RADIO ROOM 1 DESCRIPTION - 1957/1962 FITTING

As the requirement for additional radio channels grew during the 1950's, it was important that each ship had separate receivers operating on many different frequencies. Space had to found for all of the their respective antennas so as to avoid mutual interference or interference from the ships radar. One solution to this problem was the installation of an antenna multicoupler.

Manufactured by TMC Limited (Ottawa) in 1953, this device is a broadband RF amplifier which allowed a common antenna to drive up to six different receivers in the range between 2 and 30 Mc. A switchable filter would provide 35 db attenuation against interference from signals below 1.5 Mc and each output port provides 10 db gain when the filter is switched in. The unit currently installed on HAIDA is not the original T164D type but it's authentic enough for display purposes. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
 

This was a double conversion, UHF, superheterodyne receiver designed to receive AM or Modulated CW (MCW) signals in the 225 to 400 Mc band. The first intermediate frequency (IF) stages operate at 18.6 Mc while the second IF functions at 1.775 Mc. URR35's were always slaved to the same TED3 transmitter, as the transmitter contains the antenna changeover relay. Click on image to enlarge. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

 Receiver tuning was normally crystal controlled, however, a capacitor could be used in lieu of a crystal under emergency conditions. To tune the receiver under crystal control, the main tuning control was coarsely set to match the frequency of the crystal. The tuning control would be swept back and forth and left and locked in the position where the loudest background noise was heard. There were four variations in the URR35 receiver family:

URR35 and URR35A - Same except for minor changes in the value of two resistors.

URR35B - This variant was fitted with a new blower and a plug/jack connector in order to facilitate replacement. The value of the IF Gain control was increased to provide better control.

URR35C - In this version, the scanning circuit and the SCAN connector on the low pass filter were eliminated along with test cables included with previous equipment. A few resistor values were also changed. All parts were interchangeable with previous versions except for the low pass filter assembly at the rear of the unit. There is no evidence at this time to suggest that the RCN used the B or C variants.

AN/URR-504 was the designator applied to the receivers sold to the RCN and  made by Cossor Canada.

These receivers were of robust design both mechanically and electrically. They had a tube count of twenty two and weighed 57 pounds.
The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the AN/URR-35 receiver. 
 

A bi-directional amplifier and control unit which amplified a remote audio source and fed this to the audio input of a transmitter. In addition, it would amplify audio output from a receiver and then feed it to a remote location on the ship. CAU's were always used in conjunction with Channel Switching Units and Remote Control Units. The model number of the CAU installed on HAIDA is AM-5143/URA-501V(A). These are solid state (integrated circuit) units which incorporate voice compression and were directly interchangeable with the vacuum tube versions that were originally fitted on HAIDA.

As originally designed, the CAU connects to a 32 post terminal board located behind the unit and HAIDA is fitted with this terminal board system. In later installations, the terminal board was replaced with a bulkhead mounted, Amphenol Series 26 connector. As the CAU was slid into it's operating position, the male connector on the CAU chassis would mate with the female connector mounted on the bulkhead plate. When the CAU was withdrawn on its runners for maintenance, a patching cord would be used to provide a connection between the CAU and the rest of the system.

There was one internal CAU setting which needed to be changed and was dependent upon the type of radio connecting to that CAU. Plug P511 is inserted into socket S511 when the CAU is used with a LF/HF gear. This action causes the audio input to be attenuated to the same level as that from a VHF/UHF receiver. This same plug is inserted into S512 when the CAU is used with VHF/UHF equipment. The audio to the transmitter was boosted by 10 db, while the audio from the receiver was amplified by 30 db. When CAU's were attached to CW or RATT transmitters, keying speeds were limited to 100 cps due to cable length. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

When HAIDA paid off, the navy severed all the cables which terminated on the Channel Switching Units and the Remote Control Units. This was dome to expedite the removal of the equipment. To get the system operational again, it  took some 4,000 wire splices and connections.  The best part was that it all worked when the system was flashed up. Click on image to enlarge.  (Photo courtesy Radio Ammeters of Canada)

First built in 1942, the CM11 was a transmitter/receiver that was capable of operation in the 375 kc to 13.5 Mc range. There were two distinct bands of operation: 375 to 515 kc on low frequency and 1.5 to 13.5 Mc on high frequency. In the high frequency band, the CM11 could be used with crystal or master oscillator frequency control. For low band operation, only the master oscillator could be used. The RCN labelled CM11 crystals with two additional frequencies besides the fundamental - the second harmonic and the third harmonic. The transmitter could be tuned to operate on any of the three frequencies. Modes and power levels were: CW - 100 watts; MCW - 70 watts; AM - 30 watts. The Signal Electric R63 was the key provided with the CM11 -  RCN pattern number 3M/103. 

