AIR FORCE RECEIVERS

LAST MODIFIED : October 29th, 1999

AR 4

Receiver. Board set but also part of some the ground radio station. First receiver studied for aircraft purpose. Manufacturer Marconi, Allocchio Bacchini
Year : 1930
Frequency Range : 176 - 1744 kHz in 3 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Autodyne. RF ampl.(2x RS22), Detector (A409), AF ampl. (B443).
Aerial : wire
Power supply : 6 Volt storage battery for filaments and dry batteries for HT

AR 5

Receiver. Usually board set but also part of some ground radio station rt 300 and A 300/5 Main difference with original Airforce set is the use of no standard Army valves type.
Year : 1936
Frequency Range : 21.5 - 1830 m in 6 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : RF ampl.(RS22), Detector (L424), Pre.AF (L424), AF ampl. (B443).
Aerial : 15 m wire
Power supply : Dry batteries or dynamotor

AR 7

Receiver. Ground set. Usually in field application to receive LW and MW communication. Few pieces built, early replaced.
Year : 1938
Frequency Range : 94 - 1660 Khz in 4 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : RF ampl.(2x 78), Detector (76), Pre.AF (77), AF ampl. (41).
Aerial : Long wire
Power supply : PSU suppling 200 V 20mA and 12 V 1.5 A.

AR 8

Receiver. General purpose but mainly used like board set in combination with many transmitter. Very compact with weight of 8 Kg. Sensivity 5 microV. SAFAR manufacturer
Year : 1938
Frequency Range : 200 - 520 Khz and 700 kHz to 22 Mhz in 6 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superheterodyne. 6 valves : EF9,EK2,EF9,EBC3,EBC3,EL2. IF 600 kHz
Aerial : Dipole or long wire
Power supply : PSU suppling 200-250 V 40mA and 12 V 0.8 A or 24 V 0.6 A.

AR 18

Receiver. General purpose but mainly used like board set in combination with many transmitters. Replaced the AR 8. Work horse of Italian Airforce. Built in large scale from many manufacturers (Marconi, SAFAR, Ducati, Microtecnica). Used also after the end the war. Very compact with weight of only 8 Kg. Sensivity 5 microV.
Year : 1940
Frequency Range : 200 - 520 Khz and 700 kHz to 22 Mhz in 6 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superheterodyne. 6 valves E1R type. IF 600 kHz. Late model has the AF amplifier tube type EL2.
Aerial : Dipole or long wire
Power supply : PSU suppling 200-250 V 40mA and 12 V 0.8 A or 24 V 0.6 A.

ARC 1

Receiver. Board set. Built to be used on fighter. Poor results operative and technical. Output on acustic pipe. Often removed from aircraft to save weight. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1937
Frequency Range : 200 - 400 m
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superheterodyne. 6 valves types 78, 6A7, 78, 78, 75, 41. IF 175 kHz.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : Storage battery for filaments and dry battery for plate voltages.

ARC 5

Receiver. Board set. Built to be used on fighter. Scarsely used because replaced from rB30. Output 5000 Ohm telephone headset. Sensivity 10 microV. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1941
Frequency Range : 3 to 6 MHz
Facilities : RT only
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superheterodyne. 6 valves types EF9, ECH3, EF9, EBC3, 2x EL2. IF 600 kHz.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : 12 V Dynamotor PSU.

IF 607

VHF Receiver. Manufacturer IMCARADIO. Part of the stations IMCA 0.4 W and IMCA 20 W
Year : 1940
Frequency Range : 58.5 - 64.5 MHz
Facilities : AM
Receiver Circuit (Valves) :Superheterodyne. RF Ampl.4672, Mix.4672, Oscil.4671 1IF EF9, 2IF EF9, Det./Preamp.AF 6Q7G. AF output by hearphone. AF amp. part of PSU.
Aerial : Vertical dipole
Power supply : by ac PSU that include AF amplifier. Can use also dry batteries with hearphone AF output.
Of this receiver exists also a version with the frequency range modified to intercept SCR-522 and used mainly in Sicily to monitor Malta communications.
Picture

OC 7/RA

SW Receiver. Born for commercial purpose has been used also from armed forced (Army and Air force) with small modifications The type for Air force were identified by /RA suffix (RA=Regia Aeronautica). Manufacturer Allocchio Bacchini
Year : 1938
Frequency Range : 2,5 - 39 MHz in 5 bands
Facilities : CW and RT
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne, IF 650 kHz. Valves 78(3), 77 (3), 75, 41.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : 110-220 Vca external PSU (OC7C). Batteries 6 Vdc(LT) and 220 Vdc(HT).

