The BC-610 was a radio transmitter used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II.
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In the early 1940s, the U.S. military sought a high-powered radio transmitter capable of infallible voice communications over 100 miles (160 km), sturdy enough to work in all conditions, flexible enough to cover a wide range of frequencies, self-powered and able to operate in motion or at fixed locations. The Hallicrafters HT-4 transmitter was chosen from units available from various U.S. radio manufacturers. The HT-4 was designed for amateur radio use and had been commercially available for several years at a price of approximately $700, rivaling the cost of a car. It was considered compact and stable for its era and could deliver 325 watts of power for voice communications and 450 watts during Morse code operation. It was quartz crystal controlled, but was able to work over a wide range of frequencies through optimal use of the master-oscillator power amplifier.
Modifications requested by the Signal Corps' were performed by Hallicrafters' engineers working with U.S. Army technicians at Fort Monmouth. Adapting the transmitter to military use required augmenting the basic unit with more electronic devices that permitted the transmitter to handle a wider range of frequencies and standardizing control equipment. This new version of the HT-4 became known as the BC-610 transmitter, a part of the SCR-299 mobile communications unit, and production began in 1942. General Dwight Eisenhower credited the SCR-299 in his successful reorganization of the American forces and final defeat of the Nazis at Kasserine Pass. The SCR-299 was also used in the Invasion of Sicily and later, Italy.[1] Over 25,000 units were produced by Hallicrafters and other allied companies. In 1944, a short subject film was produced by the Jam Handy Organization and sponsored by the Hallicrafters Company detailing how the HT-4 transmitter was adapted for military service and dramatizing its use by the U.S. military during World War II.[2][3]
The "A" through "I" models are the same basic unit with relatively minor component and cosmetic differences.[6]