Another ID Question - Antenna - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Sparky67 · 21st Jan 2017, 9:09 pm

Can anyone ID the antenna in the attached photo please? It has W1961A stamped on one side, and 1155 N stamped on the other. The elements to the centre of the block are 12.5cm each, which puts it around 570MHz.

I presume it's off an aircraft, but what was it used for?

Thanks.

HamishBoxer · 22nd Jan 2017, 2:29 pm

I wondered but could be way off,that it is from a wave meter.

G6Tanuki · 22nd Jan 2017, 8:39 pm

The mention of "1155" is intriguing.

I know that during testing of various Airborne Interception (AI) and Air-to-Surface-Vessel (ASV) RADARs there were problems with these causing severe interference to the established HF ground-to-air voice-radio comms to the point where a RADAR-test aircraft could not be recalled when an enemy plane appeared in the area because the RADAR was disabling the HF link. [paraphrased from "The Secret War"].

And that a range of 'suppressor' strategies were subsequently used to try and combat this.

Wild Conjecture: Your antenna was designed to be placed so as to get a good belt of UHF RADAR signal and feed it back to some sort of blanking-device fitted in the HF antenna-feed to a R1155 receiver?

dsergeant · 23rd Jan 2017, 7:50 am

Gut feeling is that the coax on that antenna is far too recent to be from R1155 days. It does though look to be test equipment related.
Dave

Sparky67 · 23rd Jan 2017, 9:46 pm

To be honest, I hadn't considered it being part of a wavemeter or other test equipment HB. Good thinking!

The coax is similar to URM57 and the block where the elements are egressing has four through-holes in the corners, which made me think it would have been a secure fitting onto something.

I'm just guessing at RAF really, could be army, navy, or something completely different, of course!

HamishBoxer · 23rd Jan 2017, 10:48 pm

What set me off thinking re a wave meter was those nice Marconi types that covered all bands.Though in separate boxes I add.
Somewhere I have one ,absorption type that is.Nicely made wooden boxes 6 inches square or close.

21st Jan 2017, 9:09 pm	#1
Sparky67 Heptode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Great Barr, Sandwell, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 589	Another ID Question - Antenna Can anyone ID the antenna in the attached photo please? It has W1961A stamped on one side, and 1155 N stamped on the other. The elements to the centre of the block are 12.5cm each, which puts it around 570MHz. I presume it's off an aircraft, but what was it used for? Thanks. Attached Thumbnails

22nd Jan 2017, 2:29 pm	#2
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: Another ID Question - Antenna I wondered but could be way off,that it is from a wave meter. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S

22nd Jan 2017, 8:39 pm	#3
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 14,007	Re: Another ID Question - Antenna The mention of "1155" is intriguing. I know that during testing of various Airborne Interception (AI) and Air-to-Surface-Vessel (ASV) RADARs there were problems with these causing severe interference to the established HF ground-to-air voice-radio comms to the point where a RADAR-test aircraft could not be recalled when an enemy plane appeared in the area because the RADAR was disabling the HF link. [paraphrased from "The Secret War"]. And that a range of 'suppressor' strategies were subsequently used to try and combat this. Wild Conjecture: Your antenna was designed to be placed so as to get a good belt of UHF RADAR signal and feed it back to some sort of blanking-device fitted in the HF antenna-feed to a R1155 receiver?

23rd Jan 2017, 7:50 am	#4
dsergeant Octode Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bracknell, Berkshire,UK. Posts: 1,174	Re: Another ID Question - Antenna Gut feeling is that the coax on that antenna is far too recent to be from R1155 days. It does though look to be test equipment related. Dave

23rd Jan 2017, 9:46 pm	#5
Sparky67 Heptode Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Great Barr, Sandwell, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 589	Re: Another ID Question - Antenna To be honest, I hadn't considered it being part of a wavemeter or other test equipment HB. Good thinking! The coax is similar to URM57 and the block where the elements are egressing has four through-holes in the corners, which made me think it would have been a secure fitting onto something. I'm just guessing at RAF really, could be army, navy, or something completely different, of course! Attached Thumbnails

23rd Jan 2017, 10:48 pm	#6
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: Another ID Question - Antenna What set me off thinking re a wave meter was those nice Marconi types that covered all bands.Though in separate boxes I add. Somewhere I have one ,absorption type that is.Nicely made wooden boxes 6 inches square or close. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S