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WWII 1154N TRANSMITTER

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WWII 1154N TRANSMITTER

Similar to sets used in the Avro Lancaster and other large aircraft during WW2.
The variant 'N' was originally designed for RAF Coastal Command) for general-purpose airborne use, and the R1154N (steel) for all other general use, except in bomber aircraft.

Your comments:

  • National Service RAF 90 Group at Henlow Camp 1950; Calibrated & repaired signal generators for setting up the T1154 /R1155 sets in the various places of use, so the dial said accurately what the frequency was. Could the signal generators have been made by Hewlitt Packard? I seem to remember girls grinding germanium crystals until they registered the correct frequency through their headphones.
    .......... William Cowburn, Lytham St Annes, 8th of February 2015

  • I worked at RAF Sealand also known as 30MU (now part of the Defence Support Agency) from 1961 until 1995. The units function was the repair of avionic, electronic and electrical airborne and some ground equipment.
    We were servicing TR 1154/1155 transmitters and receivers into the 1980's. It may even have been later than that. They were also used in the RAF air sea rescue launches. After they finally stopped using them in aircraft and boats they were used by the ATC cadet squadrons, and yes we went on servicing them for the ATC. I am informed that some squadrons still have some in use.
    .......... G E LIVINGSTON, TRURO, CORNWALL UK, 10th of February 2014

  • When I left the Royal Air Force in 1968 these sets, along with the companion R1155, were still in use on Varsity and Hastings aircraft and possibly other types as well. Varsity and Hastings aircraft were withdrawn from RAF service in the mid 1970's and are unlikely to have had the HF equipment upgraded by that time, so it's very probable that these sets remained in service until the mid 1970's.

    It's also interesting to note that the T1154 was designed by Marconi under the development team leadership of Christopher Cockerell, who later invented the Hovercraft.
    .......... Ian Underwood - m0ymk, Petworth, England, 22nd of January 2014

  • In 1952 whilst training as a wireless mechanic at RAF Yatesbury No 2 RT school we were taught to tune the 1154 transmitter, finding out the significance of the coloured knobs which were to aid novices to tune the transmitter to the appropriate frequency.
    The equipment had other attachments from what I remember there was a large bakelite switch called a "J" switch which was designed to integrate various peices of equipment associated with the wireless and reciever (1155).

    One of the tricks at Yatesbury was to load the transmitter aerial and "draw out " a spark form the "J" switch the most foolhardy,using a finger, which usually ended up with a RF burn a tiny hole drilled through the skin. If you used a pencil it left a brown burn mark on the case.

    The other attachment was the aerial, which consisted a long length of stainless steel wire about the thickness of a cycle brake cable. The end of which terminated in a series lead wieghts, I think about twelve. These being to weight the aerial down below the aircraft.
    This cable would be wound down to transmit, and then if all went well the wrieless operator would wind the cable back in. Failure to do so when coming in to land resulted in the wire being ripped off, the offending airman was then required to pay a wireless mechanic to fit another. The figure of seven shillings and sixpence seems to stick in my memory.


    .......... John B. Rhoades, Horbury, Wakefield , West Yorkshire, 19th of February 2011

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