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Military Collector Group Post Backmail #35 (83 pages) MEMBER PROFILES; May 20/99 Index: MEMBER PROFILE ; #1 Me, to get the ball rolling MEMBER PROFILE; Kevin Hough MEMBER PROFILE; Mark Blair MEMBER PROFILE; John Mackesy MEMBER PROFILE; Lenox Carruth, Jr. EX-MEMBER PROFILE; Quark MEMBER PROFILE; Joseph W Pinner MEMBER PROFILE; Vlad Dvorkin MEMBER PROFILE; Lee Orsborn MEMBER PROFILE; Brian & the USMC Historical Company MEMBER PROFILE; Mike Blom MEMBER PROFILE; Brad Whiting MEMBER PROFILE; Nick Broline MEMBER PROFILE; Craig Smith MEMBER PROFILE; Jim Mahaffey MEMBER PROFILE; John Kidd MEMBER PROFILE; Bob Nickels MEMBER PROFILE; Kevin Hough MEMBER PROFILE; Ken Sakamoto MEMBER PROFILE; Bill Howard MEMBER PROFILE; Pete Adams MEMBER PROFILE; Steve Hill MEMBER PROFILE; Pete Williams MEMBER PROFILE; Randy Zelick MEMBER PROFILE; Jeff (AE4ZH) MEMBER PROFILE; Ralph Hogan MEMBER PROFILE; Bob Simpson NEW MEMBER; Noel Anderson NEW MEMBER; David Davidson NEW MEMBER; Dave Prince MEMBER PROFILE; Mike Cowart MEMBER PROFILE; Larry Hill NEW MEMBER; J. Coote NEW MEMBER; Tom Norris NEW MEMBER; Spencer Banner NEW MEMBER; Jerry Proc VE3FAB NEW MEMBER; George Rybicki, Phd NEW MEMBER; NEW MEMBER; Bob McCord NEW MEMBER; Glenn Anderson, NEW MEMBER; Shep Shepard, NEW MEMBER; Hal Blaisdell, NEW MEMBER; Adrian Heinrich, NEW MEMBER; Kim Campbell NEW MEMBER; Ed Guzick NEW MEMBER; Ron Hinze NEW MEMBER; Carmelo Litrico NEW MEMBER; Dick Dillman, NEW MEMBER; Richard Wurtzinger NEW MEMBER; Richard Brunner NEW MEMBER; John Bowers NEW MEMBER; Ian O'Toole NEW MEMBER; Doug Greville NEW MEMBER; Joe Morgan NEW MEMBER; Ed Kirkley NEW MEMBER; Chuck Milton, NEW MEMBER; Hank Fackovec NEW MEMBER; Jim Haynes MEMBER PROFILE; Alan Tasker NEW MEMBER; Buzz KD7BZ NEW MEMBER; Ray Robinson MEMBER PROFILE; Scot Barth NEW MEMBER; Bob Lindgren NEW MEMBER; Richard Arland NEW MEMBER; Scott Johnson NEW MEMBER; Breck Smith NEW MEMBER; Traverso Leandro NEW MEMBER; Wammes Witkop NADCOMM; NEW MEMBER; Don Robert House NEW MEMBER; Jack Hart NEW MEMBER; Ray Fantini NEW MEMBER;Wesley Davidson NEW MEMBER; Wes Gladhart NEW MEMBER; Perry Ballinger, W8AU NEW MEMBER; John Pitts (N5AGQ) NEW MEMBER; Dave Thomas NEW MEMBER; Cal Eustaquio NEW MEMBER; Alan Stanscik NEW MEMBER; Jeffrey Ciccone NEW MEMBER; Pete Owen. NEW MEMBER; Steve Waters NEW MEMBER; Marty Reynolds NEW MEMBER; Wayne Nowacki NEW MEMBER; Chuck Gumbert NEW MEMBER; Jim Laidler WL7VK NEW MEMBER; Michael Crestohl NEW MEMBER; Mike Rioux W1USN NEW MEMBER; John Liner NEW MEMBER; Alan Fryer, N3BJ NEW MEMBER; Cliff Wallace NEW MEMBER; Roy Morgan NEW MEMBER; Dorian H. Klein NEW MEMBERS; Robin Faulkner N7GSU NEW MEMBER; Mike Tyler WA8YWO NEW MEMBER; Derek Oldenburger NEW MEMBER; Peter Perg NEW MEMBER; Mark A. Cobbeldick, NEW MEMBER; Mark Burgess, NEW MEMBER; Conard Murry NEW MEMBER; Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow, KA1KAQ NEW MEMBER; Louis Meulstee PA0PCR NEW MEMBER; Laz ************************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE #1; Me, to get the ball rolling GET THE BALL ROLLING; Something about myself to get the ball rolling. As you all know, my birthday was a couple days ago, just turned 40, didn't get a cash consolation one! Just a bunch of sympathy & BS philosophy. I entered service with the US Navy in 1976, graduating as a Radioman 2nd in 1980, with final discharge from service in 1982. For the most part I was stationed aboard USS John F. Kennedy,( the ass kickenist aircraft carrier in service), with TAD duties in Iran, Egypt, the Sinai Peninsula, & a few places I didn't know the name of. For the most part, these TAD duties involved baby sitting Marines that were to dumb to find the On/Off switch on a radio. Carry equipment in this capacity was a PRC-25 or 41, & a 30M1 Carbine(yes a 30 M1 carb), was either this an M14,BAR or M60. These were the only things in the ships armory other than 1911's & Smith 38 Aircrewman, & I wasn't pistol qualified. I came home from the Navy one major mal-contented SOB. Having learned one thing, If your good at anything, Don't Let Anybody Know It! Good, Competent, Proficient, Intelligent, can all be translated to SHIT FUNNEL. I tried to start collecting military gear before my returning home from the service, but I kept getting caught. So it all really started after my return in 1980. I once collected about everything that would glow in the dark, with or without power applied. I had walls in the house made from old tube type CB's, Ham ,& commercial rigs of every description. One day an old & very dear friend(the late N0RB) gave me an RT-70 & the stage was set. One day, about ten years ago, I could no longer get the door open on my house for all the radios piled inside, my bed was a mattress draped over two B&W 5100's with a half sheet of plywood. The next day, my mother informed me of her resent purchase of one of those tents on wheels(pop top camper), I barrowed it & it was my home for the next couple months. I had to make a decision! Live in the camper untill it too was full of radios & my mother's threat's became reality, or consolidate my collecting interest to one type of equipment. The answer was clear, MILITARY PORTABLE!!! This for several reasons as follows in order of importance. #1. They all were part of our history & had a story to tell. No other such piece of radio equipment could boast this. #2. They weren't very big, so a bunch of them could be horded into the limited space available. #3. I already had a fixation on the things because of my personal experience with them. #4. They were cheap! Nobody wanted them. I cleaned out many a garage, closet, shed, barn, & drug home tons of equipment that had been taken to a hamfest but wouldn't sell. All with pennies, or nothin spent. We all know this has changed now!! I've been an electronic technician sense the age of 14 when I went to work a rip off radio & TV service shop in