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Spy radio set
The RS-1 is a very robust spy radio set that was developed in the USA
by the CIA and Radio Development and Research Corporation
at the beginning of the Cold War, probably around 1948. The first units
appeared in the field around 1950. They were intended for agent field
use and stay-behind organisations both by the CIA and the US Army.
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The RS-1 consists of a separate transmitter, a receiver and a power
supply unit (PSU) and each unit is housed in a water tight die-cast
aluminium box. Each box has a lid with 4 screws at the corners and
a rubber gasket to protect it against water. The set is heavy and
can withstand air droppings and being buried in the ground.
The CIA used the RS-1 spy set in many countries around the world,
such as South-East Asia, some countries behind the former Iron
Curtain (East-Europe), Vietnam, Tibet and Cuba.
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The sets were used by the CIA for nearly 15 years and the Army used
it even longer, because of its proven track record and reliability,
despite the fact that newer and lighter spy sets became available.
The RS-1 went out of production in 1964.
The RR-2 is a single-conversion super heterodyne receiver with 6 valves:
RF pre-amplifier (1T4), local oscillator/mixer (1L6), 2 x IF amplifiers (1T4),
AF amplifier (1U5) and a BFO (1T4).
The intermediate frequency (IF) is at 455 kHz.
The receiver can be crystal or VFO operated and covers 3 to 24 MHz over 3 ranges:
- 3 - 6 MHz
- 6 - 12 MHz
- 12 - 24 MHz
The transmitter was suitable for CW only and covers 3 to 22 MHz in 4 ranges.
It contains just 2 valves: an 6AC7 for the crystal oscillator and a 2E26 for
the RF power amplifier.
The output power is 12-15W (at 3-15MHz) and 10-12W (at 15-22MHz).
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Two different types of power supply are available for this set:
the RP-1 and the RP-2. The RP-1 is the largest one and can be used
to connect to any type of mains power in the world.
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Furthermore, it can be used as a power invertor when connected to an external
6V battery, whilst it can charge the battery when connected to the mains.
It could also be used in combination with hand-crank generator SSP-11
(a modified version of the GN-58).
The smaller RP-2 PSU has the same size as the RX and TX units.
It is suitable for connection to the mains only and does not
have a DC or battery input. Note that the mains plug is made
of rubber, so that the two contact pins can be pressed together
in order to fit a variety of mains sockets.
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In order to avoid detection by enemy eavesdroppers, it was necessary
to be on the air as short as possible. The Army version of the RS-1
was therefore modified to allow an AN/GRA-71
burst encoder to be connected.
A limited number of CIA sets was also modified for use with this
burst encoder and the transmitter was then renamed RT/D-3.
 More information
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The set was called RS-1 by the CIA. Around 1961 the US Army adopted
the set for their special forces and designated it AN/GRC-109.
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| Unit |
CIA |
Army designation |
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| Transmitter |
RT-3 |
T784/GRC-109 |
| Receiver |
RR-2 |
R1004A/GRC-109 |
| Large PSU |
RP-1 |
PP-2684/GRC-109 |
| Small PSU |
RP-2 |
PP-2685/GRC-109 |
| Burst Encoder (optional) |
-> |
AN/GRA71 |
| Hand-crank generator |
SSP-11 |
GN-58 (mod) |
| Maintenance kit |
(unmarked) |
CY-1321/GRC-109 |
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- US Army, Coder-Burst Transmission Group AN/GRA-71
TM 11-5835-224-12 (Operator and Organizational Maintenance Manual)
- Louis Meulstee, Wireless for the Warrior, volume 4
ISBN 0952063-36-0, September 2004
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© Copyright 2009-2011, Paul Reuvers & Marc Simons. Last changed: Tue,12 Apr 2011.22:38:00
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