Description
1954 Emerson AS-1707 AN/PRS-4 Mine Detector Handle & Cover Assembly, Short
Item Overview
This 1954 Emerson AS-1707 “Handle & Cover Assembly, Short” is a replacement search-head component made for the U.S. Army AN/PRS-4 mine detector. The assembly includes the short handle and cover structure, black sensing or antenna coils, an attached cable, and a multipin connector. It is an incomplete detector component rather than a complete mine-detecting set.
Identification and Features
The original carton identifies Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corporation and carries the assembly number AS 1707. A handwritten note appears to read “Mine Detector Pkg.” The physical design matches the square search head, short handle, cable, and connector arrangement found on complete Emerson-made AN/PRS-4 sets.
- Marked nomenclature: Handle & Cover Assembly, Short
- Assembly number: AS-1707
- Manufacturer: Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corporation
- Probable application: U.S. Army AN/PRS-4 Mine Detecting Set
- Approximate packing date: May or June 1954
- Visible components: Sensing coils, handle and cover structure, cable, and multipin connector
- Offered configuration: Incomplete replacement search-head assembly
- Status: Inert, non-explosive military equipment component
Original Function
The black loops formed the sensing or antenna coils of the detector’s search head. During operation, the search head was swept slowly above the ground while the AN/PRS-4 electronics monitored changes in its balanced electromagnetic field. A buried object or other disturbance could change the detector’s signal. The cable carried that signal to the amplifier and control unit, which alerted the operator through headphones and a visual meter. The multipin connector joined this assembly to the remaining detector electronics.
AN/PRS-4 Mine Detector System
The AN/PRS-4 was a portable, battery-operated mine detector built around early vacuum-tube electronics. Army documentation described it as a balanced ultrahigh-frequency system with both aural and visual indications. It was designed to help locate metallic and nonmetallic antipersonnel and antitank mines. A complete set included the search head, handle sections, amplifier and control pack, meter, headphones, batteries, cables, carrying equipment, and storage chest. Those additional components are not included with this AS-1707 assembly unless specifically shown.
Historical Background
The AN/PRS-4 entered Army documentation during the early Cold War, with its main technical manual dated September 1953. Its vacuum tubes, separate high- and low-voltage batteries, meter, and wired search head reflect the portable electronic technology of that period. The Army later produced a dedicated 1959 training film that taught soldiers how to assemble, test, operate, maintain, and safely use the detector. This AS-1707 assembly was apparently packed during 1954, placing it near the beginning of the detector’s service life.
History of Use
Mine detectors were important tools for Army engineers clearing roads, trails, defensive positions, construction sites, and other areas where mines might be hidden. The AN/PRS-4 remained a standard U.S. military detector during much of the Vietnam War, when engineers faced extensive mine and booby-trap threats. Operators had to tune and balance the equipment carefully, and maintaining its settings under field conditions could be difficult. Later detector designs gradually replaced it, but the AN/PRS-4 remains an important example of early electronic mine-detection equipment.
Condition
This is a vintage military-surplus component in an incomplete configuration. It may show age, storage wear, scratches, oxidation, discoloration, cable wear, old packaging residue, or other handling marks. Its electrical condition is unknown, and no guarantee of operation is offered. The amplifier, control pack, batteries, meter, headphones, shaft sections, storage chest, and other parts of the complete AN/PRS-4 set are not included unless specifically stated. Please check the pictures for the general condition and included components.
Ideal For
This uncommon Emerson search-head assembly is well suited for restoring or displaying early Cold War and Vietnam-era U.S. Army engineer equipment. Its original carton information and distinctive sensing coils also make it useful as a technical reference.
- AN/PRS-4 mine-detector restoration projects
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers collections
- Early Cold War military displays
- Vietnam War engineer exhibits
- Military communications and electronics collections
- Museums and educational displays
Approx length 14", Approx width 11", Approx height 7, Approx weight 4.1lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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