Churchill - Equipment Used

CHURCHILL - EQUIPMENT LIST

This equipment list, not quite complete, has been derived from two main sources:
a) From the Library Archives of Canada, Record 24, File # 7400-189/165 Parts 1 through 7.
b) From those who served at Churchill.
IRS means that this equipment was definitely used when Churchill was an Ionospheric Research Station. The archives file also reveals that in 1949, the station used two rhombic receive antennas and two transmit antennas. There were also 796 spare vacuum tubes in inventory along with an assortment of replacement components and various hand tools. The inventory recording was so thorough, it accounted for even machine screws and nuts. There were errors in the source material which have been corrected. If anyone can provide missing information, contact: jerry.proc@sympatico.ca

RADIO EQUIPMENT USED AT CHURCHILL
(Click on image to enlarge)

EQUIPMENT VINTAGE USE DESCRIPTION

Need photo Late 1949 IRS Antenna Switch Model SA-136/G and 137/G. The base commander was instructed to replace the 20 position antenna switch Model SA-136/G with a 40 position switch Model SA-137/G.

Need photo Oct. 1949 IRS Marconi Mk II P. F. equipment .Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Oct. 1949 IRS Type 249. Ionospheric Transmitter. Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Oct. 1949 IRS S.R.E. Qty 1 . Sound Reproducing Equipment S/N 456. Model unknown . Included are 7 speakers. Description unknown. Need info.

Oct. 1949 IRS CM11 . Canadian Marconi HF transmitter/receiver. Qty 1. Was slated for redeployment to DOT when a replacement transmitter arrived. Frequency range: 375 to 515 KHz and 1.5 to 13.5 MHz. Modes and power levels were: CW - 100 watts; MCW - 70 watts; AM - 30 watts. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Oct. 1949 IRS CSR-5A Canadian Marconi HF Receiver By 1949, Qty 4 .(S/N 830, 868, 934 and 1057). Accompanied by qty 5, VP-3 power supplies and 5 speakers. Employed for WWV monitoring. All were slated for redeployment to DOT when replacement receivers arrive. By September 1950, the complement grew to 10 receivers. S/Ns 209, 245, 430, 440, 477, 657, 708, 729, 748,769. Used in Operations. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Sept. 1949 IRS National NRB-J receivers. (This is actually the Model RBJ). Qty 2. By September 1950, the quantity had grown to four units. Used in Operations. (Photo courtesy Kurrajong Radio Museum, Australia)

Sept. 1949 IRS RCA AR-77 receiver Qty 1. Frequency range- 540 to 31000 KHz receiver. Produced by RCA Victor. Being used in Operations in Sept. 1950. (Photo by John Kaminsky)

Oct. 1949 IRS Sparton Model X1 receiver . Circa 1940's. 460 KHz to 30 MHz coverage. Depicted is serial number X1054. Manufactured in early 1940's (Photo by Jacques Hamel, VE2DJQ).

Sept. 1950 RCA AR 8510 receiver. Qty 1. S/N 4770. Frequency range: 16 to 650 KHz. Used in Operations. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Sept. 1950 Sparton CNF-1 (s/n 91) HFDF: A CRT based set having 2.7 mc to 25 mc coverage depending if it was the A, B or C variant. (Photo by Leblanc, DND. National Archives of Canada, photo # PA-142540)
Later, the CNF-1 was upgraded to a CNF-4.

Sept. 1950 RCA DR-89A Diversity Receiver. Qty 2. Consisting of three RCA CR-88 receivers. The DR-88 uses three AR-88 receivers while DR-89A uses three CR-88 receivers. Used in Operations. (Image courtesy Canadian War Museum Library)

Sept. 1950 CR-88 receiver by RCA . Qty 2. 535 KHz to 32 MHz. Used in Operations. (Photo courtesy www.oldradios.co.nz)

Need photo Sept. 1950 Mecanitron 126F [2] .Qty 5. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Sept. 1950 Mecanitron 126RC. Qty 5. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Sept. 1950 Mecanitron Tape Pullers. Qty 10. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Sept. 1950 Mecanitron Tone Keyer. TK1. Qty 2. Description unknown. Need info.

Need photo Sept. 1950 Mecanitron Scanner Model SC22 with YY2 tape puller. Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.

Sept. 1950 Northern Radio Frequency Shift Converter Model 107 S/N N15. Qty 1. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Need photo. Sept. 1950 Antenna Multicouplers with external power supply. Qty 8. Description unknown. Need info.

