Cornishbloke

I'm always surprised by the assumed right to climb over armour . I've been tempted to climb over their family saloon in a pair of DMS

Hi

I have been working towards getting an RB44 on the road and finally thought I'd cracked it. I have insurance, the VOSA HGV test certificate, the original casting certificate, the forms and the money. Went to the local DVLA office to apply for first registration and they refused, stating that the VOSA test certificate did not have the chassis number on it and they could not tie it to the vehicle.

What the certificate has on it is what the VOSA people call the Z number and it is a reference that they give the vehicle on first application. They have the chassis number and everything else on their database, but DVLA don't have access to that. Anyway the lady was adamant, and not to my credit I did get rather tetchy. I rang VOSa and they confirmed that putting the Z number on the certificate was their policy and it was up to the DVLA what they did. Back to DVLA - spoke to manager who said that he had checked their internal help desk and they (DVLA) were right, no chassis number no registration. he did however agree to ring VOSA, and after a while came back and said that he had confirmed the chassis number and would authorise it. I paid and hope to get my registration.

This doesn't seem right to me - I don't see how I can be required by one department to get a certificate before registration and when I do, and it is issued in accordance with policy, they refuse to accept it.

Does anyone know whether the local office was right to refuse initially or were they just being difficult or wrong and then refusing to back down? I do feel that had I not escalated and got quite stroppy I would never have got the thing on the road.

Cheers

Richard

Try MacComponents on eBay - they list quite a number of clansman fuses http://myworld.ebay.co.uk/macomponentsltd&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSX:SELLERID&_trksid=p3984.m1543.l2533

I've a copy of the user guide - I'll follow Iain's lead if it's of use.

Richard

Iain - is there commonality between the 8m and 12m masts? If so I'd like a copy of any repair manuals just in case.

Many thanks

I think I can see a TUUAM to the top right of the front wall which suggests at least a 353 in there somewhere.Richard

HiI've just printed it out direct from the site without a problem. My work system doesn't allow us to save files, but it may be that the corruption is coming when you save the file. Try printing straight from the ferret site and see what happensCheersRichard

http://www.ferret-fv701.co.uk/radio/racal%20mast%20type%20714.pdf

Try this

As Rich says we are working on fitting out the insides of the comms bodies. It seems to me that we need to find an EMER which lays out the radio fit in the TUH similar to the ones which show how to set up the radios inside a Land Rover. Does anyone have a number as I am going to ring the Royal Signals museum on Monday to see what they have.According to my contact the BMETS gear was essentially Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) and a Finnish system. You can get the radio sondes quite easily for a fiver or so. Not sure that I fancy carting the gas around though.I've seen a number of different fits on the Comms bodies - mine has a 12m Clarke mast attached to the rear whereas some I have seen have a much heavier mast which lies flat on the roof. The BMETS receiver does not seem to need a mast and looks like a four leafed clover sitting on the ground.I have found a rugged laptop - a raytheon Chameleon - which comes with a data interface and looks the part. Does anyone know whether these are the ones.CheersRichard

Hi

I'm in the middle of sorting out the radio fit in my Scorpion. The basic harness is much as the Ferret site seems to show, although I had a problem downloading it. The only difference with mine is that I have a couple of three way junction boxes which allows the harness to mate into the radio sets. Imagine a T spur on the daisy chain. As far as I can see, there are enough power sockets onthe lower right hand side of the turret distribution box to run the IB and two radios, although the plugs are a bit special at the DB end. The other end is the standard 2 pin power fitting. I have seen 28volt splitters on ebay - they seem to be designed for Land Rovers, but I can't see that they wouldn't work in the Scorpion.

Starting with the antenna base, you will need the feed that fits right up into the base and has a large plastic plug which screws into the rubber base and then the tail should be terminated in a ring which bolts onto the post of the VHF base element (the metal fitting which contains a small transformer I think). The next cable out is an RF cable with 2xBNC connectors. One goes onto the antenna element base and the other to the TUAM. There are three similar cables in the set up - Antenna to TUAM/TUAM to ARFAT/ARFAT to radio. You can make these with 50 ohm BNC connectors and RG58 cable. Incidentally the base element should be sandwiched between two rubber gaskets to stop water getting in.

The cables from the TUAM to the ARFAT and ARFAT to radio are more difficult. I've just had a quote from Steve Marsh (C&S Tat Barrow on the EMLRA site) for them. He does seem to have the correct leads, so I'd be tempted to contact him. You will then need to look at earthing the boxes and radios. I've just upgraded the harness to ANR and all the boxes came with earth straps, but there are special contacts on the TUAM and the radio.

I'm still playing with the layout - trying to fit the boxes in the most ergonomic place and also trying to match the holes in the turret to the placings. The fixed harness is more or less sorted - I struggled to get the CBF in a position where the big, curly lead wasn't bent around on itself. It's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle!

Hope this helps

Richard

Thanks Ian . It's all getting clearer but it's a very complicated subject. Perhaps once I start my foundation course it will make more sense.

Richard

Thanks to all of you who replied - I am getting my list for Stoneleigh sorted out! I hope to have the vehicle back from first plating and registration by the middle of February so I'll be able to ask more specific questions about the fit then. However I now have a good idea how the two systems (HF and VHF) work and what's needed. There are 4 antenna mounts on the RB44 communications body, one at each corner. Is there any preference as to which mounts are used for VHF and which for HF? I have seen these insulator bowls in use on Landrovers, would they be needed inside the body of the RB44 as by the look of it the cables run along paths already marked by cable ties or are they used only once the cable leaves the body through to the mount.

