The Score Project, launched in 1958

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Tom WA3KLR:
These aerospace pioneering stories are terrific Walt.  Thanks.

As for the RCA CarFones -

“Maxwell then checked with RCA’s mobile communications division and discovered that their CarFone models were available in quantity. ….When the modifications were completed the CarFone transmitters, with a pair of 6146 tubes in the output, delivered approximately 100 watts, more than enough to excite the 1000-watt amplifiers.”

I bought a beat, perhaps cobbled together RCA Super CarFone (a trunk-mount radio) in 1976, already converted to 2-meter FM operation for my 1975 Maverick.  Although it was a little old, I felt secure in going with a trunk-mount installation as this was the heyday of CB, drugs and car break-ins to steal mobile radios.  

The “Super” stood for the highest r.f. output of the CarFone family.  The output tubes were the 12 Volt version of the 6146 – the 6883.  I went over it and found and fixed problems in the transmitter, receiver, and power supply.  In those days, we called the solid-state inverter a T-supply (T for transistor) since this was an innovation over the vibrators and dynamotors.  I think I ran 60 Watts out if I recall correctly.   I don’t remember why, but for some reason involving the T-supply I backed down the power from 100 Watts.

I then ran it for another 10 years in my trunk without any problems occurring.  At this point, the Maverick was ready for the junkyard, 1986.  Believe it or not, somebody was interested in the CarFone and I sold it to them!

W2DU:

Thank you all for letting me know my stories are of interest--I really appreciate all your warm responses.

And Mike, the info on Telstar appears in Sec 28-4, as I compare it with NASA's RELAY.
That is the section I'll be quoting from shortly.

Walt

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