S-339/TKQ-2 RECEIVING SET RADAR DATA

[Jolopicus]

Welp! My first MV purchase and I feel pretty lucky to have found it. This is the pickup mounted shelter for receiving video and picture data from a Mohawk radar system mounted on a airframe.

My understanding is that this particular unit was part of a museum here in MN. Not sure which. My plan is to donate the specialized processor, digital comverters, radar processor etc. I'll be keeping (and hopefully using) the 15k diesel heater, dual 6k btu aircons, radio, crank-up mast, etc. building a nice HAM shack at the farm.

S-339 Communications Trailer · Jul 1, 2020 – Nov 16, 2025 📸

Shared album · Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

Take a look! If you have any thoughts or suggestions, let me know! I know they are rare, but if anyone has cables/connectors etc from one of these, please let me know. I think I'm missing some from the AC units.

Thanks!
Chris

 

[NDT]

Probably not a historically significant system.

 

[Guyfang]

Jolopicus, Please write the state you live in, in the location block. Thanks.

 

[M813rc]

That is a really cool shelter!

Cheers

 

[Jolopicus]

Probably not a historically significant system.

Okay. I've been to dozens of mil museums and spent a decade in Army Signal and never saw one. Seems kinda cool to me. Guess we'll see eh?

 

[Jolopicus]

That is a really cool shelter!

Cheers

Thanks! Hoping I can find the time to install it with a 400hz converter or a 400hz Genny.

 

[NDT]

Okay. I've been to dozens of mil museums and spent a decade in Army Signal and never saw one. Seems kinda cool to me. Guess we'll see eh?

To me, military systems that were significant in conflicts are what are worthy of preservation. That said, DoD procures all kinds of systems that are often dismal failures. I shed no tears when those failures are made into storage shacks, ham shacks and the like. You say one museum has already kicked this to the curb. Tells me there is no reason to suggest you preserve it.

 

[Jolopicus]

Not sure if anyone is interested but I was actually able to pick up a couple of 400hz generators, typically used in aviation, but specifically for this comms shelter. I've updated the photo's album, going to start working on cabling over the winter. Chatgpt has been very helpful in mapping out the connections etc.

 

[Guyfang]

400 Hertz gen sets are used in aviation. But the bulk of them are used in ADA.

 

[Guyfang]

Welp! My first MV purchase and I feel pretty lucky to have found it. This is the pickup mounted shelter for receiving video and picture data from a Mohawk radar system mounted on a airframe.

My understanding is that this particular unit was part of a museum here in MN. Not sure which. My plan is to donate the specialized processor, digital comverters, radar processor etc. I'll be keeping (and hopefully using) the 15k diesel heater, dual 6k btu aircons, radio, crank-up mast, etc. building a nice HAM shack at the farm.

S-339 Communications Trailer · Jul 1, 2020 – Nov 16, 2025 📸

Shared album · Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

Take a look! If you have any thoughts or suggestions, let me know! I know they are rare, but if anyone has cables/connectors etc from one of these, please let me know. I think I'm missing some from the AC units.

Thanks!
Chris

Instead of taking the air filter apart and using ether to start the set, take out the brass screw on top, in the middle of the carburetor. Its a LOOOONG screw. Dribble some fresh gas into the hole, to fill up the Carb, and replace the screw. Then fire it up. When this engine is in good running condition, it should start on the 2-3 pull of the rope.

You need to lube the two swivel ball joints on the long throttle linkage. We were told and always did it, to check the oil and then let a drop of oil on the dipstick fall on the ball joints. Exercise them. The set runs smoother when the ball joints are loose and operating smoothly. If there is play in them your response is poor, at best. If the CARC paint covers the ball joints, the response is bad.

Get a solid state ignition kit for the gen sets. The engine is a GREAT engine, EXCEPT that adjusting the points is a PITA. And keeping them adjusted is worse. And we always had problems keeping it running right. Slap on the solid state ignition kit, and you will have a super fine running gen set.

If the VR, (volt regulator) ever goes bad, do not buy one just like yours. There is an upgrade that is much better. Its not bomb proof, but much better then the one in the vid. It should come with an R1 reostat. That has to be swapped out when you put the upgraded VR in

Keep an eye on the oil. The sets do not use much oil. You are looking to see if the oil level is on the rise. If the oil starts overflow, to get thin and smell like gasoline, you need to replace the fuel pump. The diaphragm is leaking fuel into the crankcase. We checked the oil at a minimum of every 8 hours. IF NOT SOONER! Especially now, the rubber products are OLD, OLD, OLD. It is possible to check oil while running. Yes you get a little bit of oil splashing out. But be warned, sticking the oil dip stick back in while running can and will, if you do not get it 100% straight upright, cause you intense pain when the drive shaft drives the dip stick back up into your hand. Oh yes sir.

The carburetors are getting harder to find. There are still some to be found. I would get two right now, to cover my butt for later down the road. Same with the air filter. There is a Mod to the engine to replace the oil filter with a screw on filter. MUCH BETTER!

Since its older than dirt, check that the engine cooling system is loose and operational. You can adjust the springs to regulate how much heat the gen set allows to escape. Do use the winter weather switch on the air filter housing if it gets real cold.

Do pull and check the spark plugs. They are getting harder and harder to find. See if you can find some new cables, as yours look older than dirt.

There are rebuild kits available for the carb's. But I never used one. For us, the carbs were a pluck and chuck item.

Do down load the 3 KW gen set manuals from the TM library. DO READ the Operators TM.

If you just have to fool with the governor, read the TM first. It has several adjustments. Get one out of tolerance, then to compensate get another out of tolerance and before you know it, its broke.

Pull the fuel tank and clean it. Its not hard and will just maybe save you some problems down the line.

There is a mod, to this gen set that replaces the Gas engine with a diesel engine. Then you have the finest 3 KW gen set ever made.

 

[Jolopicus]

GuyFang - I can't thank you enough for the information. I completely understand about using the ether, honeslty was just a bit too excited to do it right... didn't expect it to even fire after the frist few twists... I expected i'd be rebuilding carbs, points, sparky's etc... but to my surprise it wanted to go. so many great tips! I've copied it out to my notes and will certainly heed the advice. I grabbbed the TM and printed a physical copy to stay with the units. Since I found three of them and one of them appears to have had a collision, i.e. the genset side of the box was bent, I'm thinking to repurpose the engine else where around the farm. This winter i'll get a them in the heated shop and go through them, completely cleaning them, tightening all of the wires, bolts etc. probably going to add heavy duty wheels to the one of the units also.

If you have a specific diesel engine that you'd suggest for these units? I'll dig around, i just havent' seen much for the 400hz gensets. ideally at least one of these units will be sitting with the shelter. In hind-sight, I'm not sure why I insisted on staying on 400hz, but figured when I pull the aviation radar equipment out, i'll consider donating it with a 400hz genset to one of the museums i've been talking to. I will continue to search for a way to convert the AC units to 120hz, but i'm betting it would require a rewinding of the motors and compressors... which would be dumb to do. Keep the 400hz for the ac's and heaters, then since it has a standard 60hz 120v plug i can run whatever standard equipment from that. Thinking that I'll convert it to a network/satellite/ham shelter for the future.

Again, thank you so much for the advice, i value it greatly.

 

[Guyfang]

There are 120/208, 60 Hertz Air cons that are the same basic thing as the Air Cons you have. The Control Circuit board and motors are about the only difference. But finding one, could be tough. The size is the same, so mounting them would be simple.

There is a conversion kit to change the engine on the gen set to a diesel engine, if your interested.