Independence Mo. After working at more than just a few of these type shops I came to the realization that they were all crooked as hell, & went into business for myself in 1981. In the last 5 years or so STARKS ELECTRONICS has been my sole business. You may have seen my adds in ART for used business band radio equipment. There are now well over 300 6mtr repeaters built from GE Mastr II's or Motorola Micor's strung all over the US, built from radios supplied by me. From 1982 untill 1992 I also had a gun shop here on 65 hwy, but two things put a stop to that. First & foremost was Billy's suggestion that we all supply finger prints, & mug shot's along with the floor plans, & all security systems in place at our place of business, & if your home joined it, it too. Second, the strange people that a GUNS sign on a major highway began to attract. In the mid 1980's I began traveling the mid-west putting on displays of historic military radio equipment at about any event that I could gain access to. In this was, my collection was greatly enhanced, and the knowledge gained from conversations with actual war time users was invaluable. In resent years, while I still practice this roving museum tactic, expenses in both material and time, have limited my activity to those events when the sponsors have made a formal request for my services and provided the sufficient space and advertising. These have included to date events in Little Rock Ar. Kansas City Mo. Peoria Ill. Tulsa & Oklahoma City Ok. and Dallas Tx. In the mid 1990's my severe space limitations mandated that I purchase the house and property next door in order to have a place to sleep. This opened the door for the official establishment of the Midwest Military Communications Museum in the old house which had long been taken over by this equipment anyway. The Museum houses nearly a thousand items of radio equipment to include military, para-military, clandestine, foreign, and domestic, along with the ancillary equipment such as guns etc often carried at the same time in battle. The Museum is open to the public by appointment and is easy to find, right on 65 highway in the tiny town of Cross Timbers Mo. In early 1997, with my introduction to the world of email, and with that the countless questions/messages I began to receive in regard to military equipment, the Military Collector Group Post was formed, more by accident than plan. This is now an international group numbering over 200. We publish a simi-daily magazine, and provide for member suport and enteraction unlike any other forum in the world. Hardly a question of any kind ever goes unanswered, or a members needs unaddressed. Instead of the expertise of one or two, we now have access to the world. The index alone for the articles we've published in the last three years is well over 30 pages long. More information about this group and membership can be supplied on request. Dennis Starks Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum Box 95 Cross Timbers Mo. 65634 email military-radio-guy@juno.com ************************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Kevin Hough Well, here it is I am interseted in collecting handheld and backpack portable radios of Korean and Vietnam war eras. I am also interested in mobile radios of the same vintage, especially RT 67, 68 series and components. One reason I collect military radios is for use in "living history " displays that the museum group to which I belong puts on. I began my collecting with a PRC-25 which I use as part of a Vietnam war RTO uniform display. This display was well received, and I have begun to look for other pieces to display. Although I may be the only one at these events who knows it, I strive to display, whenever feasible, working units. Also this past summer I purchased a Dodge M-37 3/4 ton weapons carrier which came with a RT-67 transceiver and rack. It is my hope to display this truck with a working mobile radio installation. I believe that it is imporatnt to include radio equipment in our displays because of the degree of design and technology that these peices represent for the era. I also believe that we should try and show as many peices of historic equipment as possible as a tribute to the people who both used and designed them. Lastly, I collect military radios because my long standing obsession with military gear has mingeled with my interest in radio in general and Ham radio as a hobby. MY ADDRESS Kevin Hough 3360 200th St. W Farmington MN. 55024-9707 MY PHONE (612) 460-8458 MY E-MAIL KG0QE@juno.com Kevin Hough KG0QE Farmington, MN. KG0QE@juno.com ************************************************************ MEMBER PROFILE; Mark Blair military-radio-guy@juno.com (Dennis R Starks)
done wrote: > So EVERYBODY send me a completely new Want/trade list. Hope
to be > able to post all by Sunday night/Monday morning. I just recently
bought a house (I outgrew the old apartment, partly because of the large
deposits of green electronics behind every chair, sofa, table and closet
door!), and I am busy painting things, moving walls around, and pulling
new dedicated power circuits into the future radio room. For now, my radio-related
hobbies are on hold and in storage until their new radio room/workshop
is done (probably a few more months of weekends), so my have/want list
is temporarily "empty". I think I'll need to get a T-195 to match my R-392
sometime (I'm pulling 240V into the radio room to help feed the power
supply...), but it'll be a few months before I'm ready to start accumulating
the heavy green stuff again. I'm hoping to get my workshop up and running
in time to get some gear ready for next year's military radio collector's
group (MRCG) meeting. > Member profiles; I'd like to compile a member
profile, it should > include the following. > #1), your interest in collecting,
what? > #2), your full name & email address(at least) > #3),why you collect?
