Larkspur series or Clansman, or even what frequencies they lurked about on.
David

Spot on David. They are a pair of R216 receivers with PSU #45. These are a vhf monitor/intercept receiver covering 19 MHz to 157 MHz. They are a part of the Larkspur family.

[Lynn Eades]

So FFW, Fitted For Wadio
(I knew it was a wadio, but that's the sum of my knowledge)
There are some clever people on this great forum

[Mike Cecil]

David, Bruce and everyone else that looked at their reference books, thank you: problem solved.

I'll do some more research on the R216, but have to wonder what use a double set of reception sets would be in a comms vehicle? 'I can hear you, just can't reply...'.

The C13-R210 combination was odd enough (a separate receiver set and reception set combined with the one PSU).

Edit: OK, found the R216 on the WftW website: used for 'monitoring and interception'.

Ahhh, Lynn - that's what FFW stands for ONLY in New Zealand!

Again, thanks,

Mike

[Lynn Eades]

Mike I may one day cross over to the dark side and learn a bit about wireless/ radio, but only in as much as they relate to my vehicles. So that would be 11 sets and 19 sets and of course, for the sake of national pride, the ZC1 of which I have one.
(I do have a few radio books as it happens)