Sept. 1950 Model 19 Teleprinter. Qty 2. Circa 1942. 60 words per minute, 5 level Baudot coding. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Sept. 1950 Model 14 TD (Transmitter-Distributor) Tape reader for Baudot tape. Qty 3 (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Sept. 1950 Model 15 KSR Teleprinters. Qty 2. 45.5 baud, 60 wpm. Manufactured from 1930 to 1954.
(Photo by Jerry Proc)

-- Sept. 1950 Model 15 RO Teleprinter. Qty 2. Receive Only. Same as KSR above but without keyboard.

Need photo 1950-1956 TH-58 transmitter. 1 kw power output. It was located in a shed-like structure not far from the base hospital in the camp at Fort Churchill and sometimes referred to as Old Camp.Used for communications with Frobisher Bay and Aklavik

March 1951 Hammarlund SP-600-JX Receiver: Qty 8. 540 kHz to 54 MHz. Replacement for CSR-5A's. Six were installed in the Ops Bldg and two in the D/F building. (Image courtesy Kurrarjong Radio Museum)

Need photo April 1951 Motorola Porta-Phone Unit. Description unknown. Need info.

1953 The CCM Coding Machine was in use at Churchill in 1953. Shown with cover off. This cryptosystem was replaced with the ECM Mk II starting in 1954. (National Cryptologic Museum Foundation photo)

1954 ECM Mk II replaced Typex in 1954. Used for the encipherment of classified material. (Photo by Richard Myrick)

1950's McElroy Model RAPC ink tape recorder. This was a real workhorse at Churchill and was used to copy CW which was beyond the capability of the receiving operator. This recorder could copy signals up to 1,000 wpm. An ink tape operator could always be identified by the thin line of ink spatter across his gun shirt. (Image courtesy RCN)

1950's Pierce Model 556 wire recorder. Both Pierce and Webster wire recorder types were used at Churchill. Both types had very poor sound fidelity and mechanical deficiencies. Pierce was especially problematic when doing a 'rewind' or 'fast forward' which resulted of heaps of tangled wire on the floor. (Photo courtesy Northern Illinois University)

1950's Webster Model 80 wire recorder. (Photo courtesy Northern Illinois University)

1950/60's Ampex 601 dual track tape recorder. (Image courtesy of RCN)

1953 XFK Keyer. A document dated Nov. 1953 is requesting crystals for an XFK keyer which feeds the TH-58 transmitter. Crystals are required for the following frequencies: 4570, 6707.5, 9022.5, 13412.5 and 18087.5 KHz .The keyer cost $1050 and the crystals were $25 each in that time. (Photo by Jerry Proc)

1956 > A Westinghouse MW transmitter was collocated at the Joint Services Transmitting Building, not HMCS Churchill itself. Depicted here is an MW installation at radio station WNU Slidell, Louisiana. Frequency range: 2 to 30 MHz; Power Output: 3,000 watts. Modes: A1 and F1; Frequency control: 3 crystal controlled positions per RF unit. All four RF units can be keyed simultaneously or independently. Instruction Manual: CF-1933. Known operating frequencies for SUPRAD service were: 4570, 6800, 6956 9216 and 13412.5 KHz. (Photo courtesy WNU6)

Returned to Montreal stores, April 1959 IRS (?) FM12 MF/DF set. Made by Marconi UK in 1942, this is a Tuned Radio Frequency, direction finding receiver with a frequency range of 42 to 1060 KHz and requires 220 VAC input power. [1] (Photo by Jerry Proc)

Returned to Montreal stores, April 1959 IRS (?) FM12 fixed-frame loop antenna. [1] (Photo by Jerry Proc)

1960's AN/GRD-501 . In 1959, approval is given to start the construction of a GRD-501 site at a cost of approximately $88,000. Rowland Fell who served at Churchill from 1965 to 1967 confirms the use of the GRD-501 direction finding receiver. It was only used for special assignments in that time period.(Photo courtesy Canadian Navy)

ANCILLARY and TEST EQUIPMENT

Click in image to enlarge

EQUIPMENT VINTAGE USE DESCRIPTION

Oct. 1949 IRS Qty 2. Graphic Ammeter. Qty 2. Esterline-Angus S/N 35602 and 35605 . No model number provided in listing. Model A601 is shown. Not sure if it's the correct one. Can anyone confirm? (Photo courtesy Craigs List)

Oct. 1949 IRS Qty 2. VTVM - RCA Volt Ohmyst Junior. (Photo courtesy Mzentertainment.com)

Oct. 1949 IRS Qty 1. VOM - Simpson Model 215 .AC or DC voltage ranges: 2.5V, 10V, 50V, 250V, 1000V. DC current ranges 250uA, 10mA, l00mA, 500mA Resistance: Ranges Rx 1, Rx 100, Rx 1K

