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Lightweight Land Rover Uitary Radio Station


tinweasle

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Just a bit of idol intrest but what can anybody tell me about the unitary radio station kit that fits into a lightweight?

 

All I have found out so far is that they are quite big and heavy there is a little bit in Mark Cook's book but not much, how were they fitted, what was fitted too them?

 

Anything you can tell me will be of help.

 

Cheers

 

Shaun

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Hi Shaun. Yes they are big and very heavy. It fills the back of mine so that you are left room only for the signal opperators seat (hangs on the left/right side of Landi body) and room to stretch out your legs a little. But you have a large under locker to pack with kit if no batteries are used. This battery space has fibreglass trays that slide out on runners to make access for batteries easy. You have a good table for the kit and the radio racking also. Two pair of terminals live and one dummy to keep power cables tidy. The racking also holds the two antenna arms which pass through the FFR canvas.

I remove mine at the end of show season to get weight off springs, It is too heavy to do this on a regular basis unless you have a winch and remove the canvas etc. Forgot to say mine has the safety frame incase the chopper dropped the lifting cable so the radios did not get damaged. I understand that the unit could be lifted out wholesale complete, batteries, radios etc. installed in a command tent up and running with no messing about with spanners etc. with just the power cable attatched to a 24v charging system or generator.

I would photo my set up if required, but off to W&P for a few days.

Having said all that it does make this Landi look the part and it would be great to see more done in this way, in this part of the world not seen another. Hence the reason my mate and myself are doing our best to show FFR landies fitted to the best of our knowledge.

Hope of some help,Andy.

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  • 1 month later...

Ok I'm getting to the point where I'm begining to think about fitting radio's to my unitary table, I'm told that a common combination of radio's fitted to landy's in the 90's was 2 x 353, 1 x 351/2, and a 320, I'm also told that everything needed to make the radio's work was fitted to the radio frame so it could be used on its own as a base station, but that seems like a lot of kit in a not very big space, so did the lightweight carry fewer radio's than a 109?

 

If so were was there a common combination for the lightweight?

 

If it makes any differance my radio table has the cage over the top but I cant see how you would get 4 radio's, all the tauum's, initiate box, ect into that space

 

Cheers

 

Shaun

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I believe the "safety cage" to which you refer is actually refered to somewhere as a Faraday cage.

 

 

 

R

That's interesting, never heard the 'cage' called that myself. Only got the 'bible' on the Airportable to go on. Which as a couple of reference's and a detail section on FFR kit/fittings, clearly states that it is to prevent acidents when lifting via. helecopter. Even shows the sling points etc.

The book 'The half Ton Military Land Rover' is a MUST for the Airportable fan, if you can find one. Worth every penny.

Andy.

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Faraday cage.

Isn't that the metal lattice frame you sit inside to protect yourself from lightning strikes.

The cage can be struck amd it leaves you uncooked.

 

Some how they neutralise the electric field and can be used to protect electrical equipment, so you could put a radio in one.

 

Mike

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Faraday cage.

Isn't that the metal lattice frame you sit inside to protect yourself from lightning strikes.

The cage can be struck amd it leaves you uncooked.

 

Some how they neutralise the electric field and can be used to protect electrical equipment, so you could put a radio in one.

 

Mike

Yep thats true. The 'cage' refered to in the Airportable is actually just a roof/cover over the kit on the Unitary Radio Station, which can also have a antenna mount bolted to it if need be, but that would be very rare indeed. Must remember these Stations were designed to be a 'station' that could stand alone with batteries, antenna etc. etc. without the need to strip out kit and install in a tent/building, if you had a crane or helecopter to hand!! (Never added up all the weight, but my Landi is well sat on the rear springs)

Andy.

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Hi Shaun. Love to see what you are doing with your FFR. The more I find out/learn from ex. servicemen who served in the Airportable there seems to be no hard and fast rule as to what went where. But from the user handbooks I have HF sets/man packs go on the Rt. (behind driver) VHF, left/middle. All pics. in the books I have only show one type of manpack radio PRC351/2 or the PRC320 in the 1/2ton. With 353's on the left, and if secure speech harness is required the DMU is on top of the 353, thats when it all starts to get silly!

To start with I would keep it simple with a manpack and a 353 and try to get it right.

Andy.

2010-08-22 Tern Valley (38).jpg

2010-08-22 Tern Valley (37).jpg

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To be a faraday cage it would need to compleatly surround the radio's, and it would then stop any elctrical signal from affecting anything inside it, think of the Will Smith film Enemy of the State, I know they work because from time to time I have to clean out the silo's at work and you cant get a phone or radio signal inside them!

 

As airportable sead what is fitted to the radio table is realy only a frame with a mesh roof to protect the radio equipment when the lot was slung under a helicopter

 

My unitary kit looks to have seen some heavy use and isnt as streight as yours airportable but with these you get what you can, not that I was even thinking of getting one before I found mine, and I really wasn't thinking when I decided to buy it :D:D:D two reasons for that 1)My lightweight is 12v, 2) I dont have anywhere to keep it!!! :blush: but at £75 it seemed to good to miss

 

I have 2 possable ways around problem 1 the first is that the unitary kit was (so I'm told) somtimes fitted into a 12v using the batterys in it to run the radio's, or some units found it more adaptable to fit the kit with a genny into a sankey the RM's aparenty did this and a mate at work remember this beind done in the grenaders thinks he can remember this too.