RA 800

Receiving trailer. Part of the truk station RT 800 but also used as receiving unit for surveillance or net control. Inside the trailer it was 4 receiving posts each formed by 2 receivers (540 type for LW and 850/A for SW), a 10 lines switch board, a telephone cabin a telegrafic set and a field RDF type E393N. The RA 800 were totally indipendent because the equipped with a generator that could be driven from ac mains or a gasoline engine. In addition it was a group of Fe-Nk storage batterie for a total of 180 Vdc. In some case the receiver 540 were replaced by the type 741/A

rB 30

Receiver. Part of the radio station B 30 and B 5, but also used like auxiliary receiver. Manufacturer Allocchio Bacchini. Very compact. Frequency ground setted (one channel). Remote controll : Sensivity and Volume
Year : 1942
Frequency Range : 2.9 - 5.5 MHz
Facilities : RT only. Later model modified to receive CW also
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves E1R(4), EL2. IF = 600 kHz
Aerial : Wire
Power supply : Dynamotor supplied 24 Vdc.

riS 150

Receiver. Auxiliary. Part of the radio station S 150. Used to receive communications from leader aircraft. Manufacturer SAFAR. Also known like SAFAR 516/A
Year : 1941
Frequency Range : 2.0 - 2.5 MHz
Facilities : RT only
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves E1R(3), FDD20 (2).
Aerial : S 150 system
Power supply : Dynamotor supplied 24 Vdc.

RR 1A

Receiver. General purpose. Ground fixed or mobile. Same as Army set type RR1 or to the navy RC/1940. IF 900 kHz. Tuning double (main and vernier)

Year : 1941
Frequency Range : 1.5 - 30 MHz in 5 bands
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves 6K7(3), 6J7(3), 6L7, 6Q7.
Aerial : Inverted L or dipole
Power supply : External. From mains with PSU type AL5 or by 6 volt storage battery with PSU type AL4

rS 150

Receiver. Board set. Part of the radio station S 150. Two bands with separate RF and Mixer stages. IF 600 kHz. Sensivity better than 5 microvolt

Year : 1941
Frequency Range : 250 - 500 kHz and 4 - 8,8 MHz
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves: E1R(6), FDD20 (2).
Aerial : Wire, same a S 150
Power supply : 250 V 70 mA and 24 V 0.7 A.

516/A

Auxiliary receiver. Board. see riS 150

540

Receiver LW, MW. General purpose. Ground. Part of many radio stations. Used in combination with 850/A in the earlier Receiving trailer RA800. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1935
Frequency Range : 100 - 1500 kHz in 4 bands
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) :Tuned circuits. Valves: 78 (2), 77 (2), 41.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : HT = 200 V, Filaments 12 V

741/A

Receiver LW, MW. General purpose. Ground. Part of many radio stations in combination with 850/A receiver. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1937
Frequency Range : 100 - 1500 kHz in 4 bands
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves: AF3, ACH1, 78(2), 75, 77, 41.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : Storage battery for filaments (12V)+Dry batteries for HT (200-250 V) or by mains using a suitable PSU .

746/A

Receiver VLW. Special purpose. Ground. Used like surveillance receiver. IF = 7 kHz. Sensivity better then 10 microvolt. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1939
Frequency Range : 14.3 - 150 kHz in 4 bands
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves: 78(2), 76(2), 6L7(2), 42.
Aerial : Long wire
Power supply : By mains with external PSU.

850/A

Receiver MW and SW. General purpose. Ground. Part of many radio station but also used like surveillane receiver. IF = 600 kHZ, Sensivity 0,1 microvolt, AF filter tuned on 950 Hz. Manufacturer SAFAR.
Year : 1937
Frequency Range : 1.2 - 21 MHz in 5 bands
Facilities : RT and CW
Receiver Circuit (Valves) : Superetherodyne. Valves: AF3, ACH1, 78(2), 75, 77, 41.
Aerial : Dipole
Power supply : Storage battery for filaments (12V)+Dry batteries for HT (200-250 V) or by mains using a suitable PSU