Wireless of the Week - week 13

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Born as a Combined Operations set and wading ashore on D-Day at Normandy, the Wireless Set No.46 is about as front line as you can get in a portable infantry radio. It was produced by E.K. Cole beginning in 1942 and used from then until the end of the war and for some time thereafter.

Designed for communication in combat situations including beach landings, the 46 set was waterproof, easy to use and rugged. Its general configuration is similar to the standard 38 set in having the set worn on the operator’s left front in a canvas carrier, a haversack on his back holding a dry battery and a junction box to connect the set, battery and headsets. Controls were on the face of the set which were covered by a lid on the canvas carrier when not in use. Again similar to the 38 set, the 46 used a throat mic and the operator pushed a ‘Press to Send’ button on the set itself when he wanted to transmit. The send button was also the morse ‘key’ when the set was switched from R/T (voice) to MCW (morse). Other controls include an on/off switch, a window indicating when the set was powered, a channel selector switch (A, B or C) and an aerial trimmer. Eight Individual ‘B’ aerial sections were carried in a sleeve in the set carrier as well as a card with operating instructions. The haversack worn on the back held the battery and a spare, and the external junction box with leads to the set, battery and two headset drop leads or ‘snatch plugs’.

Frequency range was from 3.6 MHz to 9.1 MHz in preset crystal controlled channels. This was obtained by using four different colour coded plug in coils: red (3.6 to 4.3 MHz), blue (5 to 6 MHz), white (6.4 to 7.6 MHz) and yellow 7.9 to 9.1 MHz). Each coloured coil would allow three preset frequencies within its range A, B, or C selected by the switch on the set face. What this meant is that two sets with the same coloured coils had three channels to choose from, easily selected by switching to A, B or C. These sets could only talk to each other but not to another 46 set with a different coloured coil. Any other variable tunable AM receiver listening in could tune to a 46 set signal, but the 46 set operator could not tune to anything other than one of his three crystal controlled frequencies. He probably had no idea and didn't care what frequency he was actually on; all he need to know was A, B or C.

Range was up to 10 miles with a standard 7’ 6” aerial made from ‘B’ sections, however a 12’ or 16’ aerial made from ‘F’ sections or a ‘long’ wire aerial could be used. These required an adapter plugged into the set’s aerial socket. The sockets on the adapter were marked “F” and “L”’ respectively. A dummy load aerial was attached to the set so the set could be tested without radiating a signal. Dry batteries provided 3 volts (LT) and 150 volts (HT) and initially were the same as those used in the No.18 set, however later ones were modified to reduce the different drain between HT and LT consumption.

The 46 set was a very advanced design both in performance, size, ease of use and its waterproof capabilities. It was eventually eclipsed by late and post was VHF sets, however it did soldier on especially in jungle or hilly environments where AM signals were superior.