Manuals
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Technical manuals
Stickers
Instruction Cards
Maintenance Cards
Detail Lists
Miscellaneous

The vehicular RT-3600 and it's man pack brother, the RT-3610 are generally covered in the same set of documentation. There might be different instruction cards for these two transceivers, but I have never seen those yet. The main manuals cover both systems, even though they are quite different internally.

Up to now I have found the following types of documentation:

Technische handleidingen (Technical Manuals)

The actual manuals. They range from the rather basic A5 sized 1 TH 11-170, meant for the operator, to the whopping two A4 and partly A3 - and larger - sized volumes of 4/5 TH 11-170 to be used on the workbench.
The numbering is rather straightforward: the letters TH stand for Technische Handleiding, the cipher's in front mean the echelon where the manual is meant to be used. All radio related manuals are in group 11 (sounds familiar, like the American system) while 170 is the number for all RT-3600 and RT-3610 manuals. Sometimes a manual will come in two volumes, one with text and the other one with figures, this is signified by adding a /1 or /2 to the end of the manual number. So, 4/5 TH 11-170/2 will be the figures volume of the manual meant for use by the 4th and 5th echelon.

However, different parts might have totally different numbers. For instance, 1/5 TH 11-652 covers the batteries BB-3600/BB-3610 and BB-4600/BB-4610. Clearly a part of the RT-3600 system, but the number does not give a clue to that.
12 TH001089 not only uses a different style in numbering, being newer, but again does not ring a bell, unless you happen to know that the H5606 and H5696A tank helmets are part of the system.

Only the other week I found the first manual dealing with actually installing the set(s) - in this case in a shelter. That manual covers both the RT-3600 and RT-4600 radios. Makes sense, as the installations are very, very similar. This one again is numbered in the older style: 1/2 TH 11-174.

Stickers (Labels)
Quite literally, big adhesive labels, some 21 by 16 centimetres, giving the very basic settings and operating procedures for the radios. To stick up inside vehicles, next to the actual radio.
Only in January 2003 I was pointed out by Raoul de Zoeten that these actually are an important part of the documentation system of these radios. They even carry their own NSN's, in order to make replacement easy if they are lost or become damaged. He kindly lent me some samples to scan.
Instructiekaarten (Instruction Cards)
Simple instructions to be carried on the person, outlining procedures. Meant for daily use, outlining the key material covered in the manuals. The numbering resembles that of the manuals. There seem to be many, but I have not seen that much of them up to now.
Onderhoudskaarten (Maintenance Cards)
Much the same as Instructiekaarten, but meant for maintenance. They cover not only first echelon works, but at least also second echelon.
Detaillijsten (Detail Lists)
Dreary stuff, outlining all the parts of an item that can be ordered as spares, including the echelon levels they may be ordered at. Sometimes including good drawings. The numbering is rather wildly differing depending on the era they come from. Older ones follow the 1/5 L 5965-17-037-5778 style, where the NSN is added to the number, newer ones might be numbered as 15DL006575.
Other materials
I've found a few oddities. Like English language documentation, apparent translations from the Dutch manuals, up to and including the repair sections. Not complete however. Also, a booklet called Introductie FM-Radioapparatuur 3600-serie - dated 1970 - that introduces the system as the replacement for the VRC/GRC/VRQ/PRC radios.

Last updated: 27-10-2003 12:44 +0100
Copyright © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 A.J.M.O. Witkop. All Rights Reserved.