1) My collection is currently mostly 1950's ground-pounder FM gear around
50 MHz (like the RT-68 and other similar gear). I'm potentially interested
in anything I can use on a Ham band. I'm currently a no-code tech, but
I eventually plan to upgrade so I have an excuse to get more HF gear.
I'm interested in newer gear, too, but just haven't managed to afford
too much of it yet. Test equipment that helps me work on my green radios
interests me, too. I'm less interested in older gear than in the 1950's
and later stuff. My oldest piece of gear is a 1943 BC-221M, and my newest
piece of gear is a Trimpack GPS receiver (I think I got one of the last
ones Fair sold out of last year's catalog). Both work great; a lot of
the in-between stuff needs a lot of fixin', though! 2) Mark J. Blair MEMBER PROFILE; John Mackesy John Mackesy PO Box 87 Mt. Evelyn Victoria 3796 Australia About John Mackesy... My main radio interest is airborne equipment of the '50s & '60s, especially HF transceivers and Auto Direction Finders. I collect (and operate!) this gear because I find it technically interesting, and because I feel these devices need to be preserved as operating entities. Being ex-Air Force could also be a factor. Having said all that, a growing interest in PRC-** is stirring within me. Anyone needs advice on Collins 618S, 618T, 51X2, ARN-14, Bendix MN-26, SCR-269, ARN-7, ARN-6, Lear ADF14 or Marconi AD7092 - feel free to ask. I also have quite a collection of Cannon plugs that needs deproliferating. Needs - only a few: ARN-6 electric tuning parts (controller, motor drive), ARC-27 front panel blower B1401, SELCAL module and 1 Khz CW mech filter for 618S (or ARC-38), 618T (ARC-94, ARC-102) oscillator module John Mackesy VK3XAO - Collins operator, Mini-Moke driver ********************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Lenox Carruth, Jr. Well, Dennis, I guess I forgot to include the member profile when I updated my trade/want list so here goes: I have been interested in radio since I was a kid. Had a Command Set receiver setup under my bed as a teenager with the control head on the headboard. Used to lie awake at night tuning from 3 to 9.1 mc. In those days, it was unusual to find more than two or three stations on. Graduated to a BC-348. Sort of quit radio for undergraduate school but then got into RTTY while in graduate school. Collected a lot of TTY stuff since I thought it was neat! (I'm a mechanical and nuclear engineer) I couldn't resist all of those moving parts and the smell of warm oil! After graduating, getting married and having three kids I got into the Confederate Air Force and again got interested in WW-II radio equipment. I supplied most of the radio equipment for the Memphis Belle restoration and the CAF's R4D. I am a pilot and fly a restored Korean war vintage L-19E (O-1E). I am now 57 years old. Now, I collect WW-II memorabilia and WW-II radio equipment. I have a 1942 Ford GPW Jeep and use it in a lot of parades and public displays. I also use a lot of the WW-II radio equipment in public displays. I have an operating TCS setup (mixed dash numbers) that is a great hit with the public. It is a hands-on display where the public can actually talk on the radio. We originally communicated with a borrowed BC-611 and I am now trying to find one of our own to use in future shows. I also collect a little post war stuff just to show the evolution of radio communications. Sometimes I lose my mind and get something that really has nothing to do with my main interests but just seems "neat." I collect for two main reasons: 1. I like the stuff, 2. I enjoy educating the public, most of whom don't know anything about the war. I think everyone should understand the incredible impact that WW-II had on the course of history and the sacrifices of those who made it possible to live as we do today. Lenox -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lenox Carruth, Jr. carruth@swbell.net Dallas, Texas Collector of WW-II Communications Equipment and Memorabilia Wanted: TCS-14 Transmitter, TBX, BD-71, Sextant ********************************************************** EX-MEMBER PROFILE; Quark ed)Mr Quark didn't live up to our group standards, thus was a member for only a very short period of time. He is one of about five such persons that needed be weeded out. New Guy: Meet Quark Member profiles; I'd like to compile a member profile, it should include the following. > #1), your interest in collecting, what? > #2), your full name & email address(at least) > #3),why you collect? I collect anything that can be sold at a profit! Basic rule of Acquisition My Name is Quark and my brothers name is Rom, We can be reached at the Deep Space Nine space station. My brother Rom and I have been collecting things for years. We collect anything that we can resell at a profit. I am the president of the Promenade Merchants associaton. Wanted: Anything I can resell at a profit, especially phaser rifles. Available for trade 100 gross self sealing stem bolts 100 barrels of Yamuck Sauce Anything not nailed down, that you want ------------------------------------------------------------ ed)the above was submitted by Bill Howard, what the hell did he do with his time before he got a computer??? ******************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE; Joseph W Pinner Dennis, here is my profile: I began collecting and using mil radios when I was a teenager over thirty years ago. One of the principal reasons was that I inhabited a junk yard in town (Memphis) that had surplus from both the Naval Air Station and a nearby AF base in Arkansas. The radios and parts were affordable - an important consideration. Still have quite a few tubes I bought there. Also I became very familiar with Fair Radio Sales and G & G Radio (New York). I would pour over their catalogs. During those early years, I had BC-603s and R-394s and some various pieces of test equipment. Acquired my only R-390A (which I sometimes regret selling) in my early 20s. When I lived in Alexandria, VA (early 70s), I spent many hours in RITCO Electronics (still miss Bill Ritter after all these years) and SASCO Electronics (a wonderful place on King Street). When I moved back to Tennessee I had a TT-100 and a CV-89. Spent many hours with these hooked to my R-390A and printing out UPI and AP broadcasts. Still have a Mite machine in storage. Necessity, however, quickly turned to a real love of these sets, especially the tactical radios WW II on to the present. I collect and use (when possible) the PRC and VRC series of radios as well as sets such as the DAV, BC-611, BC-654, BC-721, GRC-9 etc. I even have some of the current sets: PRC-68, PRC-70, PRC-126, PRC-128, OF-158, RT-524A, GRC-106A, etc. It is very interesting to chronicle the development of tactical and HF radio, to see, in the sets themselves, the development of radio technology. But I also do enjoy using these sets. My six meter FM station gear is exclusively mil radios - from the RT-68 to the PRC-128. I spend a bit of time (not as much as I would like) doing volunteer work for the Louisiana Museum of Military History maintaining the com gear there (and anything else Glen wants me to do). I enjoy sharing what I can to support the museum. Joseph W Pinner Lafayette, LA KC5IJD EMail: kc5ijd@sprintmail.com (NEW PLEASE USE) kc5ijd@net-connect.net (OLD will still be valid for a month or so) ********************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE; Steve Hill Dennis, Here's my profile. I got interested