Oct. 1949 IRS Qty 1. Hickok Signal Generator Model 177X (Photo courtesy myvintagetv.com)

Oct.1949 IRS Qty 1. Clough Brengle Model 199B (Standard Calibration) Signal Generator. First produced in 1941. (Photo courtesy cloughbrengle .homestead.com)

Oct.1949 IRS Cossor Oscilloscope. Model 339A. Qty 1. Dual trace, 4½" CRT. Manufactured during WWII and up to 1947. Vertical amplifier bandwidth - 2 MHz. (Image courtesy Jon Evans, thevalvepage.com)

? Sept. 1950 Heterodyne Frequency Meter and Calibrator. Model 620-AS5. S/N 958 Qty 1 .Unable to identify it further.

? Sept. 1950 Comparison Oscilloscope. Model 1109A. S/N 182. Unable to identify it further.

? Sept. 1950 Audio Level Test/Switch Panel. Model unknown. Unable to identify it further.

1950's BC 221 Frequency Meter: 125 kHz to 20,000 kHz coverage. +/- 1 kHz accuracy. Each BC 221 frequency meter was supplied with its own custom prepared, calibration book. The method used to generate the book is most surprising because it was done by computer. For further details on the method of calibration, select this link . If the calibration book was lost, the unit was next to useless since another calibration book could not be shared and still expect +/1 kHz accuracy. Originally produced during WWII. (Photo courtesy RCN)

? Sept. 1950 LP-5 Frequency standard. Qty 1. S/N 3500. Unable to identify it further

Sept. 1950 Stark Model 9-66 Transconductance Tube Tester. Qty 1. S/N 1188. Produced from approximately the late 1940's and all through the 1950's. (Photo courtesy Tone-Lizard.com)

? Sept. 1950 Bach-Simpson Multimeter. RCN ref 3KT/64. Qty 1. Unable to identify it further

Need photo Sept. 1950 Oscilloscope Dumont Model 274. Qty 1. S/N 646.

Need photo Sept. 1950 VTVM - RCA Volt Ohmyst Model 195A. Qty 1.

? Sept. 1950 Standard Signal Generator. Model 65-8. S/N 1321. Qty 1. Unable to identify it further

Sept. 1950 Weston Analyzer. Model 779. Qty 1. S/N 1321. (Photo by Don Meyers).

Sept. 1950 Weston Constant Impedance DB Meter Type 695. S/N 15154. Qty 1. (Photo courtesy www.radiomuseum.org)

Sept. 1950 Hickok transconductance tube tester. Model 533. S/N 25-10089. Qty 1 . (Image extracted from You Tube video)

Sept. 1950 RCA Wavemeter TE-149 S/N 61 Qty 1. Range 200 KHz to 20 MHz. (Photo by Jan Poortman PA3ESY )

Sept. 1950 Hickok Model 288X Xtal Controlled Signal Generator. S/N 15516. Qty 1. Frequency from 100 kHz to 110 MHz in 7 ranges. (Photo courtesy www.radiomuseum.org)

Sept. 1950 C2 Oscillator. Qty 1. Five, 1 MHz ranges covering 5 to 10 MHz

April 1958 General Radio Model 916A Bridge. Used for measuring antenna impedance. 400 KHz to 60 MHz. Resistance range: 0 to 1000 ohm. (Extract from General Radio catalog)

