Wwii heavy bomber radio gear

[AB1QI]

I have a partial set, some of it new (NOS in original box), WWII radio equipment that would have been used in Heavy bombers – B-17, B-24, etc. I would hate to see it all go to parts if it could benefit a restoration project of some sort.

We don’t have a value set on it, I’m just trying to do the best I can for my late father in law. He was assigned to the US Army Signal Corps during WWII but had a lifelong interest in all things electronic. It seems that he bought most of this just after the war.

The sad part is that the collection no longer has a transmitter. Based on the spare tubes (NOS), VT-4C, VT-25 we think he may have had a BC 191, but haven’t been able to locate it. What we do have is a very nice BC-348H receiver with the DM28C Dynamotor cleanly swapped out for a 110V power supply and more as listed below.

If you’re interested, or could pass this on to someone who is, we would appreciate it.

Photos are available

BC-348H (modified/dynamotor removed)		Used
Dynamotor DM-28-C (for BC-348 above)		Used
Dynamotor PE-73-C (for BC-375? transmitter; aircraft)		NOS – original box
BC-306-A antenna tuner (150-800 kHz; part of SCR-177)		NOS – original box
TU-5B Tuning Unit 1,500 to 3,000 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-7B Tuning Unit 4,500 to 6,200 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-8B Tuning Unit 6,200 to 7,700 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-9B Tuning Unit 7,700 to 10,000 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-26 Tuning Unit 200 to 500 kHz		NOS – original box
BC-221-AH signal generator		Fair
BC-221-J signal generator		Fair

Thanks!
Alan
AB1QI

[W9GB]

Alan -

This is a Technical forum for Boatanchores.
IF your intention is to SELL or Donate this equipment ---
Then this posting is better served in the On-Line Swapmeet Forums (Buy, Sell, Trade, Barter, Donate).

[WB2WIK]

I'd recommend finding a collector, and those are thinning out over the years.

All of this stuff -- ALL of it -- was available from surplus electronics shops after WW2 and into the early to mid-60s very inexpensively, with much of it "brand new" (meaning never used, still in original packing). I used to buy BC-348s, BC-221s and such for maybe $5 each on Radio Row in NYC -- they had hundreds of them, maybe thousands of them.

I'm sure they're worth more now, as "collectables." As recently as the mid-60s, they weren't collectable yet.

[K6JJR]

My older ham friends told me they gutted many WW2 sets for parts in the 1950's. Back then they were just surplus radios. Just like gutting an old computer would be now.

[WB2WIK]

My older ham friends told me they gutted many WW2 sets for parts in the 1950's. Back then they were just surplus radios. Just like gutting an old computer would be now.

They pretty much were just that. Old junk that could still be useful but whose usefulness was fading by the week.

For a while I had an SCR-522, which was originally an airborne VHF rig during WW2. It must have weighed 200 lbs and ran about 12 Watts once modified for operation on the two meter band. Got it "almost new" for about $25.

Today, I'd have to pay much more than that to get rid of it!

[K6JJR]

They pretty much were just that. Old junk that could still be useful but whose usefulness was fading by the week.

For a while I had an SCR-522, which was originally an airborne VHF rig during WW2. It must have weighed 200 lbs and ran about 12 Watts once modified for operation on the two meter band. Got it "almost new" for about $25.

Today, I'd have to pay much more than that to get rid of it!

If you have an ART-13 just taking up space I'll gladly drive down and haul it away..

[K6JJR]

I have a partial set, some of it new (NOS in original box), WWII radio equipment that would have been used in Heavy bombers – B-17, B-24, etc. I would hate to see it all go to parts if it could benefit a restoration project of some sort.

We don’t have a value set on it, I’m just trying to do the best I can for my late father in law. He was assigned to the US Army Signal Corps during WWII but had a lifelong interest in all things electronic. It seems that he bought most of this just after the war.

The sad part is that the collection no longer has a transmitter. Based on the spare tubes (NOS), VT-4C, VT-25 we think he may have had a BC 191, but haven’t been able to locate it. What we do have is a very nice BC-348H receiver with the DM28C Dynamotor cleanly swapped out for a 110V power supply and more as listed below.

If you’re interested, or could pass this on to someone who is, we would appreciate it.

Photos are available

BC-348H (modified/dynamotor removed)		Used
Dynamotor DM-28-C (for BC-348 above)		Used
Dynamotor PE-73-C (for BC-375? transmitter; aircraft)		NOS – original box
BC-306-A antenna tuner (150-800 kHz; part of SCR-177)		NOS – original box
TU-5B Tuning Unit 1,500 to 3,000 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-7B Tuning Unit 4,500 to 6,200 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-8B Tuning Unit 6,200 to 7,700 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-9B Tuning Unit 7,700 to 10,000 kHz		NOS – original box
TU-26 Tuning Unit 200 to 500 kHz		NOS – original box
BC-221-AH signal generator		Fair
BC-221-J signal generator		Fair

Thanks!
Alan
AB1QI

Alan I might be interested in the BC-348H. My email is marx686@hotmail.com. tnx, Mark K6JJR

[KC9UDX]

My older ham friends told me they gutted many WW2 sets for parts in the 1950's. Back then they were just surplus radios. Just like gutting an old computer would be now.

Save your 486s!!!

[WB5WSV]

Alan:

Don't let anyone tell you that gear is not rare and valuable! It is! You might want to hire an armed guard.

25 years ago it was almost throwaway stuff. But now it has been "discovered." People finally figured out that "They ain't making no more of it."

I saw one mint condition BC-348 go for $1500 on ebay. Admittedly it was not only unhacked but looked better than you would have thought it looked 15 min after it came off the production line.

You can get around $100 for that BC-348 on ebay if it is mostly original. I have know people that have shipped BC-348 parts all the way to Japan. As for the matching dynamotor, they are far more rare than the 348's. You can get $50 for it, easy.


The tuning units and antenna tuner are not as useful - but in mint condition in the original boxes they are very rare. They were a very low cost source of parts and so they were bought up for a few dollars each and dismantled. No one wanted them for their original function, so they were not preserved.

The BC-221's are not as valuable, maybe $25 each, I would guess.

And if you really want to honor your father-in-law there are museums that would like to have the stuff. I am almost postive the 8th AF Museum at Savannah, GA would love to have it all. They have a BC-348 in their B-17 radio room but I don't think they have any transmitter equipment for the airplane.

By the way I myself am a nutjob collector. I have six BC-348's in various stages of disrepair or restoration, among many other radiojunk things.

Good luck and appropriately enough, Happy Memorial Day!

Robert
WB5WSV

[W7EKB]

Alan:

Don't let anyone tell you that "old junk" is worthless: there have arisen a fairly small, but dedicated group of historian/collectors who prize that stuff, not least because of its historical value. So many of those old WWII transmitters, receivers, and other electronic equipment have been cannibalized for parts that there are very few unmolested versions available for collectors, historians, and museums.

One of the tuning units you have, the TU-26B alone, in decent but certainly not new shape, sold within the last few days on eBay for around $200.00, and there is another one up there right now at $145.00. I would love to have one, since I am in the 600 Meter Research Group and that tuning unit can be connected easily to make a complete 600 meter transmitter.

The BC-348 receiver would also benefit any of the aircraft museums which are restoring any of the WWII heavy aircraft. BTW, the BC-348 was and is an excellent receiver.

If you don't want to donate that stuff to a museum, I am absolutely certain you can sell every bit of it for a decent sum. Even the empty tuning unit cases, the CS-48s, sell for around $50.00 each.

Tell you what, I will very gladly take all of that "olde junque" off your hands for the shipping costs! ;-)