No. 19 set CONSULTING WANTED - installation of No 19 set in Staghound Armoured Car

[Chris Suslowicz]

I think I've worked out what's wrong, and the various boxes are in the wrong place. (David's post and the photograph of the J.D.3 between the Binoculars and Signal cartridges also helped.)

Assuming that's "upstairs", i.e. in the turret, it's definitely in the wrong place, because that's for the Driver and Bow Gunner down in the hull. The cable from the JD3 connects to the Hull Junction Box for access to the Rotary Base Junction. Connections are Speech (Intercom output), Signal (buzzer call to commander's droplead), Mic+ & Mic- (for intercom), 12V (for buzzer) and earth (for buzzer and intercom ground).

Because it's currently located between the Binoculars and Signal Cartridges, I'd guess that's the Commander's position, and should have Control Unit No.1 (which has a single 12-way connector, two dropleads (commander and gunner) and a switch that can select A IC B. It will also have a cable entry for a 4-way lead that connects the turret junction box to the terminal board in the control unit: Signal, Speech, Mic+ & Mic- (the cable entry can come out of the top of the box, next to the 12-way connector, or from the right hand side - unused holes will be blocked by rubber grommets). A 12-way cable runs from the connector on the top of the box, round the back wall of the turret to the Radio Operator's Box (Control Unit No.2) which has a single droplead, two switches (A IC B and N R), a red warning light ("A Set Unattended") and two 12-way connectors.One of the 12-way connectors goes to Control Unit No.1, the other goes to the Wireless Set.

Power supply: the cable used depends on the vehicle voltage (the WS19 itself requires 12 volts) and the power unit fitted. It's a late-WW2 vehicle, so has a 24 Volt battery (probably) and Wireless Set No.19 Mk.3 (probably Canadian, with Supply Unit No.2). That can have 3 options: 12V 2-wire feed, 24-volt 3-wire feed or 24 volt 2-wire feed, and they require different connections to the turret terminal box. Getting it wrong can cause serious damage to the set - like "all the valves and lamps will have to be replaced" damage.

What set and supply unit do you have?

Best regards,
Chris.

[David Dunlop]

Dan.

In Post #6 you mention a wireless connector hitting the radio tray so not fitting properly. Can you post a photo of that problem? The floor of the wireless bustle at the back of the turret should have locations on it for the four shock mounts of the Carriers No 21 to be fastened. Once they are in place, the Carriers No. 21 can be fastened to them and this arrangement is intended to allow all cables to properly clear.


David

[daninnm]

having trouble posting pictures but the diagram is spot on.....comments really really welcome. Made an executive decision to put the “radio op” box on both sides of the turret where in reality the loader was the radio operator and in WWII installations only, he had the radio controls at his disposal. Makes for one less set of writing connections! I removed the fuses from the two radio control boxes in the turret….I was supposed to do that correct?
My belief is that the left-side radio box in the turret gets its power from the four-wire cable going to the comm box below the radio rack. The right-side radio control box does NOT HAVE a power cable in that it is the box that is connected to the lower left 12-pin socket on the No 19 radio set itself. The left-side radio control box (the one the commander and gunner use) is connected to the loader / radio op box with a 12-pin to 12-pin cable.
I figured out how to change the orientation of the 12-pin plugs and I did that – the lower cable now runs in a straight line over to the right-side radio box.
Check out my diagram – see if I got it right???!!!
Thanks all.
Dan in NM
505-tew-69-205-syx

[Chris Suslowicz]

Hi Dan,

Having done a little "research"... (Why is it that nobody ever posts interior photographs of the radio fit or anything approaching a "crew layout" diagram for anything I'm interested in?) ...things are somewhat clearer.

(All positions are as viewed from the rear of the vehicle looking forward.)

Driver sits on the left (because it's a U.S. built vehicle and LHD) down in the hull, Bow Gunner sits to his right. They (probably) share a single Junction Distribution No.3 box and use the later headsets (Microphone & Headgear No.10).

Upstairs (in the turret) Commander is on the left and has a Control Unit No.1 (or 1A) behind him. Gunner (37mm) is on the right and shares that control unit (This may require a headset extension lead, depending on the size of the turret and the length of the dropleads.) Loader/Wireless Operator is between them and has a Control Unit No.2 to the left of the supply unit (relative to the set) this is the type with the red light and single droplead) - it's also possible that the control unit is mounted on the turret roof to save space.

Cabling: 12-way from set to Control Unit No.2 (side connector), 12-way from Control Unit No.2 (top connector) to Control Unit No.1. Dog-bone between set and supply unit. (Which set and supply unit do you have?) 6-way from supply unit to turret junction box (4 power leads (+12V, 0V) plus Speech and Signal), or possibly 4-way if Speech and Signal are sourced from Control Unit No.1). Four-way lead from Control Unit No.1 to Turret Junction Box (Speech, Signal, Mic+, Mic-). Six way lead from Hull Junction Box (RBJ?) to Junction Distribution No.3 (Speech, Signal, +12V, Ground, Mic+, Mic-).

(This is based on my memory of the M4 Sherman and T26E1 Pershing install, I'll keep looking for other (smaller vehicle) installation documents.)

Is the Staghound in question a Commonwealth or a U.S. one, as the radio fit is wildly different - if it's originally WW2 then it may have mounting holes for the original radio fit and cable clips, control units, etc. which would be a big help in getting things right. (Do Bovington have the installation drawings?)

It's late/early, so more later, I think.

Chriszzzzzzzzzzz...