Mobile Amateur rigs of the 1930'/40's

[Triple M]

Interested in any information (pic's, descriptions, schematics of installations etc) on amateur mobile rigs used in the 1930/40 in cars of the period.
I have a prewar car and would like to install a period mobile setup (I know they were about as I have a very grainy picture of a 1930 MG Mtype with base loaded antenna, believed to be for 60 or 80m and a "radio club" badge with call sign on the badge-bar in front of the radiator)
I'd be very keen to obtain any equipment, operational or US if you think it may have been of the period

Let me know as I'm interested to find out as much as I can, before all the knowledge and experience finally disappears..

Glenn G0HPS

[Radio Wrangler]

There may be material in the pre-war editions of the RSGB and RRL handbooks that could shed some light on the 1930s.

By the 1940s things were dominated by the war. A lot of useful gear didn't become available on the ear surplus market until the 1950s.

Commercial equipment for stationary use was far too big for mobile use, certainly in a small car.

By the 1950s there were articles in both RSGB and ARRL magazines on building custom mobile stations. THese used wartime-developed parts rather extensively. This may be your best option.

David

[G3VKM_Roger]

Hi Glenn,

You could start with a search in the RSGB "T & R Bulletin", the ancestor of Radcom, available on CD-ROM.

You may already know but scans of a lot of magazines, from USA, UK and overseas, are stored here:-

https://worldradiohistory.com/

I think that Wireless World would also be a good source as well as Practical Wireless, both of which are on that site.

Would be interested to hear what you find.

73

Roger/G3VKM

PS; I did some research a while ago on the American Harvey-Wells UHX-10 transmitter which was sold pre-war in the UK for HF fixed or mobile operation, I have the details of that radio being used mobile on 28MHz if it's of use.

[Triple M]

Thanks both, and yes details on the 28mhz setup would be interesting to see please

Glenn

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by Triple M

Thanks both, and yes details on the 28mhz setup would be interesting to see please

Glenn

Hi Glenn,

The attached scans came from an article in a 1937 edition of QST magazine.

I came across the UHX-10 when I was looking for information on American amateur radio equipment which had been available to UK amateurs in the run up to WW2. The UHX-10 fits the bill as a mobile transmitter as it has optionable DC power supplies and will use a variety of aerials.

Mobile amateur radio stations seem to have been more popular in the US than over here but after WW2 with huge stocks of ex-military equipment available mobile operations increased in the 40s-60s here and in the US.

I have an undated copy of "The Mobile Manual For Radio Amateurs" published by the ARRL which runs to 350+ pages of articles and adverts which provides a good view of mobile operations as practised in the US. However, your area of interest being pre-WW2 the book may be of little use to you.

Having said that, in the UK pre-war cars were in use for several years post-war for various reasons, so you could fit a station to your MG based on say WW2 Command Sets, which were very popular and cheap in the 40s and 50s.


73

Roger/G3VKM

[HamishBoxer]

Is that an HRO on the back seat? You will not fit that under the dashboard.

[Jon_G4MDC]

Curious the statement that /M was only legal on 10m and 5m.

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by HamishBoxer

Is that an HRO on the back seat? You will not fit that under the dashboard.

Yes, it mentions it in the text. I wouldn't like to have one of those whack me in the back if I had a shunt!

73

Roger

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by Jon_G4MDC

Curious the statement that /M was only legal on 10m and 5m.

I think there might have been a similar restriction in the UK. Certainly, you needed a separate licence for mobile operations in the UK and keep a log! I still have my mid-60s logbook somewhere for my Codar AT5.

The ARRL mobile handbook I mentioned earlier was published in 1955. There's a good photo of a 1919 mobile transmitter here:-

https://hackaday.com/2020/07/16/ham-...ns-circa-1919/

Great aerial system!

73

Roger/G3VKM

[HamishBoxer]

Great picture Roger, though you might get stopped for insecure load! Certainly forgotten about the mobile logbook.

I have a small yellow one from the 70's, pretty sure it was a requirement then.

