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58 BE 88

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Everything posted by 58 BE 88

  1. From a technical point of view it's way out of date but it's always going to be of value to someone! Even if only for parting out for components (valves always useful) although that would be a shame. Putting it on eBay at a low start price always better than chucking it into a skip and you might get a surprise at what it fetches and it willl end up with someone who values it. They did get re-codified with a Nato stock number - 6625-99-469-9206, titled Tester, Performance.
  2. It's a field test set for the TR1986 family of aircraft transmitter / receivers. Used to check the serviceability of the set.
  3. Austin K9 body in Cambridgeshire on eBay - item No. 372401864367. 99p start.
  4. Not quite. All the New Range transceivers were designated as Wireless Sets originally, e.g. Wireless Set C42. The change to using the term Radio didn't happen until 1960 as part of NATO standardisation. The WS C42 became Transmitter-Receiver C42 No. 1 and the complete installation (set and ancilliaries) became Station, Radio C42. In fact that happened in 1956 with the introduction of the range of fitting kits to add a Station Radio to a vehicle. The suitable vehicles from the standardised CT range to have a fitting kit installed were already designated FFW, having had basics like bigger generator, control panel, additional batteries and power take-off etc built in during manufacture. Once the fitting kits had been added (by REME workshops) the vehicle obviously had to have a different title to denote this change - hence the new title FFR. FFW = Basic electrical kit installed at the factory. FFR = Radio fitting kit(s) added to an FFW vehicle.
  5. One on the RR Services stand at Beltring at £50.
  6. At the risk of dampening the enthusiasm a bit, you should be aware that an Amateur Foundation licence does NOT allow the holder to use ex-military radio. See: http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/spectrum/amateur-radio/guidance-for-licensees/Amateur_Radio_Licence_Guidance_for_licensees.pdf. Particularly paragraphs 2.69 and 2.70. To legally operate ex-military radio kit on the amateur bands you require an Intermediate or Full licence.
  7. Buried at the back of my mind is that a "breakaway" cable arrangement that applies the trailer brakes if a separation occurs is required on trailers with over-run brakes manufactured after 1956. Naturally, I can't remember where I found that bit of information!
  8. Your set is a post-war rebuild done in 1959 so it will have been reduced to components then re-built without the B set section, rather than the B set being removed from a working set which was also done starting in 1956. A new front panel has been fitted which is why the apertures for the B set bits are filled in. So for an authentic display item, that particular set shouldn't have the B set parts. The A and B set Pye plugs look virtually the same but are in fact different - the A set ones have brown "Paxolin" insulators, the B set ones have a clear plastic insulator to reduce the losses at the VHF frequency used. Andy
  9. Spotted in the 'Bay - obviously from a vehicle in British service, but what? Item No. 22044778298 with more pics.
  10. If the number 1305 is stamped on the chassis member then your Champ is almost certainly NOT 13 BE 05. Here's why: The chassis' were numbered by the manufacturer (sometimes called the "Dumb Iron" number) when they were built and supplied to Austin for vehicle assembly, but this number was never used by Austin or the army to identify the vehicle. On the assembly track the vehicle was allocated a vehicle number prefixed by WN1 (for the army contract spec vehicles) e.g. WN1 - 1234. The vehicle registration number contained the numerical part so in this example the registration would then be 12 BE 34. Simply because parts were manufactured and vehicles built around the same time, there is a VERY loose correlation between the number of the chassis taken off the pile at the factory and the vehicle number they gave it but they are NOT the same! Without the VIN plates from the scuttle it is not possible to positively identify the vehicle unless someone has recorded it somewhere. The best you can say is that it is an early production cargo version possibly from early 1953. Someone started to compile a file of chassis to vehicle numbers a few years ago. However you do know the engine number and 50527 suggests it was originally fitted in a Champ around vehicle No. 3000 but it may well have been swapped between vehicles over the last 60-odd years of course. The Austin Champ Owners Club may be able to help from their records of the original build cards. And it’s not a Jeep, it’s a Champ!
  11. Might be an idea to understand the difference between Silicon and Silicone as well. Sand in the brakes will break them.
  12. If the vehicle really is 1305 then it was built as a Cargo version, not FFW. The FFW versions didn't start until vehicle No. 8277. However, the OP confuses Champ and Jeep, and with Champs the chassis number (found stamped on the chassis dumb iron) is different to the vehicle number which is on the VIN plate on the scuttle. More information needed.
  13. The figure of 38Ah is irrelevant now. It refers to the storage capacity of a particular dimension battery in 1950 and modern technology and manufacture has more than doubled that. Your purchasing choice really depends on what your battery securing arrangements are, If you have the original cargo version carriers, the nearest modern battery type is 072 which just need a half inch or so of wood packing inside the clamps for a snug fit. If you also have the original style steel battery tray, they will fit into the spaces. If you don't have the orginal type fittings then the physical size isn't so critical. Type 072 are usually about 70Ah these days so more than ample for a Champ. CCA figures are not too important either since when in a 24v arrangement, the starting current is about half of the 12v case. Andy 58 BE 88
  14. Except that it was Jack Profumo and the famous quote was from Mandy Rice-Davis.
  15. I didn't see them either. Or hear anybody licensed on site despite spending four days monitoring and putting out calls on 3615 and 51.70. Zilch responses. No inter-G on 40m but I did manage a presence on the VMARS 80m USB net using a 1/4 wave vertical on a 8m mast. Johnsons had the usual pile of redundant Clansman and it was amusing to see the "ambitious" prices being asked for rusty WS19s. There were a couple of Larkspur set carriers at a reasonable price for sale in Kitcheners Field but not much else of that era around.