 

Oh and before I forget cheers fore the pic's I hope I can get mine to look half as good!

 

Thanks

 

Shaun

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Thanks Shaun.

Tell you what, it would be a real interesting display set up in a sanky. Yes I have also heard that this was done. I understand that the two 'tubes' on each side of the station were for sliding in opperators seats, never seen any though so dont know if this is true.

Herefordshire is not a million miles from us, may be over winter months have a 'signals' trip out and have a cuppa over what were up to?

Andy.

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Yes there are seats for the lightweight that have a clamp and legs fitted so they can be set up in the back of the lightweight or when used as a radio base station but they arn't common, I have possably tracked one down if the owner is willing to part with it that is!

 

I might be able to sort out a meet, Im over in Hertfordshire though, I do have family in near gloster and tend to head out that way a few times a year, so I will let you know.

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  • 3 months later...

I am looking for a pair of "genuine original" sliding seat tubes for a Unitary-kit , I understand the possibility is slim as they get bent up..

 

In the alternative I suppose if push comes to shove a bent up one would do for identification of tubing / surface coating.

 

Looking at the seat tube clamps - the tubes must have a outer dia. of about 7/8" / 22mm , possibly they are just bits of Tamlex 20mm conduit - either of the hot dipped zinc or pre-galv. alternatives - then no problem - about £9 for a 3.75m length at City Electrics..

 

I doubt if they are pressure tube quality ?? However if a stock tube size - no problem to source the material and get it plated.

---------------------------

So could somebody advise me of the lengths of the tubes , exact outer dia. & wall thickness, surface finish - cad. plated , BZP ??

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

 

However

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The cage on the unitary install is there merely for protection as the whole package was airportable and was intended to be a plug and play install between vehicles so that a GS could operate a FFR capability more readily.

 

I am sure this is stated in Mark Cooks book?????????

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The cage on the unitary install is there merely for protection as the whole package was airportable and was intended to be a plug and play install between vehicles so that a GS could operate a FFR capability more readily.

 

I am sure this is stated in Mark Cooks book?????????

Intresting point about the use of the station in 12v GS Landie's. With my limited knowledge, one or two points crop up.

1. Do GS Airportables have all the fixing points for the station (my GS does not, and no sign it ever has)

2. Electrical connections, voltages 12/24v? for charging the batteries. Unless used from a generator.

Would be very intresting to see installed station in a GS.

As a matter of intrest today I have been taking pics. of my station , cableing spill trays etc.

Will post when happy with results.

Andy.

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The 12v GS may be a red herring but I was advised that all GS vehicles could be adapted to an FFR role even if the batteries were non rechargeable, so limited battery life.

 

This was certainly the case between 12 and 24v Rover Mk8's. Surely a lightweight is no different to the older sibling?

 

:nut:

Edited by Rover8FFR
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In ground role - the Unitary kit - in the early Larkspur days would have used a Onan genny set to re-charge the batteries, probably with four NATO 6TN batteries (both trays full) . In vehicle role - I understand only two 6TN carried.

 

The idea was to free up FFR's for GS Cargo role , however this seemed not to go to plan as there were so many FFR Lightweights to hand many were used as a 12 volt GS. However the "Unitary Kit" design does go back to the Lightweight pre-production days.

 

In Clansman days - I would imagine that this would be the ground role genny set..

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280590375198&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en

 

The point being I suppose - this complete dismountable was a "Radio Station" first be it under canvas or branches, the fact that it is associated with the Lightweight is secondary. I understand some regiments did in fact carry the Unitary Kit in a 109" - probably easier to man-handle in and out of the tub. Fully kitted - I think the upper body-sides would best be removed on a Lightweight (unless you had a helicopter to assist). And yes - I understand the Unitary Kits were moved forward by helicopters without the Lightweight.

 

Yes - all that was needed to secure in the tub is the floor lashing points - that the 12 volt Lightweight has , IIRC only the earler 12 volts had the additional earth body straps that the FFR had - later discontinued.

 

I have two FFR Lightweights still with Unitary Kits that I am starting to fit out , one may be Larkspur & the other Clansman. Something I have neglected , the "Unitary Kit" - the Lightweight Military Spare Parts Catalogue has the odd sheet at the end BUT it is mainly electrical fittings and cables. There must be a full spare parts list inc. clamping components and in particular the sliding/folding seats - ??

 

Most appreciated if anybody can assist with this even only if info. on document identification - so far I have been unable to determine exactly what I am looking for..

Edited by ruxy
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The 12v GS may be a red herring but I was advised that all GS vehicles could be adapted to an FFR role even if the batteries were non rechargeable, so limited battery life.

 

:nut:

 

 

A Direct Current Charging Unit (DCCU) is used for charging the manpack batteries from the PRC351/2, PRC 320 & PRC 344 (and with a Slow 2 or Slow 6 charging tray the PRC 350 & PRC 349 as well).

 

In the 24v FFR a 24 DCCU is used and in the 12v GS a 12v DCCU is used.

 

The VHF radios are run out to the antenna through a Tuning Unit in the box under the antenna on the wing which can be fitted to both FFR & GS vehicles.

 

The main difference between FFR & GS vehicles are that a 12v GS cannot run the 24v VRC 321/322 HF or VRC 353 VHF Radios and that the FFR has a separate battery supply from the vehicle for operating while the engine is off while the GS can only charge up batteries while the engine is running.

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