Inter-connection between the transmitter, receiver and antenna tuner was provided by snatch plugs. These connectors operate on the same principle as knife switches. Each of the three slide out units in the CM11 are equipped with female snatch plugs. When slid into place, the antenna tuner, transmitter and receiver interconnect through a wiring bus that is fitted with male snatch plugs. When withdrawn for maintenance, patch cords had to be installed between the transmitter or receiver and the bus. The CM11 antenna tuner was a very versatile device, since it could match antennas that were 5 to 750 ohms resistive and supported operation in the range of 375 kc to 13.8 Mc.

The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the CM11 transmitter. 

Keith Kennedy ex-C2NET(s) of Surrey BC notes that "the CM11 was notorious for generating harmonics and spurious emissions and HMC Ships would routinely receive harmful interference reports from the Department of Transport monitoring station located at Wetawaskin Alberta. We had little in the way of test equipment and certainly nothing as fancy as a spectrum analyzer so we just followed the CM11 tuning instructions and filed the reports away. The CM11 was also known for its chirpy CW signal when controlled by the master oscillator but it behaved properly under crystal control. CM11's also had a bad habit becoming detuned as the ship rolled. It was the result of changing capacitance between the antenna and the surface of the sea".

Gerry Taylor was a former RCN radio operator. He recalls his experiences with the CM11 transmitter.

"My memory of the use of the CM-11 is pretty well limited to a only a couple of ships that I served in. I mainly used it for sending and receiving  but I  did have to know how to tune them up for the desired output mode and frequency.   I preferred to use it mostly on CW 100 watt output.  The transmitter that we used the most for Navy Traffic at sea was the PV500, which had a much higher wattage output.

The ship that I used the CM-11 on the most was  HMCS Fort Erie, in 1962.  On that ship, we were on a three month cruise up and down the West Coast of Africa, from Dakar Senegal to Lagos Nigeria.  There were two ships on that Cruise  -  the Fort Erie and the New Waterford.  We were supporting three Canadian Trade Fairs up and down the Coast. The ship was licensed for ham radio, and the call sign was VE0NR.  Not a lot of military stuff going on during this cruise, and the CM-11 met the legal limits for ham  radio operation.   A few times we were able to connect with Ontario stations who made phone patches for us to family members.

As I recall, the quality of  the CM11's phone mode was not that great.  The reliability of the set seemed to be good. I can't remember having any technical issues occurring during use.   I liked the tone of the CM-11 on CW output.  On Modulated CW output, you got a totally different tone as I recall.  They clunked and made a lot of noise.  I cannot recall using anything other than the Master Oscillator on the CM-11.  The Main Radio Room had about 3 or four work stations in a row.  We would use one of the work station receivers to listen to the CW conversation..”

On HAIDA's bridge, a SM11 remote radio telephone control unit can still be seen. It was abandoned after the RCU/CSU/CAU radio remote control system was installed. All of the CM11's fitted on HAIDA were connected to the Shipborne Remote Control System and were keyed or controlled by the RCU's.

The power supply for the CM11 was very versatile, as it could operate on 120/220 VAC or 24/36/220 VDC power sources. A fifteen second time delay circuit prevented power from being applied to the transmitter in order to protect the mercury vapour rectifiers. There was an emergency mode which decreased the time delay to 4 seconds but at the expense of shorter mercury rectifier life. Weighing in around 478 pounds, the CM11 just wasn't portable! Eventually, the CM11 was superseded by the AN/URC32 transceiver. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
 

CM11 speaker. (Image source unknown)

Designed by the Canadian Signals Research and Development Establishment and manufactured by Rogers Majestic starting in 1951, this was the first Canadian developed and built post World War II military radio.

The CPRC-26 was a self-contained, battery operated, transceiver (walkie talkie) which operated in the frequency range of 47.0 to 55.4 Mc. Its 300 milliwatt input is frequency modulated using a deviation of +/- 15 KHz. Six, crystal controlled channels were available for communication. Power was provided by a dry battery and a fresh unit would provide about 20 hours of service. Normally, the CPRC-26 would be used with a 47 inch collapsible whip antenna. It was a unique set for its time since it had replaceable modules.

