By Louis Meulstee

Polish Armia Krajowa series

No. 5 OSU.
Cover and layout: Louis Meulstee.
Cover illustration: OSU 1942/43.

The cover artwork and layout of this series was prepared with DTP Serif PagePlus X8,
using Arial, AvantGarde, Helvetica, Times New Roman and Poppl-Laudatio fonts.
Scanned illustrations and photos were enhanced and prepared with Adobe Photoshop
Elements. The finished publication was directly converted into PDF format.

- First published 2024 as WftW Supplement No. 294, Version 1.00, as a free to download
print ready publication.
- This unchanged edition was adapted for Scribd™ with the addition of a front cover
and colophon.

© Louis Meulstee PA0PCR

Ottersum
The Netherlands
info@wftw.nl
http://www.wftw.nl

About this publication.

Selected publications, previously featured on the Wireless for the Warrior website, have
now been added to Scribd™ to reach a broader audience.
The WftW 'Polish' series comprises three groups of publications. These start with a
detailed technical view of wireless communications in the Polish army during the inter-war
years until 1939. Next, it covers 'Wireless in the Armia Krajowa and the Warsaw Uprising'
(THIS series), and concludes with the development and production of radios for resistance
groups, Polish AK, SOE, and agents during WWII by the Polish in exile in Great Britain.
It should be noted that in the Armia Krajowa series, only locally produced radios are
covered.
Already published on Scribd™ are selected chapters from the WftW 'Pamphlets', WftW
'Amendments', and WftW 'Various' series, with more to follow as time permits.

The 'Polish' Series.

The WftW 'Polish' series is not directly related, but within the scope of the WftW website
and interest. It can be freely copied and distributed, but only in their current form,
preferably with mention of the website www.wftw.nl.
Note that the page layout of the WftW series was setup with mirrored pages, primarily
intended for double sided (colour) printing and, if available, on good quality class A paper.

June 2024
Wireless for the Warrior - Polish Armia Krajowa series. No. 5 OSU - 1

Kabel zasilający Mains lead

Antena Aerial socket
Skala Tuning scale
Siuschawki Headphones sockets
Reakcja Reaction control
Oscylator Tuning control
Przedobwód Preselector tuning

Text translation of functions of

controls OSU receiver.

OSU
(Armia Krajowa #5)
Country of origin:
Poland

DATA SUMMARY
Organisation: Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa).
Design/Manufacturer: Clandestine Polish Home Army
Radio Workshops e.g. Warsaw University of Technology.
Year of Introduction: 1942/43.
Purpose: Communication receiver for Polish Home Army.
Receiver OSU:
Frequency coverage: Believed 3.5-9MHz. IF 1.5MHz.
Circuit features: Mixer/oscillator, Reg. IF/Det, AF;
It was based on the 1936 ‘Super-Gainer’ design.
The IF valve could be brought into oscillation for CW
reception by means of the reaction control.
AF output: Headphones.
Valves: L1 UCH11, L2 UCL11.
Power Supply: 220V AC or DC mains; Rectifier L3 UY11.
Dimensions (cm): (An estimate!)
Height 7½, length 15, width 19.
REMARKS
OSU (Odbiornik Sieciowy Uniwersalny, translated Universal Mains
Receiver) was an AC/DC mains powered miniature shortwave receiv-
er. The filaments were connected in series with a 900Ω resistor direct
to the mains, drawing 100mA. High tension was also derived direct
from the mains. It had the advantage that a difficult to obtain and
heavy transformer was not required. The circuit diagram was based
on the ubiquitous ‘Super-Gainer’ used in similar Polish receivers:
OBA, OSB type I and II, and the Polish Stanmore ‘Pipsztock’ series.
Although the circuit diagram shows two frequency ranges, in the
associated front panel layout drawing this is missing. It might be
speculated that there were variations or an omission in the drawing.
References:
- Drawing, circuit diagram and information courtesy Bogdan
Szkudlarek, SP3LD, Poland.
- Zolnierze Lacznosej Warszawy (Communications soldiers of
fighting Warsaw), Kazimierz Malinowski, Warszawa 1983,
isbn 83-211-0378-2.
- Wireless for the Warrior, Volume 4, Clandestine Radio,
Louis Meulstee, Wimborne 2004, isbn 095263 36 0.

Circuit diagram of the OSU

receiver. This was believed to
be a variation with a switch
for two frequency ranges.

© This WftW chapter may be freely copied and distributed, but only in the current form.

Page 1 of 1. ver 1.00. June 2024.