The Wireless-Set-No19 Group

 

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American version of the British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter'
British Air-Sea Rescue homing transmitter beacon.

T-3180 was a self-contained unit comprising a battery in waterproof case, aerial mast and a small oscillator/aerial unit. The power supply was fed from the battery case on the bottom to the oscillator unit by a length of cable running alongside the mast, An on-off switch was located on the battery case. The horizontally dipole aerial was part of the oscillator unit. The two dipole arms are hinged and spring loaded, in non-operational position lying parallel with the case assembly. When operational, the light weight telescopic mast was extended to a height of about 6 ft. The mast was fitted with three guy cords, normally secured to the sides of the dinghy.


Used in single man (fighter pilot) K - type dinghy.
Range approximately 50 miles with an aircraft flying at an altitude of 4000ft.

 

British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter' Packed up.

British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter', unpacked.



The beacon with the spring loaded antenna errected in position ready to extend the light weight telescopic mast which the antenna.
This is a British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter' British Air-Sea Rescue homing transmitter beacon.
The american version is much the same when the antenna is sprung out in to position.

 


Inside the clear tube are the components of the beacon, a single wire ended valve a CV93, is soldered directly in to the circuit, no plug/sockets and the antenna is attached to the two screw terminals on the left side of the board in the photo below.

 

The compactness and very light weight allowed the beacon to be used in virtually any type of life saving craft including single-seater dinghies type K, Q and S. It operated on the Air to Surface Vessels (ASV) radar beacon frequency of 177 MHz. It signals could be received by airborne ASV Mk. II radar sets or Rebecca Mk. IIb equipment in Coastal Command and Fleet Air Arm aircraft.

 

 


British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter' British Air-Sea Rescue homing transmitter beacon.

 

Diagram and layout of British Transmitter Type T-3180 or 'Walter'
Air-Sea Rescue homing transmitter beacon.

 


With Thanks to Louis Meulstee and Steve (AKA - stalagluft3)
For taking all the above photos and for allowing us to display them here.


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