UNFILLED EQUIPMENT REQUESTS
No 29 Set - Sought, was a permanent transfer from the Army to HMCS Churchill for quantity three, Wireless No 29 sets. The intended application was not indicated in the Churchill archives nor is there anything to say if the transfer actually happened.
Mobile Radios. - In October 1954 John Hall, Senior Officer of Supplementary Radio Stations, is requisitioning two-way mobile radios for the vehicles used in Churchill. The justification for this was to ensure that no one would get stranded in a vehicle during winter time and freeze to death. The Link System Model 50UFS, 50 watt FM base station was recommended with 25 watt radios for the vehicles. An operating frequency of 36.72 MHz was also requisitioned in a separate document. There is no evidence to show that the mobile radios were ever installed at Churchill.
George Fraser comments. "There was no VHF receiver/transmitters fitted to our base vehicles while I was there during the last two years of operations (1966 - 1968). In fact, if I remember correctly, we only had two or three vehicles and they travelled to the Town of Churchill in one direction and Fort Churchill in the opposite direction, only a matter of maybe 4 or 5 miles overall. It didn't make any practical sense at that time to have vehicles fitted with communications equipment".
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The unit may have been in storage for quite some since there is no confirmation that is was installed in Operations during the early 1950's. Perhaps there was an intention to use it but it never materialized.
[2] Mecanitron was based in Boston Mass.
Contributors and Credits:
1) Robert Langille <ewcs(at)ewcs.ca> provided copies of the source documents from the National Archives.
2) Model 199B http://cloughbrengle.homestead.com/CB-LIST.html
3) http://www.thevalvepage.com/testeq/cossor/339a/339a.htm
4) Volt Ohymst photo: http://www.mzentertainment.com/studio_
workshop_test_equipment_rca_voltohmyst_junior_wv77a.html
5) Hickok 177X http://www.myvintagetv.com/vintage_test_equipment.htm
6) Simpson 215 photo http://www.simpson260.com/200/simpson_215.htm
7) CR-88 image http://www.oldradios.co.nz/gallery/anchors/RCA%20CR88.html
8) Stark 9-66 image http://www.tone-lizard.com/Stark.htm
9) Weston 695 image http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/weston_constant_impedance_db_me.html
10) Hickok 288X image http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/hickok_universal_signal_generat.html
11) http://www.baudot.net/teletype/M15.htm#M15-KSR
12) George Fraser <caperfca(at)sympatico.ca>
13) 916 extract Jacques Hamel <hamja(at)videotron.ca>
14) Jan Poortman PA3ESY https://www.pa3esy.nl/index-gb.htm

