Any Oldtimers Want To Play "What Is This THing ?"

Guest
Here's one of those old things you just pick up because it's old.

It is a "portable test oscillator". That much is no mystery, but that's about it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29948706/DSCN0398.jpg

So I dig up a 90 volt power supply, actually by taking an old amp carcass and connecting between the positive and negative rails. A variac got it to the level I wanted. It oscillates, but really doesn't put out anything. I should have put the frequency counter on it but the bench was full up.

V402 is putting out a sine wave. As you can see by the print though, it doesn't go anywhere without some sort of input because V401 is normally in full conduction. On the left is a device they call E402. It appears to be some sort of a cap and waveguide or something like that. I am not taking it apart if I can help it.

The input on the left marker "2" seems like it might accomplish a little bit of frequency modulation, for whatever reason. The input marked "3" would seem to result in amplitude modulation.

It's not a huge mystery how the thing works, but I am puzzled as to its actual purpose. Is it for testing recievers out in the battlefield or something ? Like puts out a steady tone for everyone to tune to with their recievers, something like that ?

I'll probably get some pictures of the whole thing soon in case anyone might recognize it that way. I never thought to take them, I just got one of the schematic which is glued to the inside of the cabinet.
 
jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:
It is a "portable test oscillator". That much is no mystery, but
that's about it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29948706/DSCN0398.jpg

According to the top of the schematic, it's a "portabale test
oscillator". Googling on that spelling yields this mailing list
message - see item 4:
http://www.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/2003-November/006022.html

A couple of follow-ups identify it as a test oscillator for an ARR-1
or ARR-2 navigation receiver.
http://www.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/2003-November/006023.html
http://www.qth.net/pipermail/milsurplus/2003-November/006024.html

If you search for "ARR-1" in this Wiki page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN/ARC-5
there is mention of a Navy "ZB/YE" homing beacon system that operated
on 246 MHz, and discussion of how the ARR-1 and ARR-2 worked.

Matt Roberds
 
My search turned up nothing of the sort. Also it seems not to be it. The WIKI article's pictures do not conform.

I'll get some pictures, probably by the weekend or something. It is not in my immediate possesion.
 
On Tue, 13 May 2014 17:06:23 -0700 (PDT), jurb6006@gmail.com wrote:

Here's one of those old things you just pick up because it's old.

It is a "portable test oscillator". That much is no mystery, but that's about it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/29948706/DSCN0398.jpg

So I dig up a 90 volt power supply, actually by taking an old amp ca...

You got it right. Sinewave 1 tone AM modulated test transmitter
for about 200 - 400 MHz probably.

The lefthand thing is a coaxial cavity resonator.


w.
 

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