in electronics through the computer club at school. We did mostly programming
and other stuff, but I thought that would too boring as a career so I
decided to do an electronics degree. In 1993 I commenced a B Eng in Microelectronic
Engineering. In 1994 I joined the Queensland Maritime Museum. The radio
room was a logical place to work. I have always been interested in nautical
matters, and have a long time interest in WW2. The WT office on HMAS Diamantina
was a way to satisfy all my interests at once. We had basically a sixties
fit, and used the gear on the air as a ham station. Our aim was to convert
the shack to a WW2 fit. At the end of 94 an estate sale came up from a
guy who had a lot of WW2 stuff suitable for the ship. I went around to
help the op of our shack collect some stuff. This guy's house made my
jaw drop. He had a triple garage and all of under his house chock a block
with mostly military radios. (Although from what I've heard can't be as
much as U have Dennis!) I knew from that time that my house just had to
look the same! I bought my first military boat anchor from that estate.
It was a US navy GO9 transmitter. I find military radios fascinating because
of the engineering and unlimited budgets that often go into their design.
Seeing my face in the gold plating of a radio chassis is great. Commercial
gear just can't compete. They are also fascinating because they come from
a bygone age, several of my radios are more than twice as old as me. The
hands on experience I have gained has really helped me in my career as
well. In 1996 I finished my degree, and now work for an engineering design
company specialising in GPS systems, and radio telemetry. Early this year
I got my unrestricted ham ticket. I try to get on the air once a week.
At present I havn't decided what direction to take with my radio collection.
I would like other people to be able to enjoy my collection, but its not
really big enough to do anything with, and I don't have much spare time.
Biggest problem at present is lack of stuff to swap, and cash. Lack of
space. Steve Hill VK4CZT MEMBER PROFILE; Vlad Dvorkin Mr. Starks, My name is Vladimir Dvorkin and based on the information I received from W. Howard I would like to ask you to accept me to the group of the Military Radio Collectors you organized and run. I accept and agree with your open letter listed below. I am a radio communications engineer working presently for Philips Consumer Communications in Fremont CA. Also I am Ham Radio operator since 1965. I came to this country from USSR (Russia) 16 years ago. Back in Russia I had a collection of Russian, German French and Italian military radios from 1930 to 1945. I lost my collection when was expelled from the country. Presently I have several WWII time German and US military radios I was able to find in this country so far. My biggest interest is German WWII radios. I have my own radio lab so I do all the restoration work myself and help others who need help. Best regards, Vlad Dvorkin KB9OLM ex. UA3ACR Home address: 4814 Bernal Ave apt. A Pleasanton CA. 94566 510-445-5720 work 510-461-1589 home ********************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Lee Orsborn I am 54 and have been interested in green boxes since I was a kid , the Old Man was a lifer in the USAF and was a motor pool sgt.so as a kid I played with the radios in the vehicles ,I also spent a great deal of time at the bone yard for planes .As I sat in the wrecks I fantasized about being a pilot and shooting down me-109s and zeros .. I am interested in the older technology and am amazed that they worked . My first complete two way was a TCS-12 I had the complete kit , transmitter , receiver , power supplies 120 and 12-24 volt antenna tuning unit ,mikes , keys, cases , and antennas . this was in 1962 and I was in hog heaven . I currently am interested in remote sensing gear in all its forms . Best wishes and 73s to the group , Lee Orsborn 14314 east Rich Spokane WA 99216 509-922-1045 e-mail leeo@ieway.com ****************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Brian & the USMC Historical Company Dennis: Per your request, a Member Profile although not of me, but of the organization that you and the Group have supported in our endeavors. We "collect" only in an abstract sense. Rather than concentrating on collecting radios as a hobby or underpaid vocation, our interest in commo gear is only a part of a much larger effort. We have "restored" a complete battalion command post for a Marine battalion in the Pacifac circa 1944-45. All the gear (wire, radio, the S-3's Joe Pot) that is on the Tables of Organization and Equipment is represented and functional to the best of our ability. The purpose of this is to allow people to see this stuff in its native environment, touch it, use it, and either relive or learn a little of thier history. Not only wire and radio is shown and taught, but the principles of Infantry operations, Jasco operations (Joint Assault Support Company), principles of Naval Gunfire, principles of Tactical Air Support, all the functions of a Battalion S-3 operation in the field or in training. By next Spring, we will also have assembled the same CP, however circa 1941. As some may well know, the equipment is almost totally different from the late war period. Not only that, but the doctrine was in its embryonic state as well. We, the USMC Historical Company, have represented the Corps with historical programming for the U.S. Park Service, the CAF, the military posts in the National Capital Area, the Navy Memorial, Calvert Marine Museum, the USS North Carolina, and the SS John W. Brown (where we exchange Forest Green for the dungarees of the U S Navy Armed Guard). We also use this as a training vehicle for teaching specific lessons in Military Science and Naval History for several of the JROTC and ROTC programs in the area. We are currently writing a POI for using this in support of the OCS, to allow the new officer a deeper understanding of the current doctrine by exposing him or her to the roots and origins of that doctrine. Who knows.......... You now know our interest in the field, not only in the gear itself, but in how it was used, by whom, and when. We are grateful to Dennis, Bill Howard, and the rest of the members of this group for helping us find parts, complete pieces, historical information, and printed matter which supports our mission. Brian Scace EMAIL; sarge@nist.gov 19800 Lyndenwood Ave Beallsville, MD 20839 **************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Mike Blom Dear Dennis, Thank you for sending your extensive lists; clearly a significant investment of your time. I can only guess at the extent of your comm. equipment collection, and can appreciate your labor of love. My own background is with "special" comm. systems, and I am director of special programs with the