Squires-Sanders: A Different Approach

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

 I'm sure most here remember seeing the ads in early-mid 60s QSTs for the Squires-Sanders company. They began advertising their SS-1R amateur receiver in late 1963 and later added a type of panadapter call a Bandscanner, a Noise Silencer that stashed conveniently in the back of the matching speaker, an antenna matcher, and even a general coverage receiver around 66-67 sometime. A matching transmitter, the SS-1T was planned but never made it to production. William Squires/W2PUL had an interesting design that employed dual mixers and no RF stage. The little bit that I've read says they were well-respected for their strong signal handling ability and overall quiet operation.

 Recently had the opportunity to operate an early version of the SS-1R and was very impressed by its performance. Roughly the size and weight of a 75S-3 with a couple more controls. Very interesting cabinet design with a solid aluminum extrusion making up the front and side panels and a cabinet consisting only of the rear panel with a bottom cover and hinged top lid that slides in from the back. The actual chassis itself slides into grooved rails on the inner side panels. 80-10m coverage only with two additional WWV bands for 10 & 15MHz and two additional crystal positions for bands of choice.

 I'm now on the hunt for any of this fine gear and would very much like to hear from current or past owners about their experiences and opinions of this equipment. Always good to have at least some idea what you might be getting yourself into.

 William Squires was killed January 1971 in a mid-air collision with a 707 airliner near Newark while instructing a student pilot. What a way to go out. Never could find anything about the Sanders side, no idea if this was a technical or financial-only partner, or what became of the company. Anyone know?

  

[Sam KS2AM]

William Squires was killed January 1971 in a mid-air collision with a 707 airliner near Newark while instructing a student pilot. What a way to go out.  

They collided over Edison, NJ while the 707 was on approach to EWR under marginal conditions. Not a great place to conduct training in the Cessna 150.

https://www.fss.aero/accident-reports/dvdfiles/US/1971-01-09-US.pdf

[Pete, WA2CWA]

The Squires Sanders SS-1R is a great receiver. Never owned the short wave version SS-IBS.
I have the SS-1R, SS-!V (Video Bandscanner), SS-1S (Noise Blanker - the one time I went to the Rochester, NY hamfest as a seller, took a break and did a local walk around. Vendor had a bag partially  open under his table. In it were 5 SS-1S Noise Blanker assemblies - asked how much, seller said $10 for everything in the bag  ) Found the matching speaker for the SS-1R at a local North Jersey hamfest for $5. Life is Good!

I never found any paper work on the antenna matcher much less the actual device.

When speaking to Ed Clegg on the phone back in the late 80's, Ed was cleaning out his files. Found a bunch of Clegg and Squires Sanders documents (some original some copies) and asked if I wanted them. The majority of the documents were information that the workers used on the manufacturing line for testing, alignments, etc. Most of the information has been incorporated into my existing Clegg and Squires Sanders manuals.

If you want to drool a bit on Squires Sanders stuff: http://www.radiopharos.it/SQUIRES-SANDERS,%20INC._n.p._4.htm

[Pete, WA2CWA]

When the Company was reorganizing, one partially built non-working prototype of the SS-1T transmitter made it way to Cape Cod. I actually spoke on the phone to the guy who came to Cape Cod from Jersey to retire and had the prototype. He worked for Squires Sanders. Since it sat collecting dust in his closet, he eventually took it to trash where it's remains are probably underneath many tons of trash.

Attached is the Preliminary Specifications for the SS-1T transmitter.

The Company went on to get into the CB market, some military stuff, monitors, linear amplifier, FM police/fire monitor receivers.

Eventually, the building formerly occupied by Squires Sanders in Millington, NJ was taken over by Honeywell. (side note: I can't remember how close this location was to Irb's location)

Clegg Laboratories was a division of Squires Sanders from roughly 1963 to 1968.
Clegg models: 22'er, 66'er, Venus & accessories, Apollo, Interceptor B all were tagged with the additional Squires Sanders logo.

Ed Clegg bought back from Squires Sanders, the Clegg Division and then formed E.T. Clegg Associates: Clegg 22'er MK II, Clegg 22'er FM
The Company was sold to International Signal and Control Corporation (ISC) in 1971. Ed joined ISC as director of communications research, Clegg division. Throughout most of the 70's they marketed mobile VHF/UHF FM transceivers.

[KD1SH]

   I've got a number of Clegg six-meter rigs, so that's interesting history for me. My Interceptor B up here in the shack with me has "Div. of Squires Sanders" on the serial number label, but it doesn't appear anywhere else on the rig. I've got several other Interceptors stashed away in my "long term storage" area and not readily accessible, but I could swear that at least one of them had Squires Sanders somewhere on the front panel; maybe on the VFO dial. I'm curious now; I'll have to check next time I go through those storage bins.

Clegg Laboratories was a division of Squires Sanders from roughly 1963 to 1968.
Clegg models: 22'er, 66'er, Venus & accessories, Apollo, Interceptor B all were tagged with the additional Squires Sanders logo.

[KD1SH]

   I remember practicing touch-and-go landings at Bradley here in Connecticut around that same time frame in Cessna 150's, 172's, and Piper PA-28's. The ATC's were cool with it, as long as you checked in with them first. These days, you'd be needing a much better reason for being there, I'd imagine. The runways themselves, of course, weren't the dangerous part; it was the surrounding airspace 5000 feet and below out to a 15 mile or so radius, that all the big aluminum was descending through. I remember being treated to a particularly unnerving close-up view of a descending DC-9 one morning over Enfield.

William Squires was killed January 1971 in a mid-air collision with a 707 airliner near Newark while instructing a student pilot. What a way to go out.  

