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← UK Receiver WWII
Invasion receiver
- this page is a stub
PCR was a valve-based broadcast receiver,
developed by Pye Radio Works
Ltd in Cambridge (UK) and produced from April 1944 onwards by Pye,
Philips Lamps Ltd in London and Invicta Radio. 1
It was meant as an invasion receiver. 2
During the war, a small number was supplied to resistance groups in Norway, France
and the Netherlands, probably for the reception of coded messages that
were broadcast via the BBC. 3
After the war it was also used as an Army
welfare receiver.
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Although the device was officially known as the Portable Communications Receiver
(PCR), it was far from portable. It is housed in a 19" metal enclosure
and is 4U high. Furthermore it needs an external mains power supply unit (PSU).
At least three different PCR models were produced.
A piece of 10 - 30 metres of wire is used as an antenna, and the
sensitivity is approx. 2µV. The receiver is built around five
valves (tubes)
and has an intermediate frequency (IF) of 465 kHz.
The LW and MW scale
is calibrated in metres, but the Short Wave band (SW)
has a MHz scale.
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The PCR is housed in the cabinet of a Wireless Set No. 19 (WS-19), and
is constructed with many common parts of the WS-19 and WS-22 sets.
Two different power supply units (PSUs) were used: one for connection
to AC mains networks (100-250V, 40-100 Hz), and one with a
vibrator-based inverter, allowing the receiver to be powered from a 12V DC
source, such as the battery of a car.
During World War II, 5,000 PCR1 units and 12,000 PCR2 and PCR3
units were produced by Pye Radio Works in Cambridge
at a rate of 800 units per month, mainly on an out-work basis.
It is unknown how many units were
made by Philips Lamps at their Mitcham Works 4 facilities in South London,
but from the observed serial numbers it is estimated that between 15,000
and 17,000 units were produced [3].
The receiver was in production until December 1945.
After the war, between 1958 and 1960,
some units were refurbished by the REME Newark Depot and by
Racal.
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Invicta was another company run by the Stanley family, who also owned Pye.
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Intended for the reception of military broadcasts after the D-Day landings.
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BBC = British Broadcasting Corporation.
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These units are internally stamped MW, which stands for Mitcham Works.
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2100 - 850 m LW
570 - 190 m MW
5.8 - 18 MHz SW
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EF39 (2x) ARP34
ECH35 ARTH2
EBC33 AR21
EL32 VT52
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Sunday 28 May 2017. Last changed: Wednesday, 28 February 2018 - 22:59 CET.
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![Portable Communications Receiver (PCR). Photograph by Jan Poortman (PA3ESY) [2].](img/pcr_pa3esy.jpg "Portable Communications Receiver (PCR). Photograph by Jan Poortman (PA3ESY) [2].")