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Vintage Amateur and Military Radio Amateur/military receivers and transmitters, morse, and any other related vintage comms equipment.

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Old 29th Jul 2011, 9:33 am   #1
M0FYA Andy
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Default "Four Square" aircraft radio system

Does anyone have any information at all on the so-called "Four Square" aircraft comms radio system, please?

I recently bought a Receiver Type 81B, which is clearly part of this system.

On his website, forum-member GMB lists the Four Square as being ARI 5206, with a list of component units, but this doesn't include Rx Type 81B.

The seller said it was part of TR1460A, covered by AP2538A, but I can find no reference to either of these - I have just asked him where he got his references from, but no reply yet.

Information on this system seems very thin on the ground. I guess the Hendon Museum could have some information, but I wondered if anyone here has any information, or can point me to anything.

Many thanks,

Andy
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Old 29th Jul 2011, 12:57 pm   #2
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

There is more than one installation that uses these units.
"Four square" (ARI 5206) is one of them - with two TX and RX units. There are others with just a single RX and TX.
I have circuits of some of the units and have some of the units too.

I'm sure the Hendon archive will sell you a copy of AP2538A.
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Old 29th Jul 2011, 1:15 pm   #3
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

I'm sure they will - I believe they charge 40p per photocopied page!

Is there any chance of scans of your circuits?

Many thanks,
Andy
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Old 29th Jul 2011, 2:15 pm   #4
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

They are not my circuits as some kind person sent them to me (and I'm sorry that I have forgotton who it was).

But I don't have a circuit for Type 81B though.

By the way, you do realise that the receiver unit is pretty useless without the rest of the installation because it isn't a whole receiver, more of a front end.

If the Type 81 is a whole receiver then it's a very different beast.
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Old 29th Jul 2011, 4:12 pm   #5
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

As I said, I know very little, with no documentation at all.
I also have one of the other Rx's, I can't remember the number and it's a bit buried under my bench in a transit case. Also two transmitters which I think might make a complete one out of the two. (One day, sometime in the next century............).
I have been offered some other units including a modulator which I'm guessing will also function as the Rx back-end, but its early days, we haven't discussed a price yet.
I imagine that the Type 81B will follow the same format as the others, but in the absence of a circuit that's but a wild guess!
Andy
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Old 29th Jul 2011, 7:17 pm   #6
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

Quote:
I have been offered some other units including a modulator
Well you are lucky. I've been looking for the modulator for a very long time!
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Old 1st Aug 2011, 9:20 pm   #7
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

Quote:
Originally Posted by M0FYA Andy View Post
Does anyone have any information at all on the so-called "Four Square" aircraft comms radio system, please?

I recently bought a Receiver Type 81B, which is clearly part of this system.

On his website, forum-member GMB lists the Four Square as being ARI 5206, with a list of component units, but this doesn't include Rx Type 81B.

The seller said it was part of TR1460A, covered by AP2538A, but I can find no reference to either of these - I have just asked him where he got his references from, but no reply yet.

Information on this system seems very thin on the ground. I guess the Hendon Museum could have some information, but I wondered if anyone here has any information, or can point me to anything.

Many thanks,

Andy
Andy,

a key source for tracing many RAF equipments is AP2463. This lists Receiver Type 81B as part of TR1460B, described in AP2538C. Note that there is also another version 81A (TR1460A) also described in the same AP.

The next very useful document is AP2276A, which gives a brief summary description of many systems. I enclose a copy of the pages relating to both the TR1460 and ARI5206. Note these are NOT the same thing - as far as I can see your type 81B receiver is not part of the four square system.

Richard
Attached Files
File Type: pdf Pages from AP2276A.pdf (364.5 KB, 282 views)
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Old 1st Aug 2011, 10:38 pm   #8
M0FYA Andy
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Default Re: "Four Square" aircraft radio system

Richard,
Many thanks for this information. I agree that TR1460 and ARI5206 are not the same thing, although I think it is fair to say there appears to be a 'family relationship' between the LRIs that make up these two systems, and that the Rx Type 81B is not part of ARI5206.
Andy
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