Canvas cover for RT 246 RT524

[Cav Trooper]

Anyone know where to find the canvas cover for the RT 246/524 radios? I've found one on ebay NOS but it's $100 plus $30 shipping from Italy. Like to find a good repro if not the real deal. Beechwood said they would make a cover, but not original style f0r $150 to $200. Way too much $$ for me. I've have not seem any of the canvas mfg's advertising one.

 

[WarrenD]

If you find two, I'm interested also. (But not at those prices!!)

 

[SETOYOTA]

Dave at webee webbing made mine. Odcloth.com. Tell him chuck from ga sent you.

 

[papakb]

Radio covers

Back around 1981 I was at Fred Swedines surplus yard outside Salt Lake City and there was a mountain of these covers sitting out in the weather. I wish I'd had enough sense to buy a hundred of them and store them away. Those covers have all turned to mush and, other than eBay the only source I'm aware of is WeeBee webbing.

I sent one to Dave and Donna years ago to use as a pattern. Their work is first class. You can get there here: http://www.odcloth.com/

The military stopped using them for a good reason. When the radios would sit in the sun they would heat up to the point where the thermistor that controls the radios heatsink fan would cause them to turn on, even with the radio off. This would kill the vehicles battery or the fan if it ran too long.

Since we tend to take better care of our vehicles this shouldn't be a problem. Another solution is to install the steel "secure cover". This was the 3 piece steel enclosure that mounted the crypto gear over the radios. It shaded the radio and kept direct sun off of them.

Something else to keep in mind today, these radios are almost 50 years old today and most of them have never had their O ring seals replaced. This means they're flat and hard. A radio left in the sun will heat up and force air out past them. When it cools down in the evenings they will draw in outside air. If that air is cool and wet, it'll condense in the radio and eventually there'll be work needed. A simple coat of grease on the orings will help them dry. If you open up your radios and there's white powder (like talc) then you already have water issues. These radios can be repaired but there reliability will suffer.

Kurt

KG6KMJ

 

[Cav Trooper]

I heard about the reasons that the military quit using these covers. I have a RT246 mounted in my M37 which has the carc paint and kind of ratty looking. I didn't want to tear it down to repaint it and figured the cover look pretty cool. The truck stays in the garage, not heated but out of the weather etc. unless I drive it to a cruise in or show. I just had the radio repaired, bad switching pwr supply. It runs great now. I have a AN/GRR5 that I just installed and have a cover coming for it. I would assume that the crypto mount would be hard to find also. I'll try WeeBee first. Thanks for the info.

 

[salt6]

I think FARE (SP) has the cryto mount for $20. They list them on ebay also.

 

[papakb]

That's Fair Radio Sales, Lima, Ohio.

Fair Radio Sales Company Inc.

Kurt

 

[Storm 51]

... I have a AN/GRR5 that I just installed and have a cover coming for it...

Do you mind if I ask where you got your AN/GRR-5 Cover? I've been looking for one for awhile without any success. WeeBee webbing wants about a $150+ for one and they are quite honest about the fact that they really don't want to make one.

Any help with finding a cover would be greatly appreciated!

Storm 51

 

[Cav Trooper]

I got it off of ebay from a guy in Italy, but not the same guy with the RT covers. It was $50 shipped NOS. I think he had more. I'll check, pm me.

 

[lindsey97]

Bringing this old thread back up.

I am currently doing a complete radio setup in my M923 5 ton. I have everything I think, except for a mx-7777 and a cover. Would like one of these covers if anyone has some. Does anyone have the nsn # or the dimensions of a the cover. Pictures would be wonderful as well.

 

[tcruwithme]

Bringing this old thread back up.

I am currently doing a complete radio setup in my M923 5 ton. I have everything I think, except for a mx-7777 and a cover. Would like one of these covers if anyone has some. Does anyone have the nsn # or the dimensions of a the cover. Pictures would be wonderful as well.

The cover for the RT-246 or RT-524 is part number CW-653. With that part number, you can find the NSN. Good luck with your project.

 

[papakb]

The covers for the 246/524 were issued by the Army back in the '60's and then pulled from service because they would cause the radios to overheat. The circuitry in the radio will turn the fan on if it detects too much heat even if the radio is off. This killed batteries in trucks that sat in the sun so they stopped using them. They haven't been made in 50 years but there are still a few out there albeit at high prices. Personally I use one of the cheap elastic rucksack covers to keep my radios clean.

 

[Crapgame]

They also hold in moisture even just from the damp air, speed up corrosion.

 

[papakb]

Good point. These radios are going on 50+ years old and the O-rings on the covers have flattened out. That allows air to "breath" in and out as the radios sit on the sun and then cool back down in the evening. If that air is moist it get's into the radios and the moisture stays there. I've seen too many with corrosion inside because of this. While most of those radios are repairable anyone who works on them on a regular basic will tell you they won't work on them because they turn into lifetime warranty radios. You fix one thing and a week later something else has quit working. This is why we always recommend opening up a radio and checking it's condition. If it looks like someone sprinkled baby powder in it find another.