The transceiver RF1CA was built, starting form 1940 by Magneti Marelli, in Sesto San Giovanni (Milan), as ground station or mobile station, mounted on-board of FIAT 508-C Colonial Army Cars and virtually all types of Italian tanks of the Second World War: Ansaldo-Fiat Fiat L6/40, L35, L40, Fiat M13/40, Fiat M11/39, M15/42 tank, P40 and self-propelled: Ansaldo Fiat 75/18
Unfortunately, due to a wrongly military strategy, not all the tanks were equipped with radio transceivers.
Generally, the radio was installed only on coordination and command tanks. The large dimensions of the antenna make it an easily identifiable and favorite target for the enemy. Often the antennas were replaced in an artisanal way by the troops in field, even with iron wire.
Installation inside Tank
After the armistice of 1943 was employed by RSI and produced for Wehrmacht until the end of hostilities. The evidence is the issue of the User Manual in German language.This manual is available in this web site at download page.
After the war the tuning unit of this beautiful transceiver was almost entirely copied on the US Army Receiver AN/GRR-5.
US Army AN/GRR-5
Technology
Operating Frequency Range: 27, 2- 33,4 MHz
Modulation: AM and CW
Transmitter power: 9-10 W
Receiver sensitivity: 5uV
Receiver Valves: 6 x 6RV + 1 x 6TP
Transmitter Valves: 2 x 6TP
The receiver circuit used was super-heterodyne with 3,030 MHz IF. The receiver had the possibility to adjust its sensitivity, at the amplifier stage, by a two-position switch: “Vicino”= near and “Lontano”= far.
The transmitter section consists in a pentode 6TP working in C class, which was gird driven by a another 6TP valve, which had the dual function: frequency duplicator and oscillator. The modulation was implemented changing the anode voltage; the amplitude modulator valve was also used as audio power amplifier for the receiver section.
My Magneti Marelli RF1CA
Bibliography
- Umberto Bianchi : “RadioSurplus Ieri e Oggi” Edizioni CD Bologna 1982
- various Authors “Radiofronte 1935-1945. Le radiotrasmissioni militari sui fronti dell'Italia in guerra” Rovereto War Museum
- vorious Authors “La Radio nella Gavetta” Mosè Editore
- “Istruzione Provvisoria sulla Stazione RF1CA tipo M.Marelli per Carri Armati” Istituto Militare Superiore delle Trasmissioni Roma 1940
- “Memoria Descrittiva Sulla Stazione RF1CA” Genio Militare delle Trasmissioni