Mitre Corporation. My own collecting interests are directed to radar from the WWII period. I have a good collection of books, manuals, and vacuum tubes used specifically for radar. My collection is international; including a good British valve collection as well as a poor German collection. I have held some pieces of radar equipment since my youth in the '50's, obtained at the then famous lower Manhattan surplus joints around Canal St. and Courtland St. I am now able to expand my collection, and I am looking for good examples of radar, IFF, and ECM equipment (as well as continuing the hunt for tubes.) Thank you for your time, Mike mblom@mail04.mitre.org ******************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Brad Whiting From: Brad Whiting MEMBER PROFILE; Nick Broline My primary focus on Mil collecting can be summarized in terms of "How did we get where we are?" and "Why?" My full time professional job is director of engineering for the advanced programs division of Tracor Aerospace, which is now about a billion dollar business. Needless to say, I am constantly looking a the past roadmaps to glean some insight so that perhaps we are not destined to make the same mistakes. Part of that is related to advancements in technology, and, more importantly, importing technology into the MIL business. Used to be that the MIL market was a driver for whiz-bang technology, and now it is a fairly lowly follower. I have made a study of tracking the development and integration of FM communications into the MIL and police applications, and particularly tracking the commercial FM business as it emerged from WW2. I've had the chance to interview some pretty neat people who had a hand in the war and post-war FM business at GE and Motorola. What I am curious about is the state of the art in tube technology in Japan leading to and during the War. Reading all of the anthologies about tubes and tube history, I find that there is little PUBLISHED about this subject. Some of the questions that occur to me on the spur of the moment are like this...... Where did Japan obtain tube technology in the 1934-45 time frame......home grown? Copied? Pilfered? Europe? Little of all of these?? Did Japan have a substantial effort toward refining the tube technology during the war? US communications reflected a "full court press" as evidenced by development of tubes for radar, VHF com, and the like. Did Japan do anything like that also??? Did Japan make substantial headway toward refining their RADIOS during the war? I see that the first ground radio seemed to be a lot like our crudest radio (example: BC-186/187 and its corresponding SCR-178,179 group). Did they progress beyond it in a manner similarly to the US??? Now, once we understand the Japanese scene, let's turn our eyes to Germany, and discuss the same question in that context??????? I suppose my greatest disappointment is that the US Signal Corps made a valiant effort to meet the needs of the War, but that so many things that happened were unintentional and largely serendipitous. Even with the 'discovery" of FM, the acceptance was slow, and with substantial initial resistance from the Corps. It seems that the user groups were the primary drivers. I suppose that I was looking for a$weighty and philosophical, long-term "plan" for the evolution of communications technology, but what we got was a series of rapid, cover your ass responses. Perhaps the commissioning of the five Army radios in a concerted development effort was far-reaching (the AF1-AF5 radios, which brought forth the SCR-299/399 and the SCR-609/610, among others) which were truly bell-ringers. I just expected greater "depth" than that! Do you have any comments or insight regarding this?????? 73, and thanks for the interest...... Nick Broline enb@eng1.tracor.com *************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Craig Smith Dennis My primary collecting interest is WW1 1914-1919 Navy wireless/radio equipment.Been at it about 12 years, member AWA,FAWG,ARCA(when it was still around) and many different antique radio clubs around the country. I hit most of the major meets every year and many of the smaller antique and hamfests. Got a killer 1KW spark station set up in a corner of my office, replica of the one on the USS Eagle, a WW1 sub chaser.. Used to be heavy into WW 2 avaiation radio but sold out when I moved last year. Had a whole room full of that stuff. Thanks Dennis, I'll enjoy the group mailings. Craig Email; ip500@roanoke.infi.net ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Glad to see somebody is interested in the realy old stuff Craig, Hope I we can be of some help sometime. Dennis ******************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Jim Mahaffey OK Dennis, you asked for it. Here's my profile: I'm a Senior Research Scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in the Information Technology and Telecommunications Laboratory, and I do government sponsored research, usually for the Department of Defense. I also teach electronics over in the School of Physics at Georgia Tech. A lot of our work here has involved "foreign technology assessment," which has meant taking a Russian radar set, com system, jammer, missile, or whatever and analyzing it. This is basically a reverse-engineering job, in which we determine how the thing works, its operating strengths and weaknesses, how to design counter-measures against it, and so forth. In the old days we got some of the most god-awful equipment you've ever seen - stuff that had fallen out of the sky into a neighboring semi-neutral country, and had been dragged to the nearest village by indigents. The result was trying to make sense out of a really beat-up and incomplete piece of hardware. Not any more. Now we can buy complete systems, new and in the box, with manuals, tools, and spare parts. Things just aren't the way they used to be. But the Russian stuff can still be fairly primitive, and the analysis requires people who understand vacuum tubes, discrete transistors, and small-scale integration. For this reason my casual hobby of making old, beat-up, tube-infested military gear work is directly related to my profession. I particularly like miniature and subminiature tubes, and equipment having weird, special purpose tubes. I restore old electronic equipment - everything from Philco Predicta television sets to PRI Model 111B scintillation counters. I'm very interested in linking up with members who are working on DC-DC converters to replace batteries in BC-611's, PRC-10's, and the like. I would love to own and restore your late-WWII guided-bomb television camera (with the iconoscope tube), but don't have much to trade right now. Occasionally I run across something interesting, and you will be the first to know. In addition to several subminiature tube transceivers, I love my ARC-6 panoramic receiver with the radio-spectrum display. It needs 400Hz power, which I supply with a dynamotor. When I crank it up it sounds, appropriately, like a B-52 taking off in a cross wind. It's great for listening to cell phones. The articles about WWII Japanese equipment have been fascinating. It makes me want to go find some Jap