All RCN ships carried three CPRC-26 transceivers which were usually kept in the main radio office. A communicator would carry one in a lifeboat and with landing or boarding parties. Other uses included short term communication between ships for such jobs as jack-stay transfers, underway fuelling and shoots. It was an excellent means of communication between the bridge and the emergency conning position during times of crisis. In total, there were around 4,500 of these units built for NATO forces by Philips and Canadian Rogers. By 1969, the RCN declared this gear as obsolete, dangerous or unreliable depending on the source of information.

The following standard crystal frequencies were available for the CPRC-26 :
Select this link for photos of the CPRC-26.

First built by Canadian Marconi in 1942, this general coverage receiver was capable of receiving AM and CW signals between 80 kc and 30 Mc with the exception of the broadcast band. It had a tube count of thirteen and weighed in at sixty eight pounds without power supply. CSR 5A's spent most of their working life receiving the Fleet Broadcast or guarding the International or marine distress frequencies. Each receiver was connected to its own wall mounted speaker, but headphones were the order of the day. Loudspeakers were used when one Radioman had to guard more than one frequency. This was known as a loudspeaker watch.

A modification was made to this receiver by the RCN. The "F" band (80 to 200 kc) was adjusted 10 kc low to enable the reception of the broadcast frequency of 73.6 kc. This frequency is still assigned to Maritime Command as of 1994. The RCN also labelled CSR- 5A crystals with two additional frequencies besides the fundamental - the second harmonic and the third harmonic. The receiver could be tuned to operate on the fundamental or the other two frequencies. One of the noted quirks of the CSR 5A was the habit of going off frequency in rough weather when continuous tuning was used. If a large wave hit the ship, it would overcome the friction of the tuning gear assembly and knock the dial off frequency. There were no such things as frequency synthesizers or phase locked loops in those days. The vernier control would be used to retune the frequency.

In the CSR 5A, the band-switch assembly has been wired into a sub-chassis which can be detached from the main chassis. This operation should be never be attempted by the inexperienced. First, you extract the receiver from its case and detach the bottom cover plates - do not be concerned over the 30 screws that secure the plates. Next, desolder 29 connections as outlined in the manual. Following that, there are another 20 screws to remove in order to physically detach the RF turret. Do not go insane in the process, or you won't be able to get the pieces back together. This brief glimpse of 1942 radio maintenance has been presented for those readers who have complaints about 1990's manufacturing methodology. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Much rarer, is the Marconi CSR5Y, a variant adapted for diversity reception. Rather than having a toggle switch for the AVC, a three position rotary switch is used. It is marked DIV, OFF and INT. The Send/Rcv switch is eliminated since the receiver is intended to be in receive mode all the time. There is also a terminal strip on the rear of the chassis marked AVC. The AVC was probably derived from an external comparator when in Diversity mode. In all other respects, the Y variant is identical to its more common cousin.  The CSR5Y would mostly likely be found in a shore installation. (Photo courtesy Meir Ben-Dror, WF2U)

 In July of 1992, there was only one functioning CSR 5A receiver in Radio 1. During the winter of 1992/1993, four of the receivers were repaired, refinished in the original colour of 50 years ago and refitted with shock absorber assemblies. One receiver in particular, had ten faults which required correction.

The VP3 power supply for the CSR 5A was designed to operate from 120/220 volt 50/60 Hz AC power or 12 VDC. When operating on DC power, some changes had to be made. Marconi designed two power interlocks to ensure that no damage could be caused by inadvertent operation on the wrong power source. To switch from AC to DC operation, a five pin interlock plug had to be moved from one socket to another. Subsequently, the AC line cord had to be disconnected from the wall socket and inserted into a special chassis mounted receptacle. VP3 power supplies also acquired a reputation for fusing the contacts on the vibrator and frying the primary winding on the power transformer. By 1969, the CSR 5A was considered obsolete and was taken out of service.

In July of 1992, there was only one VP3 supply among four CSR 5A receivers. Another VP3 was found in storage but was completely deteriorated and had to be rebuilt from bare metal. Since three other VP3 power supplies were missing, near replicas were constructed in order to restore operation to the receivers.

The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the CSR5 receiver. 
 

Weighing in at 117 lbs, the RCK was a 'low radiation' VHF receiver built by E.H. Scott Radio Laboratories during the 1940's. Copious use of RF shielding helped contribute to its hefty weight. The RCK had four crystal controlled channels and operated in conjunction with the TDQ transmitter in the 110 to 160 Mc radio band. Also, there were nine sockets for storing additional crystals.

