Like the jeep, the radio
transmitter / receiver equipment is an American design built
under licence in France.
The transmitter / Receiver is
an RT77 / GRC 9-Fr made by TRT Paris in 1957. It covers 2-22 MHz
Am or CW and has an RF output power of 3.5-15 watts.
It can be removed from its mounting and carried in a
canvas rucksack (CW 140 GRC9 Fr) for field use. The aerial is in
four sections and two sets are carried in a canvas holder (BG 56
Fr).
A padded metal box (BX 53 C Fr) containing a complete
set of spare valves (tubes) and lamps for the set made by TRT
Paris is also carried in the vehicle along with the headphones,
microphone, Morse key and loudspeaker (LS 7 Fr).
The equipment is an American design dating back to the
end of WW2 and was made for the French Army under licence.
Although the ID plates are in French all controls are labelled in
English. Four canvas straps
secure
the radio to its mounting bracket so it is easy to remove from the vehicle for
portable field use where it can be operated from batteries (receive only) or by
connecting it to hand operated generator.
The set is powered by a DY88 / GRC 9-Fr
converter unit made by MAM Toulouse in 1972 which is mounted over
the other rear wheel arch. For field use a GN 58A Fr hand
generator set is carried in a canvas holder (BG 173 Fr).
A typical field
arrangement of transmitter / receiver, generator, microphone,
Morse key, headset and aerial mast is shown in the diagram below.
The GRC-9 was the only set recorded as
being fitted in 1961 but from August 1964 the range of sets fitted
became: GRC - 9, VRC - 10, VRC - 18, PRC
- 10, PRC - 8 & TP - 2A. In November 1969 the range was
further extended to include: PRC - 9, PRC - 10, VRC - 9, VRC -
10, VRC - 17, VRC - 18, GRC - 5, GRC - 7, GRC - 9, SCR 506, SCR
508, SCR 528, SCR GD 608, TP VP 13, TP VP 213, TR VP 14, RRTP 2.
