Army Signal Corps | The SWLing Post

Source: Time Magazine; BETTMANN / CORBIS

Yesterday, I stumbled upon this 1940 photograph of the US Army Signal Corps communicating via radio in the field.

I bet that radio kit weighs almost as much as or more than the typical soldier!

Does anyone know what model of Signal Corps radio that would be?

Update…

Richard comments:

Thomas,

The original photo is at the site below.

At the link, https://tinyurl.com/hxp5akx

It’s a Radio Set SCR-203 (Phillip pack saddle mounted). Consisted of:
BC-228 transmitter – Transmitter, 2.1-3.1 MHz, 2 ea VT-25 & VT-50, Part of SCR-203
BC-227 receiver – Receiver, 2.1-3.1 MHz, Part of SCR-203
BC-235 control box – Control box, Part of SCR-203

The unit was powered by various battery packs and a GN-35 hand cranked generator and used a 25 ft whip antenna (Image: W.J. Schweitzer collection)

Thanks so much for identifying the equipment, Richard!

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Interesting 15 min. video demonstrating the Army Signal Corps using an Hallicrafters SCR-299.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TURd_XVpwvk

While certainly a promotional piece for Hallicrafters, this has great footage and captures a bit of the excitement of radio expanding into new frontiers. There is a discussion of how the radio was modified for military conditions as well as some innovations which were implemented to make such a system mobile.

As an aside, it never ceases to amaze me how clear and crisp black and white film technology of the time seems somehow better than the color images which replaced it. But that may just be me — a black-and-white guy living in a colorized world!

There is a second part to this video, as well as other WWII-era videos available on YouTube with a bit of searching, and of course don’t forget to check out the SWLing’s Shortwave Radio Archive page for more interesting shortwave audio old and new!

Robert Gulley, AK3Q, is the author of this post and a regular contributor to the SWLing Post. Robert also blogs at All Things Radio.

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