Back to HMCS Churchill

Oct 22/21

EQUIPMENT	VINTAGE	USE	DESCRIPTION

Need photo	Late 1949	IRS	Antenna Switch Model SA-136/G and 137/G. The base commander was instructed to replace the 20 position antenna switch Model SA-136/G with a 40 position switch Model SA-137/G.
Need photo	Oct. 1949	IRS	Marconi Mk II P. F. equipment .Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Oct. 1949	IRS	Type 249. Ionospheric Transmitter. Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Oct. 1949	IRS	S.R.E. Qty 1 . Sound Reproducing Equipment S/N 456. Model unknown . Included are 7 speakers. Description unknown. Need info.
	Oct. 1949	IRS	CM11 . Canadian Marconi HF transmitter/receiver. Qty 1. Was slated for redeployment to DOT when a replacement transmitter arrived. Frequency range: 375 to 515 KHz and 1.5 to 13.5 MHz. Modes and power levels were: CW - 100 watts; MCW - 70 watts; AM - 30 watts. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Oct. 1949	IRS	CSR-5A Canadian Marconi HF Receiver By 1949, Qty 4 .(S/N 830, 868, 934 and 1057). Accompanied by qty 5, VP-3 power supplies and 5 speakers. Employed for WWV monitoring. All were slated for redeployment to DOT when replacement receivers arrive. By September 1950, the complement grew to 10 receivers. S/Ns 209, 245, 430, 440, 477, 657, 708, 729, 748,769. Used in Operations. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Sept. 1949	IRS	National NRB-J receivers. (This is actually the Model RBJ). Qty 2. By September 1950, the quantity had grown to four units. Used in Operations. (Photo courtesy Kurrajong Radio Museum, Australia)
	Sept. 1949	IRS	RCA AR-77 receiver Qty 1. Frequency range- 540 to 31000 KHz receiver. Produced by RCA Victor. Being used in Operations in Sept. 1950. (Photo by John Kaminsky)
	Oct. 1949	IRS	Sparton Model X1 receiver . Circa 1940's. 460 KHz to 30 MHz coverage. Depicted is serial number X1054. Manufactured in early 1940's (Photo by Jacques Hamel, VE2DJQ).
	Sept. 1950		RCA AR 8510 receiver. Qty 1. S/N 4770. Frequency range: 16 to 650 KHz. Used in Operations. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Sept. 1950		Sparton CNF-1 (s/n 91) HFDF: A CRT based set having 2.7 mc to 25 mc coverage depending if it was the A, B or C variant. (Photo by Leblanc, DND. National Archives of Canada, photo # PA-142540) Later, the CNF-1 was upgraded to a CNF-4.
	Sept. 1950		RCA DR-89A Diversity Receiver. Qty 2. Consisting of three RCA CR-88 receivers. The DR-88 uses three AR-88 receivers while DR-89A uses three CR-88 receivers. Used in Operations. (Image courtesy Canadian War Museum Library)
	Sept. 1950		CR-88 receiver by RCA . Qty 2. 535 KHz to 32 MHz. Used in Operations. (Photo courtesy www.oldradios.co.nz)
Need photo	Sept. 1950		Mecanitron 126F [2] .Qty 5. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Sept. 1950		Mecanitron 126RC. Qty 5. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Sept. 1950		Mecanitron Tape Pullers. Qty 10. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Sept. 1950		Mecanitron Tone Keyer. TK1. Qty 2. Description unknown. Need info.
Need photo	Sept. 1950		Mecanitron Scanner Model SC22 with YY2 tape puller. Qty 1. Description unknown. Need info.
	Sept. 1950		Northern Radio Frequency Shift Converter Model 107 S/N N15. Qty 1. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
Need photo.	Sept. 1950		Antenna Multicouplers with external power supply. Qty 8. Description unknown. Need info.
	Sept. 1950		Model 19 Teleprinter. Qty 2. Circa 1942. 60 words per minute, 5 level Baudot coding. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Sept. 1950		Model 14 TD (Transmitter-Distributor) Tape reader for Baudot tape. Qty 3 (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Sept. 1950		Model 15 KSR Teleprinters. Qty 2. 45.5 baud, 60 wpm. Manufactured from 1930 to 1954. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
--	Sept. 1950		Model 15 RO Teleprinter. Qty 2. Receive Only. Same as KSR above but without keyboard.
Need photo	1950-1956		TH-58 transmitter. 1 kw power output. It was located in a shed-like structure not far from the base hospital in the camp at Fort Churchill and sometimes referred to as Old Camp.Used for communications with Frobisher Bay and Aklavik
	March 1951		Hammarlund SP-600-JX Receiver: Qty 8. 540 kHz to 54 MHz. Replacement for CSR-5A's. Six were installed in the Ops Bldg and two in the D/F building. (Image courtesy Kurrarjong Radio Museum)
Need photo	April 1951		Motorola Porta-Phone Unit. Description unknown. Need info.
	1953		The CCM Coding Machine was in use at Churchill in 1953. Shown with cover off. This cryptosystem was replaced with the ECM Mk II starting in 1954. (National Cryptologic Museum Foundation photo)
	1954		ECM Mk II replaced Typex in 1954. Used for the encipherment of classified material. (Photo by Richard Myrick)
	1950's		McElroy Model RAPC ink tape recorder. This was a real workhorse at Churchill and was used to copy CW which was beyond the capability of the receiving operator. This recorder could copy signals up to 1,000 wpm. An ink tape operator could always be identified by the thin line of ink spatter across his gun shirt. (Image courtesy RCN)
	1950's		Pierce Model 556 wire recorder. Both Pierce and Webster wire recorder types were used at Churchill. Both types had very poor sound fidelity and mechanical deficiencies. Pierce was especially problematic when doing a 'rewind' or 'fast forward' which resulted of heaps of tangled wire on the floor. (Photo courtesy Northern Illinois University)
	1950's		Webster Model 80 wire recorder. (Photo courtesy Northern Illinois University)
	1950/60's		Ampex 601 dual track tape recorder. (Image courtesy of RCN)
	1953		XFK Keyer. A document dated Nov. 1953 is requesting crystals for an XFK keyer which feeds the TH-58 transmitter. Crystals are required for the following frequencies: 4570, 6707.5, 9022.5, 13412.5 and 18087.5 KHz .The keyer cost $1050 and the crystals were $25 each in that time. (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	1956 >		A Westinghouse MW transmitter was collocated at the Joint Services Transmitting Building, not HMCS Churchill itself. Depicted here is an MW installation at radio station WNU Slidell, Louisiana. Frequency range: 2 to 30 MHz; Power Output: 3,000 watts. Modes: A1 and F1; Frequency control: 3 crystal controlled positions per RF unit. All four RF units can be keyed simultaneously or independently. Instruction Manual: CF-1933. Known operating frequencies for SUPRAD service were: 4570, 6800, 6956 9216 and 13412.5 KHz. (Photo courtesy WNU6)
	Returned to Montreal stores, April 1959	IRS (?)	FM12 MF/DF set. Made by Marconi UK in 1942, this is a Tuned Radio Frequency, direction finding receiver with a frequency range of 42 to 1060 KHz and requires 220 VAC input power. [1] (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	Returned to Montreal stores, April 1959	IRS (?)	FM12 fixed-frame loop antenna. [1] (Photo by Jerry Proc)
	1960's		AN/GRD-501 . In 1959, approval is given to start the construction of a GRD-501 site at a cost of approximately $88,000. Rowland Fell who served at Churchill from 1965 to 1967 confirms the use of the GRD-501 direction finding receiver. It was only used for special assignments in that time period.(Photo courtesy Canadian Navy)