Arab-Israeli ASL

[GeorgeBates]

Wow, given that transistor receivers were commercially available as early as 1954 I'm surprised the military was not making use of them sooner. I'm sure someone here knows the reason.

 

[andrea pagni]

I would guess reliability and that possibly they were not convenient to produce according to Mil specs with limited numbers

 

[GeorgeBates]

I would guess reliability and that possibly they were not convenient to produce according to Mil specs with limited numbers

That would be odd, as transistors are inherently more reliable and perform better than vacuum tube sets precisely because they are solid state.

 

[Brian W]

That would be odd,

One might say that government procurement in general, and military procurement in particular are unnatural events best understood by sacrificing a goat and examining its liver.

Or, look at what companies were selling tubes and how much money those companies were donating to the appropriations committee members in congress during that time . . .

 

[GeorgeBates]

What was that we said, "Marines make do?"

 

[Bob Walters]

That would be odd, as transistors are inherently more reliable and perform better than vacuum tube sets precisely because they are solid state.

Vacuum tubes are more resistant to emp generated by nuclear detonations. I suspect one reason they hung around so long is that there was some expectation that tactical nuclear weapons would be used.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

Vacuum tubes are more resistant to emp generated by nuclear detonations. I suspect one reason they hung around so long is that there was some expectation that tactical nuclear weapons would be used.

Yes, this makes sense. An examination of the military training regimes in the first world nations in the 1950s and 1960s shows a huge emphasis on atomic/nuclear warfare. In Canada, as an example, the reserve army was restructured from a warfighting outlook to a civil defence one.

 

[witchbottles]

What was that we said, "Marines make do?"

Actually, it's " always remember that every piece of your weapon was made by the lowest bidder."

 

[Eagle4ty]

Actually, it's " always remember that every piece of your weapon was made by the lowest bidder."

But at an exorbitant price!

 

[witchbottles]

But at an exorbitant price!

Which is why we "improvise, adapt, and overcome...."


Nothing like a 12,000 dollar toilet seat - but hey, you can shiite in SPACE with that toilet seat!!!! My 11 dollar one from Wal-mart would never hold up to that rigorous climate!!!

 

[Eagle4ty]

My all time favorite was a very little $60.00 radio knob (Yup, just the knob with a small paint mark to indicate what channel you're on, and a small set screw-not even the post that it adhered to). Courtesy of Hughes Manufacturing!

 

[witchbottles]

My all time favorite was a very little $60.00 radio knob (Yup, just the knob with a small paint mark to indicate what channel you're on, and a small set screw-not even the post that it adhered to). Courtesy of Hughes Manufacturing!

We always got a kick out of taking the stock off the lower receiver of the M16A1 and seeing the stamp "Mattel, Inc." on the receiver mount plate.

guess Hasbro couldn't underbid ol' G.I. joe....

 

[witchbottles]

Wow, given that transistor receivers were commercially available as early as 1954 I'm surprised the military was not making use of them sooner. I'm sure someone here knows the reason.

No idea, George, but my father's company was manufacturing vacuum tubes for restoring antique jukebox amplifiers well into the early -2000's, until he had his first stroke and slowed down in life. (He had bought the machinery from Honeywell in 1974 for a song thanks to transistors taking over nearly everything.)

There is still a strong market for restoration projects and vacuum tubes.

 

[chris_olden]

There is still a strong market for restoration projects and vacuum tubes.

Yep.
I have a pack of guitar amps, all tube powered. Tubes are a thing of sonic beauty.

 

[Paul S NJ]

I played 3 or 4 of the Gen 48 scenarios. I remember them as fun and focused on low intensity fights (Israeli militia vs 2nd line Arab troops) with a couple ad-hoc armored cars on one or both sides. I didn't like the vehicle counters (they were hard to read because they had a different format. I assume to avoid copyright issues with MMP ).
Asl rules worked just fine for these 1948 scenarios (with just a few terrain and nationality capabilities rules).
I thought it was a reasonably good product.
Paul

 

[echack]

<i>Nothing like a 12,000 dollar toilet seat - but hey, you can shiite in SPACE with that toilet seat!!!! </i>

Actually, the toilet on the shuttle cost a lot more that that. Add a few zeroes. Of course, the seat wasn't off the shelf and has to be made of special materials that won't off-gas.

The alleged $12000 toilet seat was not just a seat, but essentially an entire porta potty -walls, doors, seat, waste tank, etc. for use in a transport plane.

 

[Kenneth P. Katz]

I am puzzled why some people have no interest in non-WWII, but to each his own.

As for Arab-Israeli wars in ASL:
- 1948-1949 war: very infantry-heavy with few vehicles of artillery, definitely suitable for ASL
- 1956 war: rifles, SMGs, MGs, Sherman tanks, halftracks, T-34-85 tanks in battles of manageable size -- an ideal conflict to be simulated with ASL
- 1967 war: still using surplus WWII equipment or first generation Cold War equipment (T-54, Patton and Centurion tanks) which were really just improvements to their WWII predecessors (nothing revolutionary); helos and ATGWs were present but had negligible battlefield effect and can easily be ignored -- still an easy fit for ASL
- 1973 war: need to add night vision equipment, ATGW, helos; a stretch but less than the Japanese and beach landings were
- 1982 war and more recent: modern technology, highly restrictive RoE -- much more difficult to fit into ASL

After spending nearly 20 years on the Korean War module, I'm burned out on ASL design and development, but if I wasn't, the Arab-Israeli wars would be my next project. I hope that somebody else takes it on, and if they do, I would be willing to do historical research. I have a large library on the subject.

 

[Tuomo]

After spending nearly 20 years on the Korean War module, I'm burned out on ASL design and development, but if I wasn't, the Arab-Israeli wars would be my next project.

C'mon, Kenn.... I know you wanna....

I'll do your maps... ;-)

 

[Kenneth P. Katz]

OK, I admit it. I do want to do it. In fact, the project is on my wish list of things to do. It is sandwiched in between:

• Be captured by Al Qaeda while while wearing a dogtag that has J on it, and
• Reliving the 2016 US presidential election.

I will leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine which of those things is immediately above a new ASL project on my wish list, and which is below it.

C'mon, Kenn.... I know you wanna....

I'll do your maps... ;-)

 

[Tuomo]

OK, I admit it. I do want to do it. In fact, the project is on my wish list of things to do. It is sandwiched in between:

• Be captured by Al Qaeda while while wearing a dogtag that has J on it, and
• Reliving the 2016 US presidential election.

I will leave it as an exercise to the reader to determine which of those things is immediately above a new ASL project on my wish list, and which is below it.

... So you're saying there's a chance...