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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 13th Mar 2013, 8:47 pm   #61
G6Tanuki
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

The "List of contents of master item 17090" document in the original manual for my AR88-D just defines it as:

"Title: MI-17090 Radio Receiver 100-250V Univ 50/60 cycle (freq 535KC to 32MC)"

The US military designation was "RR620-D", the "RR" bit being "Receiver, Radio".



I've also got here (and really should scan for posteriority) a 5-side document entitled: "Instructions for vibrator power supply unit MI-8319A and MI-8319 - Radiart types 6821 and 6821A for 6-volt storage-battery operation", this being the vibrator PSU to operate an AR77, AR77E or AR88D off a battery - the DC feed is "Protected by a 16-ampere fuse" but there's a note that this may "need to be upgraded to 20-amperes if the 15-ampere fuse experiences repeated failures".
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Old 15th Mar 2013, 1:48 pm   #62
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

Yes, my manual, both the AR88 and AR88D ones that I have, have this short add on at the back. I've got one of these units somewhere, I must see if I can find it and make it go.......

Robin
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Old 9th Jun 2013, 2:56 pm   #63
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

Just a thought America was neutral at the outbreak of the war so could not ship anything military to the UK, but if it was labelled and sold as Amateur Radio equipment would that have kept the shipments legal?

Then AR may well stand for Amateur Radio.


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Old 12th Jun 2013, 9:09 am   #64
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

Brian,

I'm not so sure about neutrality meaning no selling of military equipment. Weren't both Bofors of Sweden and Oerlikon of Switzerland selling actual guns? (Oerlikon to both sides)

The AR77 was definitely for the amateur market, the build quality wasn't military. The AR88 may just have followed the numbering, though it's a more serious machine by far. The HRO went mainly into amateur and aviation (ground) use in the mid 30's.

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Old 12th Jun 2013, 3:41 pm   #65
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

It is certainly the case with the HRO that it was classed as military and could not be shipped to the UK. Diplomats were sent to the USA with fist fulls of dollars to buy them from Ham Radio retailers until the Americans entered the war. 10,000 HROs found their way here during WWII. The AR88 was an official lend-lease product that came along later.
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Old 12th Jun 2013, 3:54 pm   #66
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

It's also alleged that at the beginning of WWII an RAF officer was sent to Webb's Radio in Soho with the instruction to buy up every Hallicrafters S27 VHF receiver they had in stock since this was the best receiver at the time for intercepting the German "Knickebein" navigation beams.
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Old 12th Jun 2013, 4:25 pm   #67
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

There was a regular high-speed run by Mosquito aircraft between Scotland and Sweden, returning with a belly-full of SKF bearings for British industry. The aircraft had civil registrations, presumably to keep the Swedes happy, though there can have been little doubt that they were largely for military production. Business is businesss...

I suspect that the "AR" designation's origins have become occluded by history- a little like the way you might encounter someone with THE definitive version of the origin of the term "OK"- which just happens to be utterly different to the other half-dozen "definitive" origins you've already heard. I imagine we've all heard (and like!) the story behind the HRO name but I should think that even this well-documented story has had its share of wishful embellishment, memory corruption and "three'n'fourpence" en route. There was a recent thread on the origin of Marconi's "TF" designation that just stuck for decades- perhaps "AR" stood for something way back in RCA's line-up and similarly continued, it might have meant nothing particular by time of the '88. Perhaps it just rolled off the tongue nicely as far as the marketing men were concerned.
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Old 12th Jun 2013, 9:41 pm   #68
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

Hi Guys.

I have been reading a book called (RADIOLA THE GOLDEN AGE OF RCA)and found it very informative on RCA.

There is a parragraph on the name number/letter designations that may be of interest, this book is available on Amazon, it's rather expensive, but you can read it on line here, go to page 397 to page 406.(RCA RECEIVER APPARATUS CHARACTERISTICS) is does not tell you about AR88's as it's before that time.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=C...page&q&f=false

Just a suggestion/thought would RCA not have used (AR for Armstrong) IE. RCA-AR88 like the RCA-AR-812 when he sold the patents to them?

What does the team think?

Gezza123
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Old 12th Jun 2013, 10:56 pm   #69
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

It would be nice to think so, seeing as poor Armstrong was driven to suicide over the patents.

(With the warm tones of BBC WS 12095kHz accompanying my typing, courtesy of nearly 1cwt of US heavy metal),

Colin.
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Old 12th Jun 2013, 11:49 pm   #70
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

That's very interesting info Gerry. This thread has been going for a long time [usefully I might add] but I had been convinced that a definitive answer would emerge quickly. Most of what has been said [me included] contains elements of supposition or guesswork. You, on the other hand, have actual evidence to produce to the Tribunal, even if it cannot be conclusive and this seems to be quite a new developement

After I stole the "team" quote for the other AR88 thread, from Gardeners Question Time, I see you are now passing it on.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"!

Dave

I thought that was Alexander Pope [many current sayings are] but it's Charles Cotton
I thought Pope also said that "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" but it's Samuel Johnson!
What has this to do with Vintage Radio? Well I'm "imitating" the Reverend Dobbs who always had a good quote at the top of his excellent construction articles in PW.

Last edited by dave walsh; 13th Jun 2013 at 12:05 am.
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Old 16th Jun 2013, 7:40 pm   #71
gezza123
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Default Re: The AR88 receiver: its name?

Hi Colin.
Yes I have been reading about the poor fellow and I do understand why he would do such a thing, as being on the receiving end as they are as bad in today's Industries.
At least his good lady wife did not let them off lightly.

I do listen to BBC WS 12095kHz, but I get it better on (Band 3@ s9+ rather than Band 4 @ s8 fading).

Hi Dave
Sorry I stole your "team" quote, but as it may be subject to copywrite I thought I would join you in the flower garden.
I hope that the information is of use to other members as I was just reading the book and came across it, "why" I don't know as I was looking for other information.
I also hope that members will still believe in there Ideas of how AR name came about and keep this excellent thread going.Gezza123
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