K4che's M151A1 on display Thursday Afternoon.   

          Aberdeen Rally 2012


     

 
 

     Aberdeen, nothing like 2 or 3 days of military surplus flea markets and playing radio. This year the WX was much better than CAVOK except for high winds. During the meet I personally did not experience any radio equipment failures but when I drove up from Chickenland in the M151A1 but did experience a maintenance problem and I was forced to pull over as a bolt had backed out on one of the engine manifold clamps, at first I thought the fan blade was hitting something as the clack,klick , klick, clack,clack,klickety,clack click,clack sound was very loud, (sounds like a "Walter Mitty" explanation), anyway a closer inspection in the engine compartment revealed a loose manifold clamp and a small hole where the bolt was missing and exhaust was escaping. Tools in hand and after a careful search in the engine compartment - - - I found the bolt, "a gift", and inserted it and tightened and we were fully operational again. . . Its great driving down the road in the Mutt and watching the civilian cars zip by and kids with their faces pressed to the windows and you could make out the words "jeep" by watching their lips.     

      I arrived late Thursday and most of the event was in full progress. Dave Kormanicki - KB3ELD and Mark Weidmayer, KD3ZK were all ready set up as well as the "Phantom of Smyrna", Bernie W3OWE and W2OBR Ole Buzzard Rich, and Joe Meagher W3KJT were in place and I thought to myself that they probably had all ready gone around the flea market Thursday morning and found all the good deals, hard to beat em.

     I arrived before Jeff Ciccone KG2BZ pulled in with a trailer loaded with his restored M151A2 with a fresh CARC paint job. It was an interesting off load. See Video below. My personal radio goals for the Rally was to check in to USAF MARS nets using the "field antenna and emergency power category" and to check in Saturday into the "Moose and Squirrel" net and then later work WAR and AIR during the cross band event. I did do all of my nets but was unable to work WAR and AIR, too much QRM and just was not radiating enough RF to break through. I tired the SGC-715 and then reverted to the PRC-47 using the AT1011 30 foot whip with a 60 foot ground radial but failed. It was interesting during the WAR and AIR attempts to hear the hams transmitting on the "military frequencie"s which were out of band I guess that is what you get when you loosen the license requirements.
      My display set up on the bonnet was a PRC-71 and a GRC-109 receiver, the GRC-109 is a great Rally and Event receiver as it allows visitors to play with the set's knobs and tune in some "short wave". In the vehicle I used the SGC-715 on the rear facing FAC seat and utilized the PRC-47 which is permanently mounted on the left side of the vehicle. Aux transportation was a 20 inch bike which was equipped with the PRT-4 and PRR-9 for local commo.
      Personnel in attendance in addition to the above were: Mr. Pat Lombardi KC2RNN, Steve Finelli N3NNG, Tom Bryan N3AJA, Ray Fantini KA3EKH(Both Ray and Tom brought Ruski sets) and a special surprise was Mr. John Kidd VK3FPRC from Austrialia, W9NWQ stopped by to say hello as well as Logan Mitchell Sr, KC6UZF, Dean KK1K and Jim W1JHM(hope I got that call correct). Jeff's Dad, Emido WA2FSX - - I am sorry to say passed away a week after the event 20 September 2012 after a hospital stay.

     During the meet we monitored 29.6 using the Red Flag portion of the 524 and the usual push of 51.0. Jeff used his 442 to monitor 51.0 and the Maryland State Police, the State of Maryland used a little common sense and retained their low band system which is not digital etc. etc. 29.6 Mcs FM is becoming a very popular frequency for meets here on the East Coast and may become as popular as 51.0. Overall a great event. with plenty of radio gear for sale my biggest purchase was finding legs to utilize for my BC-654 so now I will not have to take steel conduit and fabricate them like I did with the BC-474(photo)

                             

 

                   

 
 

Important Note: The East Coast collectors group the Military Radio Collectors Association (MRCA) which is having its annual meet in conjunction with the the MVPA at Gilbert, PA this September 21 and 22th. More information can be found at http://www.mrca.ar88.net/2005_flyer/flyer2005.html. The groups activities include field exercises, displays, lectures, and of course a flea market and access to the MVPA's flea market, so you actually you get two shows in one.

It has been interesing to watch the increased cooperation between the Military Vehicle Groups and our Militlary Radio Group (MRCA). In my opinion it is a perfect union, each group enhances the other.

 
      These are my personal photos and comments and do not represent any particular group or organization. Please don't email me if you see or read something on these pages that you do not particular like, just don't save these pages in your "favorites".  
 

 

                        
   Half way from Dover Delaware to Aberdeen I had to pull over for repairs.

             

 
 

 

          
    On the Jeep the side mounted "water can" is the secret tool box.

    

 
 

                             
     A bolt that holds on of the manifold brackets had backed out and since I stopped right away the bolt was still in the engine compartment, I inserted the bolt,tightened it, and continued to Aberdeen. No more klicky,clickey, Klack clack.

                Highway 40 Video

 
 

 

     
         Emergency Transportion.

    

 
 

 

     

 

 
 

 

     
           John Murray and his Dad

       

 
 

 

    
                                      http://www.tnjmurray.com/militaryvehicles/

 

 
 

 

    
          Jeff, KG2BZ and Jason arrived towing a trailer loaded with his M151A2.

 

 
 

     
       Offload was fairly easy. Jeff drives and Jason does all the work.

         Off load video approx 4 Meg.

 

 
 

 

     
        My Rally transportion.

 

 
 

 

                      
    PRT-4 and PRR-9 on the standard East Coast Push of 51.0

 

 
 

 

     
         On the copilot side of the jeep. My copilot who who sat up front with me in the yellow turboprop that I was flying SP and put in those magic "numbers"

 

 
 

 

   
               I love my wife.

 

 
 

 

     
    I want the matching plane but will keep my wife instead.     :-)

 

 
 

 

    
                     Wireless phone.

 
 

 

   

 
 

         
                 Great for playing Bumper Cars.


 
     
     Gets attention when you pull into Wawa for milk.

                http://www.wawa.com/WawaWeb/
 
      
     "I don't think this does anything for me".
 
 

           Jeff KG2BZ
       "Does night vision work during the day ?"

    

 
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