F4 UHF radio model question

[bpremus]

Hi, a noob question, can someone tell me what radio model will our F4E have?  

[Biggus]

Not a noob question at all, I've had a hard time finding it out too.  I'm inclined to believe it's the AN/ARC-159.  It was used on the F-4J and S, and it's description is quite similar.  20 preset channels (225.0-399.95), an aux receiver with 18 channels (265.0-284.9).  Here's part of the F-4G manual from 1979, which should be the same as the E.

Sorry I'm not actually able to give you a definitive answer, but I'm sure someone will be able to tell us.

[Northstar98]

According to a -1 for USAF series F-4E circa 1979, it's an AN/ARC-52.

The type description for the intercom, TACAN, UHF radio, ADF and IFF is all given as AN/ASQ-19, which according to this consists of the AN/APA-89, AN/APX-6 and AN/ARC-52.

It ranges from 225.00 - 399.95 MHz, in increments of 0.05 MHz; has 18 channels (with the option to use channels, manual input or guard), as well as the facility to program channels from the manual input. There's also an auxiliary receiver with its own 20 presets (that can only be changed on the ground) and volume control (which seems to be used for ADF reception apart from the ADF + G  CMD mode, where it's used for communications), as well as a separate guard receiver which monitors 243.00 MHz.

For modes:

• T/R ADF:
  • Communications transmitter and receiver used for communications
  • Guard receiver - disabled
  • AUX receiver - ADF reception
  • AUX guard receiver - disabled
• T/R + G  ADF:
  • Communications transmitter and receiver used for communications
  • Guard receiver - enabled
  • AUX receiver - ADF reception
  • AUX guard receiver - disabled
• ADF + G CMD:
  • Communications receiver - ADF reception
  • Communications transmitter - communications transmission (interrupting ADF reception)
  • Guard receiver - enabled
  • AUX receiver - communications within AUX receiver's range.
  • AUX guard receiver - disabled.
• ADF G
  • Communications receiver - ADF reception
  • Communications transmitter - communications transmission (interrupting ADF reception)
  • Guard receiver - disabled
  • AUX receiver - disabled
  • AUX guard receiver - enabled

There's also a mode selector switch that determines whether the channel selection is used for transmission/reception, whether the guard frequency is used for transmission/reception or whether the manual input is used for transmission/reception.

It should be said that modes (both the COMM-ADF-AUX mode selection and the mode selector switch) only take effect by the cockpit in command of the radios (there are buttons at the top of the COMM-NAV control panel that are marked COMM CMD and NAV CMD that are used to take control of either function and will be accompanied by a green light in the cockpit with command).

There's also a remote indicator in both cockpits which indicates the channel number when the mode selector switch is set to channel, a G when it's set to guard and an M when it's set to manual.

I also have a -1 for USAF F-4Es circa 1984 revised 1990, but unfortunately the pages describing the communications radios are missing.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Northstar98
ARC-52 not ARC-59

[bpremus]

So if i am correct ARC52 is the first image (while 159 is second) and AN/ARC 52 should be the one in DCS version of F4

 

AN / ARC 52

 

AN / ARC 159

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by bpremus

[Northstar98]

18 hours ago, bpremus said:

So if i am correct ARC52 is the first image (while 159 is second) and AN/ARC 52 should be the one in DCS version of F4

 

AN / ARC 52

 

AN / ARC 159

While I'm pretty sure the last one is -159, the first image, despite being the most common example when googling "AN/ARC-52", doesn't look like the panel in the F-4E's -1, which looks like the black panel shown here.

Edited April 9, 2023 by Northstar98
Image as link (doesn't appear to be embedding properly)

[bpremus]

Something went wrong with your embedded picture but i was able to open it as a link, yes this looks like the one ive seen in an E manual, but google results were confusing

I was browsing different F4 phantoms versions, couldn't find one with AN/ARC-52, but interesting to see that radio was also on left in some variants

Edited April 9, 2023 by bpremus

[divinee]

I think E-phantom has ASQ-19 modified version of ARC-51, RT-793/ ASQ

Edited April 9, 2023 by divinee

[Tilly]

Hi, allow me to add to this discussion.
I was in the USAF during the early Vietnam years.  My specialty was Aircraft Radio Repairman.  I spent 2 years working on Phantoms.  F4C and F4D models, but mostly on the F4D.  I never worked on an F4E.

The F4C was basically an F4B (Navy/ Marines version) with minimal required Air Force modifications such as flight controls in the rear cockpit, low pressure tires and a few other things.
The radio used in the F4B and F4C was the RT 546.

The F4D was the complete Air Force version with all the gadgets they required at the time.
The Radio was changed to an RT793 and, as far as I can find out,  remained the radio installed during the rest of the Air Force F4 Phantom production run which is what divinee said.  And, as divinee said,  the RT793 is related to the ARC 51. 
One time I got called out to check the radio on a plane I had never worked on before and the radio was an ARC 51 which I had never seen before.  I took the radio back to the shop, opened it up and to my surprise, there was basically an RT793 hiding inside.  Just a few small differences.  From the outside they do not look at all alike.

This photo link in Northstar98 above post shows the control box sitting on top of the grey RT793 radio unit.  These would have been used in F4D and later air Force Phantoms. 
Navy and Marine Phantoms probably used different radios.

PS- Squinting at the picture above it says it is actually an RT793A.  There is probably some slight difference between the RT793 and RT793A.  They may or may not be interchangeable.  They look identical.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Tilly
more information

[ben_der]

IIRC ARC-164V is what we have modeled

[Tom Kazansky]

1 hour ago, ben_der said:

IIRC ARC-164V is what we have modeled

Seems to be recalled correctly (as far as the picture is concerned. I'm not sure this is a ARC-164V though)

Here is a zoomed screenshot from the F-4E pre-order announcement trailer @5:13

Edited November 13, 2023 by Tom Kazansky

[Tilly]

Hi, I am not familiar with the ARC 164V,  I think I was out of the Air Force before it came along.  Apparently it was developed to replace several different older radios but I can not find anything about it being used to replace the RT793A in the Phantom.  I did find an article about Greece replacing the RT793A radios in their F4E's for something else.

I have googled the ARC 164V and the control box shown is different that the one shown above.  I do not recognize the control box you have shown but that does not mean much, there are a lot of things I did not see when I was in the Air Force.

This is the type of control box shown for the ARC 164V

Here are two websites I found interesting

https://www.columbiaelectronics.com/id195.htm

https://www.columbiaelectronics.com/an_arc_164_v__radio_sets.htm

Edited November 13, 2023 by Tilly
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