RU-19 Aircraft Radio Receiving Set

 Radio Room
Jul 272013
 
RU-19 Radio Receiver, Front Panel

RU-19 Radio Receiver, Front Panel

I just received this RU-19 aircraft radio receiving set from an eBay purchase. I plan to mate it up with my Westinghouse GP-7 transmitter. According to this chart of WW2 Navy radio gear, this particular combination would have been used in one of the Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber configurations. I’ll also need to obtain an LM-7 frequency meter, DU-1 direction finder and various accessories to complete the set.

An exciting detail that I wasn’t aware of until I unpacked the receiver set is that it is nearly complete, with matching serial numbers! It includes all of the plug-in tuning units except for range F, though it did come with a mismatched dual-range unit covering range F. The receiver, dynamotor and all of the other tuning units are marked with serial number 8002, so this set has somehow managed to stay together since the early 1940s!

Like the GP-7 transmitter, the RU series of receivers are based on radio designs from the early to mid 1930s. WW2 saw a great deal of advancement in radio communications technology, and sets like this one represent the starting point of that surge of development. The RU-19 is a tuned radio-frequency (TRF) receiver, in contrast to most later receivers that used heterodyne architectures. Thus, it has lower selectivity than most newer radios. I expect that it won’t perform too well in crowded band conditions. However, since its mating transmitter only has around 25W-35W of AM carrier output, I’ll probably only use the set under good conditions. My T-368C + R-390A set is better suited for rough HF conditions.

The set is dirty, but appears to be in good mechanical and cosmetic condition otherwise. I can see that it has been modified, and I hope that it won’t be too hard to reverse the modification. It came with a home-brew power supply, but I plan to restore it to an original configuration and use its dynamotor power supply.

I still need to get my hands on various control and junction boxes for it. I have a copy of its manual on the way.

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  21 Responses to “RU-19 Aircraft Radio Receiving Set”

  1. fabio says:
    2014/04/29 at 03:50

    hello,
    I have seen your site and the pictures of your RU19. I see you made also a power supply for this receiver. can you tell me which are the voltages needed and the power connector pins used ?

    many thanks

    fabio

  2. Brad says:
    2015/03/08 at 03:51

    I have a repair/parts set labeled RU-19. It is a wooden box with electronic components still in original wrapping. would you be interested?

  3. Michael Monsour says:
    2015/03/13 at 19:22

    Yes I would be interested in the wood box with repair components

    Michael Monsour AC0TX

  4. Floyd Munroe says:
    2016/01/26 at 13:44

    I have a good CW-23012 remote tuning control for your RU-19. No cable. S/N 3530. Free. Just pay me for pkging. and shipping.

  5. Michael monsour says:
    2016/01/26 at 19:54

    If the dial just says 0 through 100 then I am not interested
    I have a couple of those
    a more rare control is the one actual marked in frequency, three bands I think
    I have one of those
    msircg at gmail dot com

  6. Hue Miller says:
    2016/04/13 at 14:12

    The tuning box marked with actual frequencies is for the ARB receiver.

  7. hugues says:
    2018/03/17 at 08:18

    bonjour, je cherche le schéma du ru_19
    merci d’avance de votre reponse, je cherche surtout les entrée et sortie de la prise de façade du rx pour recabler a l’origine.
    dans l’aattente de votre , réponse et me dire ou je peu trouver cela .

    bonne journée
    good days

    • Michael monsour says:
      2018/03/17 at 18:24

      Tous les récepteurs de Ru sont très similaires, peut-être de très petites différences.
      Envoyez-moi une demande à mon adresse e-mail:
      msircg@gmail.com
      Votre demande peut être en français
      Cordialement
      Michael Monsour

  8. hugues says:
    2018/03/18 at 02:33

    ok merci d’avance je vous fait suivis par mail.

    bonne journée aux utilisateur du forum.
    hugues de tours-france

  9. hugues says:
    2018/03/18 at 03:36

    bonjour, si vous désirais regarder quelques réalisations et restaurations radio et électriques.
    http://protuberance-solaire.blog4ever.com

    bonne journée.

  10. hugues says:
    2018/03/23 at 06:19

    bonjour a tous, j’ai trouver la totalité des schémas original du bc 229/scr 183, les ru-19 sont pratiquement identique.
    good days.

  11. hugues says:
    2018/03/30 at 01:58

    bonjour Michael monsour, j’ai reçu le document formidable, une pièce d’exception clairement nominative et de qualité, je ne pensée pas qu’il rester une si belle chose de disponible, et d’exploitable.
    même les timbres sont jolis.
    tout cela pour vous dire que c’est un geste de qualité de votre part.
    grasse aux documents je câblerez dans les règles de l’art radio avec une méthode américaine.
    je suis aussi spécialiser en matériel soviétique, en visitant le blog ont distingue de nombreux modèle du croissant.
    merci d’avance, je pense a vous remercier.
    bonne visite.
    http://hugues-et-les-taches-solaires.blog4ever.com

  12. hugues says:
    2018/04/08 at 02:14

    bonjour a tout les utilisateurs du forum, je visite souvant le site, beaucoup de choses a comprendre et lire.
    bonne journée.

    hugues
    http://reception-radio.blog4ever.com

  13. hugues says:
    2018/04/08 at 05:08

    hello, good réalisations , little blog radio.
    http://recepteur-bande-aerienne.blog4ever.com

  14. hugues says:
    2018/04/08 at 05:10

    sorry
    http://reception-bande-aerienne.blog4ever.com

  15. hugues says:
    2018/05/06 at 11:25

    Bonjour a tous,beaucoup de belle piece a restaurer .
    Bonne visite des blogs.

  16. hugues says:
    2018/12/26 at 12:49

    bonne soirée a tous et bonne écoute des ondes courtes.

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