Here's the skinny on the BC-342. First, it is not a "transceiver"; it
has no transmit function, being a receiver only.
It is a WW-II vintage, HF (high frequency) receiver which covers 1.5 MHz
to 18.0 MHz in six bands. Receive capability is AM (amplitude
modulation), MCW (modulated continuous wave), and CW (continuous wave).
The BC-342 did not need to be "converted" to operate on 115 volts AC
power as it was originally equipped with such a power supply. There was
an otherwise identical receiver designated BC-312 which had a 12 volts
DC dynamotor power supply instead of the AC unit.
The receiver was used in WW-II radio sets SCR-299, SCR-399, and SCR-499
which were tactical HF "stations" which contained 1 BC-342 and 1 BC-312
receivers, and 1 BC-610 transmitter, plus a bunch of miscellaneous
smaller equipment such as the LS-3 loudspeakers. The BC-342 and 312
were also used in a number of other applications requiring such a
receiver.
Of possible interest to mil-veh folks is the type of vehicles in which
the SCR-299 and 399 were mounted. The SCR-299 was contained in a large
panel truck K-51 (1 ton? Chev?), which made for a very "cozy" situation
for a couple of radio ops along with all the equipment. The SCR-399 was
an improvement, at least from the operators' standpoint, in that the
equipment was housed in a demountable HO-17 shelter which could be
carried in the cargo bed of a 2-1/2 ton 6x6. The HO-17 even had
standing headroom for short guys. Both sets were powered in the field
by a 10 KW, PE-95 genset which was carried in a K-52 trailer towed
behind the vehicle containing the radio set.
The SCR-499 was the same as the -399 except it had no vehicle, shelter,
or genset. It was intended for more-or-less fixed-plant installation.
Ed Greeley
Mobile, AL
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