[Milsurplus] Radios in movies

[Paul Thekan]

The movie "Destination Gobi" 1953 with Richard Widmark IMO accurately shows
in operation a TBW xmtr and RBM rcvrs along  with the large Radiosonde rack
mounted set .This all situated in a tent in the Gobi desert. NAVY  wanted a
remote weather station set up there.  At one point Widmark goes out to
check on the generator,  the 120vac 800 cycle generator.

 I went to to see the 2019 movie Midway..I liked the movie..but had the
chuckle to myself when a scene with I think was Halsey in a office..and
just barely seen in the background was
BC 610E all.by itself....at least it wasn't the post war
610F....

Paul
N6FEG



On Fri, Dec 5, 2025, 10:10 AM mstangelo--- via Milsurplus <
milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

> I enjoyed the Russian tank movies T-34 and Tanks for Stalin. Very
> patriotic and with stereotypical Soviet "Comrades" and Nazi "Fritzs".  Nice
> slow motion scenes.
>
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fil-fnW3kQI>
>
> I believe I saw them on Netflix. Probably not as available since Russia
> invaded Ukraine.
>
> I can't remember names but don't forget faces. I was watching the movie
> Anora with my wife and recognized one of the actors. Yuri Borislov was in
> T-34.
>
> Mike N2MS
>
>
> > On 12/05/2025 12:06 PM EST Ray Fantini via Milsurplus <
> milsurplus at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Its Friday so not a lot going on at work today so I can waste time with
> this subject! Best and worst movies, think maybe the best and worst movies
> regarding technology may be the same subject! The Michael Bay 2001 Pearl
> Harbor has to be maybe one of the worst films ever in terms of realism,
> equipment and any attempt at historical accuracy. Least they got the date
> right. Where the 1970 “Tora Tora Tora” may be one of the most historically
> accurate and is worth the watch just for the scenes of the SCR-270
> installation and operation. The SCR-270 is a key technology that is mostly
> forgotten today with maybe two or three still in existence. In Tora Tora
> Tora you see the 270 equipment shelter and the antenna structure clearly,
> learn of the difficulties of getting it to the right location and problems
> integrating new technology into existing C&C structures. The later Pearl
> Harbor flick has some stupid composite shot allegedly at the Navy base
> showing a PPI display that did not exist in 1941.
> > Another favorite is the 1981 Wolfgang Paterson “Das Boot” that has a
> great recreation of a type 7 U-boat, not much in the way of radios but
> several scenes with the four rotor Naval Enigma machine. If you want the
> full experience watch the original German language version with the
> subtitles.
> > As far as “Fury” thing goes, come on man, it’s a Brad Pitt movie! By its
> very nature its got to have a lot of “Chick Flick” comopnets. I watch this
> stuff to see the hardware, the story is always so-so. The running Sherman
> M4A2 tanks and what may be the only running Tiger (131) in the world
> deserve some credit. Many of the modern movies today have much better props
> then the stuff in the old days, Tora Tora Tora used a lot of AT-6 that were
> repainted to look like Japanese aircraft.
> > Last thing on the subject before I stop wasting everyone’s time on this.
> The 2019 “ Midway “ was ok I guess, but for some weird reason every time
> the showed a radio close enough to recognize it was a British R-1155
> > Anyone else notice that?
> >
> > Ray F/KA3EKH
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