List of British Army radio sets explained

A list of British Army radio equipment.

Tactical systems

• W/T Set 120 Watt - Continuous Wave (CW) Wireless Teletype set introduced in 1918.^[1]
• W/T Set "A" - Continuous Wave (CW) Wireless Teletype set introduced in 1922.^[2]
• W/T Sets "C" - Continuous Wave (CW) Wireless Teletype set introduced in 1923.^[3]
• Wireless Set No. 1 – Short-range radio developed in 1933.
• Wireless Set No. 3
• Wireless Set No. 8 – Replaced by WS No. 18.
  • Wireless Set No. 9 Wireless Set No. 10 – 8 channel multiplexed microwave transmitter/receiver.^[4]
• Wireless Set No. 11 – Replacement for No. 1. Used by the likes of the Long Range Desert Group during WW2. Replaced by No. 19.
• Wireless Set No. 12 – Static or vehicle mounted transmitter station, range about 60 miles (~96 km).
• Wireless Set No. 17 – 2-valves, 44–61 MHz. Used by Searchlight Units.
• Wireless Set No. 18 – Manpack set, used for "short range telephony and C/W working in forward areas", about 5 miles (8 km) maximum, Bn HQ to Company HQ, 6–9 MHz^[5]
• Wireless Set No. 19 – Standard WW2 Tank set. Used in every theatre of operation. HF, 2–8 MHz, AM or Morse Code.
• Wireless Set No. 21 – Static or vehicle mounted transceiver 4.2 to 7.5 MHz.
• Wireless Set No. 22 – General-purpose low-power vehicle and ground station with facilities for man pack. Frequency range 2–8 MHz. MO control. RF output 1.5 W. R/T, CW. Range up to 20 miles (~ 32 kilometers). Used by airborne troops ^[6] and anti-aircraft units.^[7]
• Wireless Set No. 31 – Manpack radio set.^[8] The US SCR-300 design adapted for British use.
• Wireless Set No. 33
• Wireless Set No. 37 – Short range lightweight transmitter/receiver for use by paratroops. Some components used in S-Phone.
• Wireless Set No. 38 – Manpack radio set, also produced as an AFV version for use in armoured vehicles to allow direct communication with infantry.
• Wireless Set No. 38 Mk. III – Late WWII infantry radio.^[9]
• Wireless Set No. 42 – Experimental general purpose vehicle/manpack HF set, tropicalised, 10W, 1.6–12.8 MHz. Project abandoned after field trials.
• Wireless Set No. 46 – Manpack radio set, used by beach landing troops, waterproof, 1W output AM or MCW.
• Wireless Set No. 48 – US-made version of WS18. Manpack HF AM or Morse Code.^[10]
• Wireless Set No. 52 – Canadian-made Remote Receiver.
• Wireless Set No. 58 – Canadian-made version of WS18.^[11]
• Wireless Set No. 62 – Short-range vehicle-mounted HF set, 1.6–10.0 MHz, CW & RT (AM).^[12]
• Wireless Set No. 68 – Similar to No. 18 set, lower frequency range.
• Wireless Set No. 76 – Transmitter set used in conjunction with receiver R109.
• Wireless Set No. 88 – VHF manpack set from 1947.
• Wireless Set No. 108
• Larkspur radio system
  • Station Radio A13 – HF manpack transceiver.
  • Station Radio A40 – Based on the Canadian C/PRC-26.
  • Station Radio A41 – British copy of the US AN/PRC-10. Replaced the WS No. 31 Set.
  • Station Radio A42 – British copy of the US AN/PRC-9.
  • Station Radio B44 – Short-range duplex AM set for artillery and anti-aircraft batteries.
  • Station Radio B45
  • Station Radio B47 – VHF transceiver, 38 to 56 MHz
  • Station Radio B48 – VHF transceiver, 26 to 38 MHz
  • Station Radio C12 – Interim HF AM/CW set designed by Pye.
  • Station Radio C13 – AM, NB-PhM & CW. Forward area HF set used where VHF was not appropriate.
  • Station Radio C42 – VHF transceiver, 36 to 60 MHz, for mobile communication in the forward battle area.
  • Station Radio C45 – VHF transceiver, 23 to 38 MHz.
• Clansman
• Bowman (communications system)
• Personal Role Radio
• High-capacity data radio

See also

• Army Communications and Information Systems (United Kingdom)

External links

• http://wftw.nl/wireless/wireless.html
• http://qsl.net/g4bxd/uk.htm
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120116143142/http://www.keithwatt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/museum/ws22.htm
• http://www.royalsignals.org.uk/photos/ws38mk3.htm

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wireless Telegraph Set 120 Watt - RCSigs.ca.
2. Web site: Wireless Telegraph Set a Mk II - RCSigs.ca.
3. Web site: Wireless Telegraph Set C Mk II - RCSigs.ca.
4. Web site: WS10: How it works - 1.
5. Working Instructions ZA 24949
6. Web site: Wireless Set No. 22, WS22, 22 Set . 2012-01-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120116143142/http://www.keithwatt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/museum/ws22.htm . 2012-01-16 . dead .
7. See, for example, Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, War Establishment III/171/2, dated 01.12.1943.
8. Web site: The Wireless Set No 31 . 2010-04-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100328011626/http://www.vmars.org.uk/ws31.htm . 2010-03-28 . dead .
9. Web site: WS38 Mk3, Wireless Set No.38 MkIII.
10. http://www.qsl.net/g4bxd/us.htm{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
11. http://www.qsl.net/g4bxd/us.htm{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
12. Web site: Duxford Radio Society: Restoration: WS 62 . 2012-10-12 . 2018-08-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180821180858/http://www.duxfordradiosociety.org/restoration/equip/ws62mk2/ws62mk2.html . dead .