They collided over Edison, NJ while the 707 was on approach to EWR under marginal conditions. Not a great place to conduct training in the Cessna 150.

https://www.fss.aero/accident-reports/dvdfiles/US/1971-01-09-US.pdf

[Pete, WA2CWA]

  I've got a number of Clegg six-meter rigs, so that's interesting history for me. My Interceptor B up here in the shack with me has "Div. of Squires Sanders" on the serial number label, but it doesn't appear anywhere else on the rig. I've got several other Interceptors stashed away in my "long term storage" area and not readily accessible, but I could swear that at least one of them had Squires Sanders somewhere on the front panel; maybe on the VFO dial. I'm curious now; I'll have to check next time I go through those storage bins.

Clegg Laboratories was a division of Squires Sanders from roughly 1963 to 1968.
Clegg models: 22'er, 66'er, Venus & accessories, Apollo, Interceptor B all were tagged with the additional Squires Sanders logo.

The dial plate of both the Interceptor and Interceptor B receivers just has printed "Interceptor" on it. On the front panel of the Interceptor B, centered and near the top, is printed INTERCEPTOR B. The words Squires Sanders don't appear on the front panel.

NOTE: On my Clegg 22'er and Clegg 66'er, under the horizontal line under the frequency marked dial, are the words in small letters, SQUIRES SANDERS, INC.

[KD1SH]

   Yes, I am very likely confused about that. I might be thinking of my 66'er, but like my other Interceptors, it's stashed away in a dark corner and not easily accessible.

The dial plate of both the Interceptor and Interceptor B receivers just has printed "Interceptor" on it. On the front panel of the Interceptor B, centered and near the top, is printed INTERCEPTOR B. The words Squires Sanders don't appear on the front panel.

NOTE: On my Clegg 22'er and Clegg 66'er, under the horizontal line under the frequency marked dial, are the words in small letters, SQUIRES SANDERS, INC.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Thanks, Pete - you never cease to amaze me with the information you post. You must be the NJ Radio Companies archivist as you have such a vast knowledge and library of documentation. I recall talking with you at great length years ago about Ed Clegg and his equipment as well as Whippany Labs.

Clegg also had a rig that never made it to production - the Comet. It was supposed to be the 2m version of the Venus, but instead based off the 22'er MK series. I was fortunate to talk with Ed years ago about this radio. He told me there were six prototypes but they were "not ready for prime time", "tested to destruction" and none survive. I think you gave me the info on the one completed example though I've since lost it.

Interestingly, the rest did apparently survive and were sold at a company yard sale years later. They were in various stages of completion. Warren/K2ORS got one and passed it to me at Hopkinton years ago. I saw another sell on ebay that was a bit more complete with crystals and a few other bits. My plan is to eventually get it assembled into a static display using a 22'er MK as a donor.

Meanwhile, my search for Squires-Sanders bits goes on....

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Don't remember a Clegg Comet nor can I even picture it. It was probably designed after Ed left Squires Sanders and opened some manufacturing in Hanover, NJ. That's where the Clegg 22'er MK II was manufactured and supposedly where the Clegg 22'er MK III   https://www.rigpix.com/clegg/22ermkiii.htm
was going to be manufactured roughly in 1971/72 but he sold the business to a company in PA and moved out there.

[Steve - K4HX]

Didn't Squires-Sanders have a big operation in Nashua, NH?  IIRC, BAE bought them.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

That wouldn't surprise me at all, Steve. They appear to have had government contracts at different times. Would be interested in hearing more. It does seem like they were one of the more esoteric electronics firms of the day.

Pete - photos attached of the Comet that sold on ebay years ago. Mine is  still boxed up, similar but missing the relay and front switch. I was sure you gave me the callsign of a W2 in NJ who had the only completed example that they used for testing. Maybe a former employee? W2NLJ? NDL? It was probably 20 years ago or more.

I concur that neither Interceptor showed SS on the dial, have both versions. Ed also mentioned a Climaster Zeus which had 10m on it as well, early version perhaps?

The history and progress of these products has always fascinated me. Those of us not around or yet active at the time are very fortunate to still be able to enjoying using the gear decades later.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Didn't Squires-Sanders have a big operation in Nashua, NH?  IIRC, BAE bought them.

Squires Sanders closed its doors in 1970. It's not clear if it was bankruptcy or other reasons.
They were never located in NH.
After they closed, Bill Squires reemerged as president of Computone Systems, Inc. at the same building location. A friend who worked at Squires Sanders indicated that a number of the original Squires Sanders workers stayed on with the new company. Even after Squires untimely death, Computone Systems continued on making some type of computer terminals. Even under the Squires Sanders tab, they made CCTV cameras, CRT Monitors, and associated accessories.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete - photos attached of the Comet that sold on ebay years ago. Mine is  still boxed up, similar but missing the relay and front switch. I was sure you gave me the callsign of a W2 in NJ who had the only completed example that they used for testing. Maybe a former employee? W2NLJ? NDL? It was probably 20 years ago or more.

Don't remember the conversation nor does the product pictures ring any bells. Ed never provided me with any paper work on this Comet.

I concur that neither Interceptor showed SS on the dial, have both versions. Ed also mentioned a Climaster Zeus which had 10m on it as well, early version perhaps?

The Climaster 62T10  covered 2, 6, 10, and 11 meters.

Then there was the Clegg 250 and the  209 Crystalplexer.
https://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=48828.0

AND in Electric Radio Number 407, Jan./Feb. 2025, an article with pictures written by Bob Allison, WB1GCM, with lots more detail about the Clegg 250 and 209 Crystalplexer. This is running equipment at the W1VCM museum station in Windsor, CT.