MF Command transmitters (chapter 1)

[Hue Miller]

Dave:
>> >They were used to "spoof" enemy direction finders by rebroadcasting
>> >BCB stations, to broadcast propaganda messages to limited areas,

Hue:
>> ---C'mon Dave, doesn't that sound a bit fanciful?

Dave:
>I can only go by apocryphal documentation and verbal accounts
>I've collected over the years.  The Navy saw to it that
>direct written evidence no longer exists.

Hue: verbal accounts - you have to excersize some skepticism in hearing these.
Who hasn't heard even BS stories from veterans, not to mention innocently
scrambled facts? "Apocryphal documentation": sounds like fodder for late nite
talk show radio. I'd have to know more about this, but i uncharitably jump to
thoughts of speculative "Surplus Manual" history.

Hue: >>Propaganda messages at 5 watts or so, radiated ???

Dave:
>About 10 watts radiated from a trailing antenna at 10-12,000
>feet will cover many square miles with a useable signal-
>perfectly fine to broadcast to a city or an island.

Hue:  You didn't address my point of consistency of broadcast schedule. Who's
going to be tuning around listening for episodic provocative broadcast
listening at
random hours? If we go with your scenario of "radio blackout" on the part
of the
other team, let's try to imagine how this works: Sender Bremen suddenly
announces,
"Achtung! Feindlichen Bomber auf Richtung...." and goes off the air. After
hearing this, probably everyone not assigned to AA guns, is hurrying off to
a bomb shelter.
So, what am i missing here? BTW, was the BC band coverage of the ART-13,
GO, GP,
and BC-375 transmitters intended for the same purpose, can we suppose? If
so, why
not use the larger transmitter, since a plane doing this supposed service
would
have to have more space for electronic equipment anyway. Why bother with a
little
2x 1625 transmitter ?

Hue:
>> Or to similute broadcast station beacons with
>> a radiated power miniscule compared to the field strength
>> of broadcast stations?

Dave:
>BCB stations temporarily leaving the air was a common
>and common-sense part of black-out procedure.
>Moreover, a 10-watt signal a mile ahead at night
>is going to be stronger then a 10,000 watt signal
>50 miles to the left, which was the idea.
>Remember that at this time, the only effective radar for this
>situation was on the ground and belonged to the allies, who
>could direct the "spoofer" aircraft to stay ahead of the
>enemy formation.

Hue: i suggest operating a navigation-signal spoofer aircraft from a mere
mile or two away from an enemy formation would be a short-lived adventure.

Hue:
>> Fact is, in a war theatre far from populated areas,
>> ANY frequency could be used...

Dave:
>I have found no evidence for military use of 550-1500 KC
>for any type of communications other then broadcast-related
>transmissions.  I find no evidence of either allied or enemy
>aircraft or vehicle equipped to use 550-1500 KC for
>point-to-point communications, nor are there any such listings
>in still-extant radio operator's log books that I've read
>(have two new ones coming so we'll see).

Hue: Many German scout and command vehicles carried a liaison radio
*very* roughly comparable to the BC-191/ BC-312. What i am talking
about is the 100WS / Torn E.b.    The transmitter range is --
200 - 1200 kc/s.  German scout car transmitters WS30 and WS80 both
covered the 1 - 3 Mc/s range, and the Italian command vehicle radio
RF4 covered 200 - 4000 kc/s receive AND transmit. I don't have my docs
in front of me, but I am thinking of a couple examples of Japanese
mobile radios that tune uninterruptedly thru the range approx. 400 kc/s
up to low megacycles, for example the common Type 94/5 low powered
portable receiver-transmitter. ( I have one with a 1600 kc/s quartz
still in the transmitter ).
And - this Axis equipment was used in areas within coverage area
of broadcast stations in the same ranges, 200 - 1600 kc/s !

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