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Hallicrafters SCR-299 Mobile Radio in World War II |
 The
definition of "mobile," at least as it pertains to battlefield communications, has changed significantly since
this Hallicrafters SCR-299 radio was developed
during World War II. The SCR-299 is an adaptation for battlefield use of what began life as a transmitter for
amateur radio operators. Ruggedization of the entire unit was performed by factory engineers to ensure it would
survive the rigors of rapid deployment over
hill, over dale, as the soldiers hit the dusty trail. RF Cafe visitor Paul A. recently sent me a link to this
video documentary produced by Hallicrafters showing the SCR-299 being used in the field as well as some cool
factory factory production footage. Often when I am looking at an old house, or car, radio, or airplane, I
envision the people who were alive at the time, putting the lath and plaster on the walls of a home, or wrapping a
paper-dielectric capacitor lead around a post used in point-to-point wiring of a radio, or maybe installing the
seats in a vintage car - nameless, faceless souls who helped build the world we enjoy today. A lot of old film
footage is now available on the Internet to help restore some of the anonymity.About a year ago I published a page of WWII-era advertisements in the ARRL's QST magazine. Hallicrafters Company advertisement in the September 1942 QST.
Flashback: On December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the FCC issued a "Notice to All Amateur Licensees" that began thusly: "All amateur licensees are hereby notified that the Commission has ordered the immediate suspension of all amateur radio operation in the continental United States, its territories, and possessions." - compliments of FDR, the guy who gave us internment camps for Japanese Americans ($1.6B in reparations was paid to their families in 1988).Here is a short article I wrote the suspension of Ham radio.
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Posted July 9, 2012 |
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