equipment. Just what I need, another esoteric interest. The stuff about Gulf-war radios is also very good. I hope that eventually I can contribute something to the group. Jim Mahaffey Atlanta, Georgia jim.mahaffey@gtri.gatech.edu ********************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE; John Kidd I first become interested in military gear in my early teens (mid 50's) when the local radio shop had a T17 mikes & Australian Radio Remote control sets in the window at a price I could afford. The rem control sets were built in Aus by Stromberg Carlson. Later on, I haunted the surplus stores of which there were a number in those days. Next significant purchase was a No19 set which had been de-miled by having the relays chopped out & the tubes removed. This required another trip to buy the relays & tube kits to restore the set to working order. BC611's were my next desire but they were around $100 complete then, which was an adults fortnightly or monthly wage. However an interstate dealer advertised some without coils or crystals for $20 so I mail ordered two. When they arrived it was like christmas unwrapping them & pulling them apart. Which revealed why I liked military gear, when you smile to yourself as you look at their construction to see how in their design, they achieved their robust, lightweight, compact, and ready human interface. Not to mention the smell of the MFP (moisture/fungus protection) coating. Aircraft radios also come into this category so I'm into those as well. I also collect WWII aircraft parts, saving them from the tip or scrap, mainly instruments, which might explain my radio activity ;-) In 1965 I almost finished a course in Communication Engineering when the computer industry grabbed me. Now that I have semi-retired the military gear has become more interesting, particularly as the Internet & this group has helped obtain other gear & missing parts. PRC-64'S: I have a friend with a PRC-64 asking $AUS200. This comes in a bag, with morse key, small mike, earpiece and an antenna roll. I know it's not as cheap as the last lot, but for some reason that source dried up. So if anyone in the group wants it, let me know soon, as I'll put on the rec.radio.swap newsgroup. PRC-64 PARTS: I have the insides of two PRC-64's except for the crystals & mechanical filters (one was faulty & a friend wanted the other). So if any of the group needs a part to get theirs going let me know. The person I got them from put commercial CB guts into the cases, as one was a junker anyway but the other was probably sacrilege. I have a gutted battery (box with connector) MY WANTS: BC-1000 PARTS: CS-128 battery box x2 Case for chassis x1 AN-130 Whip antenna antenna x2 ST-55 Belt x2 M-391 Pad x2 BC-654 PARTS: Receiver chassis complete. Mine has only the transmitter. Antenna complete Legs x4 or fabrication details (Dennis wants 2) Power supply unit that fits into battery box. BC-659 PARTS: CS-79N Battery box Flying lead with the connector that comes out of the front of the set to the power sup/battery case. PRC-41 PARTS: Set of modules, my set is empty. (Why it was cheap!) and a battery box. PRC-25 band select shaft. I've got a broken one. AM-2060 speaker assy & power supply module. Thanks for this group Dennis, John A. Kidd Collector: Military radio. Tullamarine, 3043. Interests: Military aircraft Victoria. AUSTRALIA & vehicles, Chrysler cars. ********************************************************* MEMBER PROFILE; Bob Nickels Hi Dennis, I would like to join your military radio list. I am pretty new to military radio, and probably the first "want" I have is documentation and references so I better know what the various models are! Someone should write a book (hint hint!) I recently found a 1987 Janes Military Communciations book, would like to find older copies. Would love to own a complete, operational military communications shelter! I've seen one which had original GRC-106 equipment and was set up for RATT. The other one had been stripped of radios and contained commercial ham gear. Both belonged to the same fellow, who has 5 or 6 of them, and one day I plan to own one of my own. Long term want: Collins R-389 receiver. Have 390As and also just got e-mail today from Fair about 390 (non-A) models. Want a BC-611 just for kicks. Main interest right now is military-government "surveillance" receivers made by companies such as ACL, WJ, CEI. Have a couple and more on the way. While not strictly military, pretty similar. Looking for plug-ins, SDUs, freq. readouts, etc. And I need more room to put this stuff in, but I guess that's beyond the charter of your group! The group purchases sound very interesting, would like to know if you've got any deals cooking now. Thanks and 73, Bob Nickels W9RAN Freeport IL ********************************************************* MRMBER PROFILE; Kevin Hough Hello Dennis; Sorry to take so long to reply to your E-Mail, but here it is. I am a fairly new collector of Military gear, mostly uniforms, however my Ham Radio interest has also expanded into this field, as I currently have a prc-25 for my Vietnam Era display. I am a member of a History group that does living history displays here at Fort Snelling, Mn. Our biggest display is a two day display done the 2nd weekend of each August. One of the items in your radio list is of interest to me and that is the PRC-10, since this unit would be correct for late Korean War era , early Vietnam era, or U.S.M.C. through a great deal of Vietnam. Although my collection is very small (I wear just about everything I have at the display) and my knoweledge is limited, I would be more than happy to pass on anything I have or will learn. Hope to hear from you sometime 73's for now. Kevin Hough (KG0QE) email; kg0qe@juno.com ************************************************************ MEMBER PROFILE; Ken Sakamoto Ok here goes! I recently realized that when I was born in 53, my father had memories of the Army fresh in his mind. He enlisted in the US Army from the japanese/american relocation camp at Tule Lake in Calif. and was a translator of captured documents in Sipan and the Philippines. The lessons of the military were passed on to me at a very early age. I remember getting web gear, an e-tool, and helmet liner for presents since surplus was plentiful and low priced. I think I was about 7 when I learned the manual of arms with my cadet trainer rifle. Since we visited every local base and armory at every chance I learned lots. My most vivid memory is Armed Forces Day at the armory in Sacramento when I was about 8. My older brother and I talked on a real jeep mounted radio, fired the 30 cal. machine gun (blanks) and the 60mm mortar (training rounds). They certainly don't have displays like that anymore! I worked extensively on AF MARS during the late 60's at my neighbors station. He was a retired guy who passed lots of message traffic on HF voice nets. I think the station was running about 5KW for power! For the last several years, I worked with various units in the Calif. State Military Reserve (part of the National Guard). Our commo outfit used PRC 47's and various amateur equip. to do statewide voice nets. We also used amateur gear on