# Orcadian Comms..



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Watched BBC2's "Britain's Ancient Capitals/Secrets of Orkney" last night featuring the 1974 abandoned island of Swona.. 
The cottage interior shows the Islanders had some form of inter island/ship to shore communication which looks very much like the ubiquitous military 19 set..


----------



## Searcher2004 (May 3, 2012)

R651400 said:


> Watched BBC2's "Britain's Ancient Capitals/Secrets of Orkney" last night featuring the 1974 abandoned island of Swona..
> The cottage interior shows the Islanders had some form of inter island/ship to shore communication which looks very much like the ubiquitous military 19 set..


Yes, it does look like a 19 Set, much cannibalised! I think there was another do***entary about Swona recently which showed a house with a Pye PCR receiver, which was an entertainment receiver for the army, etc in WW2. They were primarily used for AM reception as they had no BFO for CW use. 

I'd guess that there may have been fishermen living on Swona who would use the PCR and WS 19 to listen to fishing boats and weather info, as well as for domestic use. Also, it's unlikely the islanders would have a licence to transmit but I guess the GPO were unlikely to come calling! One thing about the WS 19 as regards use on the 2Mc shipping band is that it's incapable of split-frequency operation and doesn't send and receive below 2Mc, unless modified.

S2004


----------



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

S2004.. Putting mods to one side the front panel doesn't seem to fit the 19 Set configuration but I can't think what else it can be..


----------



## Searcher2004 (May 3, 2012)

*19 Set?*



R651400 said:


> S2004.. Putting mods to one side the front panel doesn't seem to fit the 19 Set configuration but I can't think what else it can be..


Hi,

I did a search on Swona and found that BBC's "Country File" had visited the same house but with even less footage on the mystery radio. From what I can see on the two programmes I agree it's a 19 Set but missing the right-hand dial, the main tuning control. I don't think it's a PCR RX, the dial for that is too distinctive. 

It could be a WS 22 or a WS 62, they both have similar appearances to the WS 19 but they both have a third control, on the left, to operate the rotary inductor. Again, none of these sets allow split-frequency use and don't cover below 2 Mc. The big advantage of the WS 62 is, apart from the battery, headset and key, it's all self-contained, including the rotary converter for HT+. 

If I had a choice and wanted split-frequency and coverage down to 1.5 Mc I would choose the US Navy TCS station for a inter-island link; plentiful on the post-war surplus market, very reliable and built to withstand rough treatment on the likes of PT boats. The associated power supplies covered mains, 12 and 24 V DC. Made by Collins, they're still available in decent condition on ebay.

73

S2004


----------



## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

Agreed on above & Collins of course the Cadillac. 
Rustic though the interior of this cottage was on the day of abandonment (home-made armchair covered in sail-cloth) I can only think the set whatever it is was used for R/T and not purely shipping forecast listening. 
Mk22 set presently on fleabay with a mind-boggling £299 bid!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-Wireless-Set-No-22-MK1-c1942-/252741732628


----------



## Searcher2004 (May 3, 2012)

R651400 said:


> Agreed on above & Collins of course the Cadillac.
> Rustic though the interior of this cottage was on the day of abandonment (home-made armchair covered in sail-cloth) I can only think the set whatever it is was used for R/T and not purely shipping forecast listening.
> Mk22 set presently on fleabay with a mind-boggling £299 bid!
> 
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WW2-Wireless-Set-No-22-MK1-c1942-/252741732628


Hi,

Yes, the WS 22 is much sought-after and now rare. I have posted the details on the VMARS Yahoo group and await wiser heads than me to pronounce on the radio's ID! 

Another possible candidate is the WS 19HP, an add-on outboard amplifier with a bank of 2 or 4 807 valves to boost the measly 5 watts of the bog-standard WS 19. 

73

S2004


----------



## Bill.B (Oct 19, 2013)

Oh boy I'm rich. I have had a 22 set since I was thirteen. Bought it from a shop in Southsea when on holiday. Unfortunately the case is gone and it had been sitting in my shed. I will check the panel and see if the picture is a 22.


----------



## Searcher2004 (May 3, 2012)

I posted the details of the mystery receiver on the VMARS Yahoo forum but nothing conclusive has come back yet. The case the radio is in is most likely from a WS 22 and is upside down. 

However, an interesting reply was that the domestic receiver shown is a Pye Invicta model, of which there were several versions all having a "Trawler Band" feature. So, a possible explanation is that the "WS22" was butchered and converted into a 2Mc shipping band transmitter with the Invicta being used for reception. 

That's all for the moment, folks.

S2004


----------