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by HamishBoxer

Great picture Roger, though you might get stopped for insecure load! Certainly forgotten about the mobile logbook.

I have a small yellow one from the 70's, pretty sure it was a requirement then.

I had a WS62 behind the seats, with a short loaded whip mounted on a luggage rack on the boot.

73

Roger/G3VKM

[G6Tanuki]

I guess you'd only really have been able to operate while actually driving - the power-demand of something like a HRO and associated several-6L6 transmitter would have been murderous to the typical six-volt-dynamo electrical-system typical of the time.

I do remember seeing in some of the WWII-era ARRL handbooks several HF-converter circuits - often using something like a single 6K8 or 6A8 - that allowed a car-radio to act as a 'tunable IF'; one of these also showed an adapter made out of a UX-style plug and socket that you fitted into the car-radio's output-valve socket to allow HT/LT to be tapped off and fed to the HF converter.

Of course any sort of car-radio was rather rare in UK prewar cars!

[James Duncan]

My family had a home made transmitter and receiver in the boot, pretty big and I was told that it used up the car battery very quickly so extra batteries were used, these were 6 volt as was common then.
This was in late 1930's so I doubt if I ever saw this setup in the car, I do remember the car as it was hidden away so it would not be confiscated for the MOD.
I do not know what happened to the Tx and RX but most at the time were home brew as no one making rigs, at least not in UK.
MM0HDW

[Cobaltblue]

Several totally unnecessary car references removed.

Make, model, MPG, not necessary.

Cheers

Mike T

[Triple M]

Thanks again for some great information, I hadn't realized that mobile operation was restricted to 10 and 5m!
Maybe as noted, an older Codar T28/AT5 might be a possible interim setup before i can find something more "period"
thanks again for all comments.
Glenn

[G3VKM_Roger]

Originally Posted by Triple M

Thanks again for some great information, I hadn't realized that mobile operation was restricted to 10 and 5m!
Maybe as noted, an older Codar T28/AT5 might be a possible interim setup before i can find something more "period"
thanks again for all comments.
Glenn

Hi Glenn,

The article I posted was for American amateurs, I've no info on bands used for mobile over here.

I asked a friend who is very into the history of the hobby about UK pre-1939 mobile operations and he said it was not common and needed a special time-limited permit from the GPO.

The Codar AT5/T28 would be a good choice as they are fairly plentiful.

Until quite recently I owned a small Top Band and 80m mobile TX built by G3HRK. I've just remembered that I still had a photo of it with a Top Band Command receiver and a PSU/control unit, the installation dates from the 50s I believe.

Another possible source of info might be the "Mobile Scene" section of Short Wave Magazine. In the mid-50s the magazine published a list of UK amateurs operating mobile and the basic details of bands used, etc. The American Radio History web site has all the SWMs for free download. https://worldradiohistory.com/Short_Wave_UK.htm

73

Roger/G3VKM

[WB6NVH-GEOFF]

It is my recollection as well that in the pre-war USA, mobile operation was illegal other than on the 10 and 5 meter bands unless you received a special permit. Even after the war, for a time there was a rule that you had to notify the nearest radio inspector of your intent to operate portable, i.e. at a fixed location other than your license location. It appears that the GPO had similar restrictions in place in the UK.

[Malcolm G6ANZ]

I found this photo of mobile television in an old CQ TV. (no 179). Most likely not transmitting. There is a callsign on the camera, G3PY, but I can't find any information on the net about the callsign or the car used (Matilda)

Malcolm

The 70cms repeater in Cambridge is GB3PY, it was (maybe still is) ran by Pye Telecom. Perhaps a connexion with G3PY?

[dodgy-dxer]

Originally Posted by Malcolm G6ANZ

I found this photo of mobile television in an old CQ TV. (no 179). Most likely not transmitting. There is a callsign on the camera, G3PY, but I can't find any information on the net about the callsign or the car used (Matilda)

Malcolm

Pre-war 3PY was a private individual in Manchester

5PY is listed a a "BBC Relay"

5PI was the Pye Radio club

Search for G5UM callbook

Fred