In a message dated 5/29/06 5:05:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I think the influence may have been military. Pre-WWII radios are the > long shallow model, some early 1930s mil rigs were, but as WWII got > more serious, the rigs seemed to settle on the small panel-deep > chassis form factor. It makes sense when you're cramming a lot of > > gear into an airplane, making a radio to fit in a backpack or Jeep, > in a tank, etc. Since a lot of ham gear was actually ex-military gear > following WWII, and since the US's warlike nature has supplied hams > with a constant supply of military surplus stuff since, (this has > only recently dried up, due to the classified/controlled nature of > the modern mil gear) we seem to have radios these days that are about > the same shape as military ones. > I disagree! For one thing, the small-panel deep-chassis form factor was common in military radios long before WW2 *if* the radio was remote controlled or was not meant to be routinely operated manually. Look at the ARC-5 series and similar sets. But WW2 radios that were meant to sit in front of an operator had wide, high front panels and were relatively shallow. BC-348, BC-342, BC-191/375, ART-13, SCR-306 and many others. Even sets like the APX-6 transponder were wide and high but relatively shallow. Except for the ARC-5 series, most of the military sets that wound up in amateur hands had that form factor. > Frankly, if you're putting a radio in your car or RV or boat, taking > one along in a backpack, etc. the military type of shape makes sense. To a certain extent. The KX-1 form makes the most sense for backpacking and similar use. > I notice these days there are radios with the old prewar form factor, > such as the FT-1000 series and the new $5000-$100000 rigs the makers > have just come out with. Those are not meant to go into anyone's car > or boat... or tank. And they are relatively wide and shallow. Perhaps the KWM-2 influence is finally wearing off. They're catching up to what Southgate Radio was doing 32 years ago.....;-} The > > megabuck rigs even allow for a computer screen to be added, making > the total thing even wider and shallower overall. But how shallow are they? 73 de Jim, N2EY _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