freqs just below 2meters. I mounted several different handhelds in ammo cans with gel cells to make a more rugged unit. My current assignment is with the Citizen Soldier Museum in Sacramento. I now work on special projects to promote the work of the Museum (we just did a militaria show last weekend). I also work as a firefighter in the rural areas of El Dorado Co. near the site where the Calif gold rush started. I just became (about 3 weeks ago) the department radio tech so I have become very busy. My collection has been reduced in recent times to a few odds and ends of survival equipment and my PRC 47 since I am limited for space. Ken Sakamoto kenscom@juno.com ************************************************************ MEMBER PROFILE; Bill Howard William L. Howard I first got interested in radio while a Cub Scout back in 1954. I built the crystal radio set and the one tube set with help from an amateur down the street. I lived near fort Monmouth and toured the old Signal corps Museum when ever I could. I went to Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pa and then went to the Citadel, graduating in 1964. I was comissioned as an Ordnance Officer. Was trained as a Tank-automotive maintenance Officer, was sent to Europe and was assigned to the unit which controls Nuclear weapons. In 1966, I was transferred to France and serve as the commander of the 11th Military History Detachment during the move out of France. I also transferred to Military Intelligence and was sent to Vietnam. From 1967 until 1968, I was a member of the Combined Material Exploitation Center in Saigon. Originally served as chief of the Weapons and Munitions Section, I was later sent out as the OIC of a field collection team.. We back hauled all captured material to the CMEC for in-country exploitation. Knew most of the Chinese Radios that were used in the war. I left active duty in Feb 1970 and worked for Sun Oil company and then Liberty Mutual Insurance company and was active in the Army Reserve with a Maneuver Training command, running field training exercises for reserve and National guard units in a four state area. During this period I put together a large collection of foreign weapons and material. I sold the collection to the Hershburger Brothers of Indianna. Walt Hershberger later became the first Foreign Material Training Officer with the newly re-created technical intelligence unit at Aberdeen Proving Ground. In 1976, I returned to college at the University of South Florida and got a second undergraduate degree in Engineering. Graduated in 1979 as the Soviets were invading Afghanistan. I went to work for Battelle Memorial Institute in columbus, Ohio. I was a researcher in the Ordnance Technology Division where we did many classified studies on soviet block weapon systems and other topics. left Battelle in 1981 due to a personnel cutback and went to work as the Special Assistant to the President of Leatherwood Industries in Stephenville, Texas. We made the ART II sniper scope and also held the patents on the MAC 10 submachine guns. I left there in 1983 and was still active in the US Army Reserve. I had transferred to Armor Branch and was now a Mobilization Designee to the Defense Intelligence Agency. During my summer tours there I wrote the national intelligence collection requirements for Cuba, Indo China and for Soviet Science and Technology. When I finished those tours, ill health in members of my family forced me to spend the next few years caring for them which was a full time job. Once they had passed away, I moved back to Florida and oficially retired from the Army reserve. I began collecting again and started building radios. My ambition had been to eventually establish a museum to preserve the history of the ArmyÌs technical intelligence operations. to this end I again started collecting weapons, radios books, and documents that relate to the subject. My mother passed away in 1994 and I now have a large home in the Tampa Bay area which houses the collection. the garage, office and workshop area are filled with WW II, one bedroom is Korean War era, another bedroom is the Vietnam war era and a large ÍFlorida RoomÎ is the current period, 1970 to now. I was an invited guest to the building dedication ceremony of the new eight and a hlf million dollar foreign material intelligence complex in 1988. Since then, I have been brought to Aberdeen Proving Ground on several occassions to teach the introduction to technical intelligence phase of the technical intelligence analysis course taught there twice a year. . In 1996 I was nominated for the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame. In 1997, I was a distinguished guest at the Change of Command Ceremony/ THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 ********************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Pete Aams Dennis Thanks for the "second chance" on your invitation to the Military Radio group. I am interested. Sign me up. I read your statement of the groups intent and policies and I agree with your policies. I especially like the no "best offer crap" idea. I think that a group like this should have it's primary interest in the the collection and preservation of this great equipment not in making a profit off each other. I also share your interest in military vehicles. One of my goals is to get my GRC-19 setup on an appropriate vehicle. I'm interested in just about any "green" radio. I use all my equipment on the air so I want them all to be operational. I have a range of equipment from an ART-13, T-368, 3-R390A's, R-19, T-195/R392 etc. I saw in your post that you got some PRC-47's for the group, oh well you snooz you lose!. I look forward to getting involved. Please address all email to my home email address: peterada@mindspring.com My home address is : Peter Adams 4145 Creekwood DR. Cummming, GA 30131 Thanks again for the invite. If you have any questions or comments let me know. Pete Adams ***************************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Steve Hill Dennis, Here's my profile. I got interested
in electronics through the computer club at school. We did mostly programming
and other stuff, but I thought that would too boring as a career so I
decided to do an electronics degree. In 1993 I commenced a B Eng in Microelectronic
Engineering. In 1994 I joined the Queensland Maritime Museum. The radio
room was a logical place to work. I have always been interested in nautical
matters, and have a long time interest in WW2. The WT office on HMAS Diamantina
was a way to satisfy all my interests at once. We had basically a sixties
fit, and used the gear on the air as a ham station. Our aim was to convert
the shack to a WW2 fit. At the end of 94 an estate sale came up from a
guy who had a lot of WW2 stuff suitable for the ship. I went around to
help the op of our shack collect some stuff. This guy's house made my
jaw drop. He had a triple garage and all of under his house chock a block
with mostly military radios. (Although from what I've heard can't be as
much as U have Dennis!) I knew from that time that my house just had to
look the same! I bought my first military boat anchor from that estate.
