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This was my first WW II Reenactment Event. I was part of the Capital Wings Group of the Airman's Preservation Society.
The SCR-274N Command Sets are on the left and the DU-1 DF unit and associated receivers are on the right. Both were fully operational and I was able to give a lot of demos.
On the shelf beneath the SCR-274N you can see a pair of 12V tractor batteries that are wired in series. These are across the output of my Astron 28V power supply. Without the batteries, the startup current spike will trip the Astron. For demos, I had intended to use the group's generator which is in the small crate on the far right of the photo. This was a good idea but not a very practical one. It was hot and we didn't want the generator running all the time. Also, I thought I'd be giving demos at scheduled times, so I could use the generator only during the demos. What I found was that I was doing demos and talking to people as they came in. This made using the generator impractical as it would need to be on continually. And I talked a lot! By Sunday my voice was getting hoarse. I did a few SCR-274N demos on Friday morning and that was all. Lessons learned for next time. The SCR-274N Command Radios (above left) were powered by the BC-456 Dynamotor. Command Radios were used on various allied aircraft in WW II such as the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Here's my DF setup. It consists of a Bendix DU-1 Direction Finding Unit and two navigation receivers. The DU-1 is connected to an ARA CBY-46145 Broadcast Band (500 to 1500 Kc) navigation receiver. The bare metal receiver to the right of the ARA is an SCR-247N BC-453 Beacon Band (190 to 550 Kc) navigation receiver. All 3 units worked and there was a lot of good response to my DF Demos.
The "football" is an MN-36 Loop Antenna that is part of the Bendix MN-31 Automatic Radio Compass System. It is currently a static display. Here's an in progress photo of getting the power ready for the DF radios.
I'm using a pair of LifePO4 100 Ah batteries in series to power a single DM-32 dynamotor. 28V (24V really....) Is routed directly to the DU-1 and one of the navigation receivers. The HV output of the DM-32 goes to the DU-1 and a navigation receiver as well. ON/OFF Was accomplished by connecting the battery cable. Several observations. Isn't a pair of 100 Ah batteries overkill for a DM-32? Yes. I enjoy participating in the Parks on the Air (POTA) program and I use these batteries when doing POTA activations. I brought the batteries as I had them available, and I knew they would not need recharged – I was sleeping in the tent and had no way to charge them. Second, the wiring could have been done better. This was my first reenactor event and everything I did was new. As you'll see in later events, I changed things as I learned what worked and what didn't work. Here's the P-51D Mustang “Red Nose” owned by the Commemorative Air Force and based out of Peachtree City GA and the B-25 “Panchito” owned by the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation.. The P-51 was usually parked as shown, about 200 feet away from the Radio Tent. It gave rides continuously, and I had a regular waft of Packard Merlin exhaust coming into the (already) hot air in the tent as I was working on the wiring. I had to leave the tent a few times for some fresh air! 
I brought my BX-49-A box of crystals. It is not associated with any of the radios I had on display, and I used it as a show prop.
Well, somehow everything got set up.... enjoying a refreshing drink.... ice water with Gatorade. It is critical to keep hydrated at reenactor events.
Where I slept..... the radios were on the other side of the canvass.
0530 Local. One of the benefits of sleeping on site is you have access to everything when the crowds aren't there. Mornings were the best – calm and peaceful!
Mike preparing his morning cup of coffee.....
Breakfast at Spamville! Which was pretty good!
Additional views of the Radio Tent.
In the above photo, the big round container is a cooler. Filled with ice and water, it does a very effective job of keeping our drinks cold! In the following photo, the round container is a water dispenser. The coffee pot is not sitting on a stove. The stove is really a device meant to sterilize medical instruments...
...but it works just fine to make coffee..... or afternoon tea for Mat! Mat is from Britain, and afternoon tea is a “must”!
The groups common area.....
The Radio Tent is at the far left in the above photo. The Virginia Beach based Military Aviation Museum had their FW-190 at the show......
... as well as their ME-262 fighter! Both flew to the enjoyment of all of us!
Both are from the ground up full scale replicas and the craftsmanship is simply magnificent! The B-29 "Doc" was also in attendance!
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