This is a picture of the inside as it is, fitted for BMETS. I will rationalise it to three vehicle sets, perhaps with secure data, and a manpack option which will be much the same as the set up in FFR Landrovers. Any ideas gratefully recieved.

Thanks so much Ian - that backs up what I thought. The plan is to fit a working HF set into the Comms body of an RB44 and the base fits on to a mounting which is physically closer to the TUUAM box than a stalk. The coax runs from the radio through the inside of the body and out through a gland into the mounting. You can see these on the body currently for sale at Withams. I hope to begin the fit in Feb and am trying to get the bits together either at Stoneleigh or EBay. Once I've got a better idea of how the cable run goes I'll ask for advice on the insulators.

Many thanks

Richard

I would like to run an HF radio in a vehicle (PRC320 or VRC 321). Do I need the "spacer" at the bottom of the antenna mounts or is this something that is used exclusively with VHF sets.The unit itself is this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-CLANSMAN-RADIO-RADIO-ARIEL-SUPPORT-MOUNT-ELEMENT-/200588406813?_trksid=p5197.m1992&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D14%26meid%3D4642547728369579665%26pid%3D100015%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26sd%3D200588406813%26I have seen this which I've been told is appropriate for HF usehttp://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CLANSMAN-RADIO-RACAL-ARIEL-MOUNT-PLASTIC-BASE-PLATE-/190516778101?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item2c5baf5475apologies for not being able to get the pictures to work.Richard

A couple of quick questions in a similar vein. I am in the process of buying and registering an RB44 (ex BMETS) which has a Clark 12m mast fitted. This is similar to the one that Withams have in their auction at the moment. Does anyone have details of the accessory kit (guys/baseplate etc) that would allow me to erect it off the vehicle? Second question is, if I raise the mast on the vehicle does it need to be guyed as well?Many thanksRichard

HiI bought mine at Stoneleigh many years ago. I think that the xmod have some under radio (Bracket - LH - Radio Carrier - FV701594) and Support Radio Carrier - FV701593 - ISSB - you might be able to adapt for the third.CheersRichard

Martin - that's perfect! Now I can make a start on making one up. There's a 353 on eBay for £100 or best offer. Nothing to do with me but a good price for a working set.

Many thanks

Richard

HiI am getting around now to fitting the 2 x 353 radios into the Scorp. They sit on shockmounts and rails which in turn sit on some form of platform in the rear of the turret. The platform is supported by three risers which I have, but I don't know what the platform looks like. It has been described to me as being two strips of 1/8" steel which run across the risers and which terminate in a right angled wall on which the initiate box and adapter fit if a manpack is fitted. I assume that it is pre-drilled to take the standard radio plates (including the manpack fitting) but apart from that it is a complete guess. You don't see many pictures of the inside of Scorpions compared with Sabre, but the turrets are different so I can't compare.Does anyone out there have such a thing and would be prepared to photograph and measure so that I can make one up? Any information would be most helpful.Many thanksRichard

No 5 is a battery cover.

If you have FV nos let me know, I have an IPC

What part of Cornwall?

That's interesting Paul. It's definitely N2 - the 3000kg figure is the empty weight. Mine has a radio body which is probably the best part of 1000kg.

To my untrained eye, there goes not appear to be that much clearance under the sides. The lower bodywork ( fuel tank, lockers, spare wheel etc.) ends in a line roughly level with the hubs. The side height above the road is therefore about 8 inches plus a tyre. I missed a trick in not measuring the height last weekend when I saw it, but again it does not look that high compared with N3 types. Driving up the motorway today there didn't seem to be much difference between the RB44 and a chassis transit apart from the weight.

I'm between camps here, I have an email from VOSA which says bars, and the chap who will take it for its first test says bars, but experience on the site is that bars are not being insisted upon by other centres.

Any ideas what will persuade VOSA that bars are not necessary - it seems to me that only an argument on the construction will win - weight and wheelbase are non starters.

Richard

Thanks for that Paul. The issue isn't made any easier by inconsistencies within VOSA centres as evidenced by the posts here. My worry is that I will be looking over my shoulder at each test in case either the regs have changed or the examiner doesn't like the mod.

I can see there being a gap in the restoration timeline covering the 80's / 90's and MKs and Dafs being scrapped as too expensive to put on the road just as a hobby. It's ironic that my Scorpion costs me nothing to tax and requires no testing of any sort whereas the RB44 is regulated to the eyes.It will be interesting to see what the preservation scene looks like in twenty years time.

Looking at German anti personnel mines, most contained separate balls designed to injure the victim. I would have thought these would count as shrapnel and the dispersed remains of the case as fragments.

Well - I contacted VOSA technical officers and their response is as follows:"An RB44 would be exempt fitment of sideguards in military use as the Construction and Use regulations allow that. In civilian use they are not exempt unless the distance between the axle centres is less than 3m. I estimate the distance on an RB44 is close to 4m so I think it should have them retrofitted. It sounds as if some people have got away with it."An interesting development. Now I suppose we have to work out how to fit them.I'll let you know how I get on.Richard

Hi

Just bought an RB44 from Withams. I've contacted someone about getting the thing through the HGV test and they maintain that it must be fitted with side bars. I've not seen any pictures of registered ones with these. Does anyone have recent experience of this and if they are not required could you point me in the direction of the relevant legislation.

The chap who's doing it sounds like he is aware of all the current regs so I don't think its flannel.

Richard