  16. Definitely Champ. FV15242 is Wheel, steering, 17 inch complete, and comprises: FV15243 Wheel (not provisioned separately) FV15235 Bolt, clamping, steering wheel FV15237 Ring, spring, steering wheel, outer FV15227 Nut, wing, UNF, 3/8 in x 24 tpi FV207085 Pin, locking, steering wheel FV15242 was re-coded as NSN 2530-99-848-1924 They were plentiful once upon a time at Jackson's in Misson but hard to find new now. They have a habit of the plastic rim breaking as drivers swing on them when climbing in or out.
  17. The Champ speedo cable is 102 inches long according to the spares list so that one would be a bit short, and every Champ cable I've ever seen has a black covering, so probably not Champ.
  18. The FV1801 version of the Champ cost the government £1200 in 1951. The relative costs of beer & petrol came up in the bar the other evening, when a £10 note bought just three pints. There was much disbelief when I commented that when I started drivng, that £10 would buy 40 GALLONS of Esso's finest at 5/- per Gallon (and it had not long gone up from 4/11). Notes for the youngsters: 1 Gallon = 4.54 litres 40 Gallons = 181 litres 5/- = 25p.
  19. In the 1980s our local RCT (as was) TA Squadron were issued with 1945 vintage Leyland Hippos from reserve stock when their trusty AEC Militant Mk 1s needed replacement. The first job was to get the REME L.A.D. to fit stop and turn lights to them.
  20. Picture #3 in post 26 is rather marred by the twonk in the background flying the Union flag upside-down. They wouldn't fly the Stars & Stripes the wrong way up! Unfortunately, when you politely point out the error the usual reaction is "I don't care" or hostility (one reason why I won't buy anything from Soldier of Fortune).
  21. It wasn't much of a surprise either as earlier in the week someone was testing the sound system with a low frequency oscillator, presumably to "tune it up" for maximum bass. Apart from inflicting sleeplessness and annoyance on everone else on the site, the bigger problem is that it deliberately ignored the published rules on noise after midnight and so will have attracted the annoyance of the site's neigbours and the attention of the local council. The result may be a threat to the future of the event. I don't expect anti-social behaviour from any group - whatever the excuse or reason; I do expect something to be done about it.
  22. From the pictures it's an FV2301 Mk 2 and rated at 1/2 ton, not 3/4. The designation plate will tell you more if it's carefully cleaned including the maker contract number and registration number. The maker could be Sankey or Brockhouse, they were virtually identical. Some brake items are the same as Champ and there are quite a few bits around. If you need new drums see ebay item 181054036564. FV14361 are Champ drums.
  23. As always, there isn't a single straightforward answer to this and the date is important. The Champ EMER and User Handbook state a bridge classification of 3 as Clive says, although the original choice of this figure is a little strange as the unladen weight of a Champ is only 1.6375 Tons and even laden with a crew and kit is only listed at 2 Tons exactly. Perhaps they rounded up the metric equivalent of 2.032 tonnes to the next highest whole number or took into account likely overloading, but it still produced a rather unrealistic bridge classification. It's difficult to see how some units decided on 4 even adding a 1/2 ton trailer. When occasionally towing a 25pdr (with reduced performance as the handbook says!), maybe! However this was changed by A.C.I (Army Council Instruction) 89 of 1960 which introduced a new system of classification which later became standardized across NATO as STANAG 2021. The explanation to the change says that the new load classification numbers bear no relation to those of the former system and go on to explain that "Each load class number is based on vehicles at normal convoy speeds and at 100 feet spacing". The principles of compliance - don't cross a bridge with a number smaller than that of your vehicle, remain the same. Equipment Regulations 1959 Pamphlet 9 W.O. code 12473 para 22 onwards lays down the style of the plate and where on vehicles it is displayed. Equipment regulations, Supplement to Pamphlet No. 9, W.O. code 14105 dated 23 October 1963 entitled "Bridge Load Classification of Vehicles" says the indicated figure should be 2. (page 27 serials 1 (1/4 ton Austin cargo) and 23 (1/4 ton Austin FFW). In the 1970s, someone decided that having a 9 inch golden yellow disc on vehicles that were trying not to be seen by an enemy wasn't such a good idea after all and they were changed to grey for vehicles over three tons and discontinued completely on smaller vehicles. The exact turning point was the CRAOC Bulletin 8/77 Annex E with immediate effect(amending Materiel Regs for the Army, Volume 2, Pam No.3 AC No.60503 Mar 1975). This also dealt with the planned abolition of Formation heraldic signs/badges & Arm/Service identifying colour signs to be phased out from 31/3/78. So it all depends on the timeframe that you have decided that your Champ should be restored to. And be prepared for arguments! Andy 58 BE 88
  24. The earlier trailers with the "reversible" lunette were FV2301 and were rated at 1/2 ton compared with the 3/4 ton of the FV2361. Contracts for the FV2301 trailers was split between Sankey and Brockhouse.
  25. The RLC museum doesn't have any service information for Champs. Someone at Chilwell many years ago decided that no-one would possibly want such information and destroyed all the record cards. They had certainly been destroyed prior to 1974. Unfortunately, the RLC museum levy a non-returnable fee just to look and tell you that they have no records of Champs. My Champ had a 1968 (F) registration and my local DVLA office were most helpful in assisting with getting a "dateless" number appropriate to 1954. They suggested that it had been incorrectly registered in 1968 with the year of application rather than the year of manufacture. To change it was free too! (then). The Austin Champ Owners Club is is registered on the DVLA V765/1 list of Vehicle Owners Clubs so can do your age verification. The vehicle number will usually indicate the year and approximate month of manufacture. Andy 58 BE 88
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