One unusual feature of the design was the tuning system. Normally, when a receiver is under crystal control, the main tuning dial must be set to the same frequency as the crystal. This is accomplished by sweeping the dial back and forth across the operating frequency until the loudest background noise is produced. In the RCK, there was a mechanical tuning mechanism that could be preset so the main tuning dial hits a 'detent' position at the exact frequency of operation. When this happened, a red channel indicator light came on to show the channel number being received. If any of the crystals were changed, and you wanted the use of the 'lamp on frequency' feature, then a mechanical tuning assembly would have to be re-adjusted with an internally mounted Allen key.

The RCK manual of 1944, lists a number of standard VHF frequencies for which crystals were available.
Frequencies (in Mcs) listed are as follows:

116.10  117.90  119.34  121.50  123.66 124.02 124.38  126.18  128.70 140.58 140.76  140.94  141.12  142.02  142.56 142.74 143.28  143.64  144.00 144.36 146.16  147.96  149.49  151.20

The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the RCK receiver.

 (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Made by Canadian Marconi in the early 1940's the FR12 was a three mode transceiver - CW, MCW and radio telephone. Power input was 15 watts on CW, less on MCW and even less on phone. It was capable of transmitting on low wave (375 to 580 kc) or short wave (1700 to 4200 kc) depending on the model type. On low wave, the set had a range of about 20 miles. On receive, it was capable of continuous tuning from 300 to 4200 kc. The letter H in the model number indicates that the remote control option was installed, however, it was not compatible with HAIDA's Radio Remote Control System and was not used.

The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the FR12 transmitter/receiver.(High frequency)
The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the FR12 transmitter/receiver.(Low frequency)

Under normal use, the FR12 would be used to communicate with merchant ships or the Naval Administrative Net. Pictures taken in the 1950's show the handset installed, so it was definitely used on voice. Emergency communications could be provided by this unit if all else failed since it only operated from a 12 volt DC power source. The receiver section consisted of a five tube superheterodyne design with the ability to continuously tune the range of 300 to 4200 kc in three bands. To simplify the overall design, there was no direct frequency readout for the receiver. Instead, a circular logging scale dial was provided. It was necessary to calibrate the dial, and record the readings in advance.

In the transmitter section, there was an oscillator, a modulator and a dual power output stage. One of four, selectable, internally mounted crystals determined the operating frequency. In order to activate the modulator, one simply inserted the handset plug into the front panel socket. The microphone in the handset provided the interlock for the modulator. If this was done while the Dynamotor was running, a noticeable slow down of the Dynamotor could be heard.

Power for the FR12 could be provided by one of two modes. In standby mode, the filament circuit for the transmitting tubes gets disabled. Filament power for the receiver would be provided from the main battery. The 180 volt B+ line for the receiver would be furnished from four, external, 45 volt dry batteries wired in series. Standby mode would dramatically increase the life of the main battery. In normal mode, all power for the receiver and transmitter was provided by the main battery. An internal Dynamotor produced high tension for the transmitter but it had to be inspected after every 500 hours of operation. Input power to the FR12 was 12 volts DC at 6 amps on receive and 13 amps on transmit when used in normal mode. On HAIDA, the antenna for the FR12 was a sloping, twenty seven foot vertical wire designated as the PORT OUTER VERTICAL.

Al Goodwin of Dartmouth N.S. did some range experiments with the FR12. "It was sent away in a sea boat on a couple of occasions. In those days, we didn't have commercial mobile antennas available to us, so we rigged up a 35 foot whip antenna. The exercise was not deemed a success as we lost communications around five miles. On HAIDA, we used this set for both AM and CW communications. For CW operation, we would have to attach a key with a very long lead. In an unusual case, the late Keith Lake (VE1PX) used the FR12 to modulate the Marconi PV500 thus giving it AM capability for use on the amateur bands. He put out quite a strong signal compared to the 30 watts of the Marconi CM11". (Photo by Jerry Proc)

The RCU also keys the transmitter via the Channel Amplifier when sending Morse code. . The maximum Morse speed is 100 characters per second depending on cable length from the RCU to the transmitter. . 

Every system has limitations, so the Radiomen had to observe some operating precautions. In normal operation, the manufacturer suggested that a maximum for four RCU's be connected to any given radio channel. Intercom functions were limited to those RCU's connected to the same radio channel. It was also possible to connect more than one RCU to a radio channel. Despite these minor restrictions, the system worked very well. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

A wiring diagram for the RCU handset can be found here, 

First built for the U.S. Navy in May of 1943, this unit was capable of voice or MCW transmissions in the 115 to 156 Mc band running 45 watts continuous power. Any one of four selectable crystals determined the frequency of operation. The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the TDQ  transmitter.

