SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Radio Telephone and Telegraph Transmitting and Receiving Equipment
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xmm
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SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by xmm » Wed May 24, 2017 3:17 pm

Hello everyone,
I just want to show you my radio and of course to discuss about the authenticity of some of its parts as sometimes parts from different years are mixed. My apologies for big foto size, I tried to change size by bbcode but I was not able. More info and questions at the end after the photos.

To start, this are three photos of it:
Exterior view
Photo name: R2 (Down)
Image
Photo name: R1 (Down)
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Photo name: R3 (Down)
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Photo name: R4 (Down)
Image

Date on the interior, NOV 18 1944
Photo name: D1 (Down)
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Photo name: D2 (Down)
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Photo name: D3 (Down)
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Battery Box that came with it
Photo name: B1_front (Down)
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Photo name: B1_rear (Down)
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Photo name: B1_left (Down)
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Photo name: B1_right (Down)
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Photo name: B1_top (Down)
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Photo name: B1_bottom (Down)
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Photo name: B1_inside1 (Down)
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Photo name: B1_inside2 (Down)
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Photo name: B1_inside3 (Down)
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Spare Battery Box
Photo name: B2_front (Down)
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Photo name: B2_rear (Down)
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Photo name: B2_left (Down)
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Photo name: B2_right (Down)
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Photo name: B2_top (Down)
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Photo name: B2_bottom (Down)
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Photo name: B2_inside1 (Down)
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Photo name: B2_inside2 (Down)
Image
Photo name: B2_inside3 (Down)
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Comments
- R1, R2, R3 photos were taken same the same day the radio was purchased in Normandy. So it was completed as a unit and it had the antenna, but the rest of complements (handset, harness, ...) were missing. Few months later I purchased all of them to one member of this forum.
- The tunning knob was incorrect so I replaced by a the same model from another radio.
- For the most curious, it is 29316-PHILA-44-01 Contract (I have only seen 1 more on the Internet for this contract).
- As most of you, I get a lot of entertaining reading about WWII so I decided to buy this set during a trip to Normandy. I am not a radio expert but as an electronic I should have some technical skills to read the manual and do some checks, but as I have read many times, I do not expect this to work. It is currently exposed in my living room.

Questions
1- What is the meaning of the inscription "T016-40SCR300-22" that can be seen on the first images name R1 and R2?
2- Does someone know what could be the deteriorated red sticker on the top cover (photo name: R4)?
3- Why is it hard to find radios with the same contract? (I want to compare parts to see if it suffered big changes)
4- Does someone know (by the manuf date and the contract) where was this radio used? As said it was bought in Normandy but who knows..
5- Regarding the transmitter box, as said here matches the shapes of the old black&white photos..so, would you say this transmitter box is the original one?
6- Regarding the Battery box B1 (the one it came with the radio), I am not so confident that is original due to the X shape (manual and all photos I have seen from WWII the battery box is + stamped) and due to the spring latches that are post-war (I read somewhere that depot repairs were fitting spring latches to WWII boxes). So, with all the photos, would someone guess if this is original for this contract or it is post-WWII?
7- Regarding the spare Battery box B2. Due to the gloss finish, would you say it is post WWII as well? Looks quite similar but of course not sure how many variations are for this battery box. Does someone know?

Enjoy the photos and thanks a lot for any answer you can get, it will help a lot.


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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Radtech » Wed May 24, 2017 7:07 pm

The inscription is an early USAF TO I would guess around 1950.The Air Force used the term Technical Order rather than TM.
The red sticker could be anything
There were so many different orders that you seldom see two the same
There is no way to tell where it was used and you cannot go by the order date as it could take up to 8 months to get from manufacturer to a combat zone.
The transmitter case has been repainted so there is no way to tell if is original but more than likely a 1950 reconditioned
B1 battery box is a post WWII 1950's replacement
B2 battery box is more than likely Italian,or Greek
The last one was made August-Sept.1945
The government paid $188 for each SCR 300 set during WWII
It is highly doubtful that this set will work unlike the French made sets manufactured 1956-1962 under license from Motorola which usually do work.
I know a guy in Normandy that scours Europe for items to sell to tourists in Normandy.

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by wa5cab » Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:40 pm

Given where and how the date is stamped, I would have guessed that it was the MFP treatment date. But the letters "MFP" should be with it.

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Radtech » Mon Jun 12, 2017 4:22 pm

It says this unit has been treated with fungicidal agent ???????????

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Mark Tombleson » Mon Jun 12, 2017 6:50 pm

Similar to this one, Robert?

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by wa5cab » Tue Jun 13, 2017 3:11 pm

Yes, that's one way. More common I think are those that give the full date. Like 09/11/51.
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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by xmm » Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:00 am

wa5cab wrote:Yes, that's one way. More common I think are those that give the full date. Like 09/11/51.
Hi wa5cab,
what do you mean with these comments in relation with my radio?
Radtech wrote: The inscription is an early USAF TO I would guess around 1950.The Air Force used the term Technical Order rather than TM.
The red sticker could be anything
.....
Thanks for the info.
Interesting to learn that transmitter case and both battery boxes are not original. I wonder how difficult is to identify a WWII from a post WWII one (as you said, other countries manufactured them and there are different shapes and qualities). Do you have some photos of a transmitter box and battery box original from WWII that we could see to use them as reference?

Thanks guys!

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Radtech » Fri Jun 23, 2017 1:24 pm

You can tell by the sloppy welds on the European made cases which would never have passed the Army Signal Corps inspector.You will notice one of the belt lugs had been broken off one and stick welded. A US made lug would never have broken off due to substandard spot welds.US made cases normally have a rubber seal and large washer on both screws holding the latches on.

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by g504 » Sat Jun 24, 2017 2:24 am

Hello.

For information.
I have a document "TOP SECRET RESTRICTED U.S.Military Forces SUPPLY CATALOG" which has been declassified by note NND 857134 dated 8/8/89.
Page 48, price of scr-300: $ 291

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Mark Tombleson » Sat Jun 24, 2017 7:31 am

Does that book show the price for the Navy TCS radios from 8 to 14? or any TCS?

How about an SCR-608?
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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by wa5cab » Sat Jun 24, 2017 12:17 pm

REF Signal Corps Pricing Guide SIG 5-5 - You would have to figure out what the various V-numbers mean (in general, they refer to specific installation kits included) but prices in December, 1945 for SCR-508's run from $1050 to $2237.80. The SCR-608 runs from $1312 to $2584. Although there were Signal Corps Stock Numbers for TCS, only those for a few piece parts are shown. There are a few TCS sets in the October, 1946 edition, all at $1155. Although I have some later SIG 5-5's, nothing earlier than December, 1945.

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by Radtech » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:23 pm

What is the publish date of this manual?Mine has order 29316-Phila 44-01 and the Philco price was $188.TCS rec and trans price $200.

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Re: SCR300 / BC-1000 Backpack Radio

Post by wa5cab » Sun Jun 25, 2017 12:31 pm

Not sure whether this question was addressed to me or not. But the two SIG 5-5 that I have are dated December, 1945 and (the only one with TCS complete in it) October, 1946.
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