Before the days of UHF equipment, destroyers were fitted with a pair of TDQ/RCK sets. These were used for operations circuits such as "Plot Primary". When the RCN followed the United States Navy to UHF voice, the TDQ/RCK was left behind as the only VHF set capable of monitoring and communicating with aircraft, other ships, yachts and harbour facilities. The basic role for this set became that of 'guard' for the VHF distress frequency of 121.5 MHz. The TDQ could be remotely operated through the shipborne radio remote control system. Weighing in at 285 pounds, it was extremely heavy by today's standards. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

The TED3 was a low power UHF transmitter capable of AM or MCW operation in the 225 to 400 Mc band. TED transmitters were designated as AN/URT-502A by the RCN and were built by Westinghouse in Hamilton Ontario and the RCA Victor Company, Montreal. Nevada Air Products and RCA Victor produced URT502B's. Each TED3 in Radio 1 was connected to a separate, weatherproof, UHF dipole antenna located on the lower yardarm of the foremast. The designated model number for the antenna is AT-150/SRC. TED3's were introduced into service in 1952.

A TED3 was always used in conjunction with a Channel Amplifier Unit and a URR35 receiver. This combination of equipment provided a "UHF communications channel". Radio 1 provided three out of the seven UHF communication channels aboard HAIDA, while Radio 3 provided the other four. Surprisingly, TED's were routinely used in MCW mode on the intership Task Group Common circuit.

TED's had small, axial crystals which fit into a four position crystal holder located behind a hinged door. Radiomen had to carry out frequency shifting drills which consisted of quickly changing the whole set and it could become very frustrating if a crystal was dropped. It would invariably disappear under an equipment rack and would never roll back out!

The following standard RCN crystal frequencies were available for the  TED3 (AN/URT-502)  transmitter.  Frequencies marked with an asteriskare for use by  the CNEL. (Canadian Navy Electrical Laboratories)

Those red bars are 4 seconds long and are separated by spaces of 1 second in length to assist the radio operator in sending an automatic alarm signal by using a hand key if the automatic key failed to work. 

For 500 KHz.,  silent periods were always a quarter and a quarter after the hour for a 3 minute duration. For 2181 KHz, it for 3 minutes past the hour and half hour. The silent periods can be marked in different colours depending on the manufacturer of the clock. (Drawn By David Ring Jr. N1EA) 

Spud Roscoe adds: "We did not wear the TRIMM headphones over the ears. Rather, they were placed on the head just slightly forward of the ears and because we were also copying fast Russian operators, we kept the audio gain up so one and all could hear it. Some had it so loud you could hear it a mile away"

From the markings on the tally plates, it appears that one CSR-5 receiver and the FR-12 transmitter/receiver were connected to separate 12 V batteries. There are markings that show the CM-11 being connected to a 24 battery , however there is no motor -alternator set for the CM-11 in Radio 1. It is suspected that the 24 V source for the CM11 may have been provisioned from the low power room one deck below Radio 1.All the 24 volt wires are cut with no loose wires underneath. 

Installed throughout the ship are numerous sound powered telephones. Unlike a regular telephone which needs 48 VDC to operate, these telephones convert the energy of sound waves into electrical energy which powers the sets.

The actual efficiency of a sound powered link is about 25 db lower than that of a regular carbon microphone system. This limits the sound powered equipment to point-to-point applications and limited party line applications where the line loss does not exceed 15 db. Because of the resonant characteristics of the microphone and receiver units, the frequency response of the telephone falls off sharply for frequencies above 2000 Hz. 

There are two types of telephones installed on HAIDA. One type is the single line set and the other type is a selectable, six line unit. To originate a call on a single line set, the user turns the crank on the phone. This sends a ring voltage down the line which powers a buzzer and illuminates a neon lamp on the remote unit. The remote user than picks up the handset and communication can be established with the use of push-to-talk switches. Phones can be wired as party lines, so rotating the crank on one phone makes all of the other phones ring. By using ringing codes, only a certain phone will get answered. On a party line, the recipient of a call listens for the correct ringing code then selects the proper line with a rotary switch. The telephone system uses three wire, armoured cable for communication. White is common, black is voice, and red is ring.

 The photo illustrates a sound powered telephone in a badly deteriorated state. After 6 to 8 hours labour, the phones were restored back to their 1960's condition. (Photo by Jerry Proc)