It was a US navy GO9 transmitter. I find military radios fascinating because
of the engineering and unlimited budgets that often go into their design.
Seeing my face in the gold plating of a radio chassis is great. Commercial
gear just can't compete. They are also fascinating because they come from
a bygone age, several of my radios are more than twice as old as me. The
hands on experience I have gained has really helped me in my career as
well. In 1996 I finished my degree, and now work for an engineering design
company specialising in GPS systems, and radio telemetry. Early this year
I got my unrestricted ham ticket. I try to get on the air once a week.
At present I havn't decided what direction to take with my radio collection.
I would like other people to be able to enjoy my collection, but its not
really big enough to do anything with, and I don't have much spare time.
Biggest problem at present is lack of stuff to swap, and cash. Lack of
space. Steve Hill VK4CZT MEMBER PROFILE; Pete Williams Me... Without divulging too much. let's put it like this..I was too young to be a working part of WW2..[ 15 years old when it ended] and too old to be a part of any later skirmish which the government of the day had an interest obout. Early years were spent teaching- high school- but the continuing interest in electronics caused a shift in emphasis/occupation,so I ended up establishing a manufacturing enterprise in the newly discovered practical application of a device called transistor. A cultural engineering shock to say the least, but like all change, if one applies oneself, adaptability follows... let's face it , I'm typing this on a computer when only a few years ago I could hardly spell the word. Late in the '70's I established a business flogging ham gear/CB radios which flourished to the extent thatall equipment after a few years was professional test gear and goverment contracts.. ham radios and the like were relegated to lesser mortals. Ham radio?.. I have an interest still [got a ticket in 1949] but have pathetic interest in operating, and no longer an interest in rolling my own. There's no fun in reinventing the wheel. So, back in '88 I decided that life was too short to spend it working so sold my interest, sold the house, and bought a boat. lovely old thing she is/was, and sailed about the east coast of Australia and the near Pacific for 8 years. Tremendous life; great people with a kindred interest, and minimum stress. Of course , all this was done with the assistance of mywife who never got sea sick and pulled a mean halliard ! For the last 2 years wew have bought a house at METUNG on the lakes where we have a Herreshoff H28. The house has a TREMENDOUS workshop were the next love of my life takes a hold... Restorations. Ever since I cut up a BC - 453 Command rx, put 455 kHz in it , insalled it in my first car and powered it from a Japanese [ex WW2] dynamotor , Iv'e had pangs of remorse and want to make amends for the wrongs inflicted on historical communication artifacts! INTERESTS. My collection includes alot of WW2 gear , test equipment , and some post war stuff. The usual run of things such as BC- 348 BC - 312, ART-13, MN26, BC- 433. SCR 522 and later equipment such as GRC- 27, ARC-60 . -- not all complete as dispensers of this stuff appeared to be only interested in the heavy hardware which could be shifted with minimum of effort. The really important thing like controll boxes ,cables and plugs were forgotten. Last but not least is a Command tx rx setup, with the only thing missing is 3 tuning cables/ shafts to connect to the receivers. May be some kind soul has them lying underfoot and causing a disturbance! In all, my restorations and aims in collection are to maintain most any thing that came out of WW2. A su bsidiary interest is the avionic gear represented by the ARCseries. So that's the potted history as of today January 3 1998. email address is jupeter@net-tech.com.au My home address is METUNG, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA I look forward to your info and please let me know if you need any further info. I will restrain myself at this time for asking for contact points for things like tuning shafts foe Command receivers !! Best wishes. Pete D. Williams VK3 IZ ******************************* MEMBER PROFILE; Randy Zelick Hi Dennis, Here is my bio for the mil collectors group: Well it all started when my dad gave me an old radio to take apart. Pretty common opener, I'm sure. Pretty soon everyone in the neighborhood knew to give me old TVs and even a few times getting knocked on my butt while pulling the HV ps out of a TV with burnt bleeder resistors did not dissuade me. At the same time we had this old console radio/phono with some shortwave bands on it and I spent lots of time listening to swbc. Very cool when I was 10 and so it is still! All of this was starting around 1960 or so. By the mid-60s I had layed my hands on some piece of WWII surplus electronics, probably from a neighbor who served in the war and had accumulated something in the garage, now deemed junk. I was very impressed and suddenly had to have more of this stuff. What clicked here was a convergence of three things. First, I had and still have an intrinsic love of mechanisms and trying to understand how they work. Second was my intrigue with the magic of receiving radio signals from far away (more to say about this later). Third is my insatiable need for quality. I'm the sort of person who goes into, say, a furniture store and even though I know nothing of furniture will very quickly find myself choosing the most expensive piece. Not the faciest, mind you, but my nose will ferret-out the best built anything with lightening speed. This virtue (or otherwise depending...) tends to go hand in hand with being a bit of a pefectionist. I have to fight not to let this tendency run-away. Well my discovery of military radios led pretty soon to the further discovery of J.J. Glass electronics in LA. I lived in San Diego at the time, and I would beg my parents to take me there, a three hour trip each way. I would get dropped off and spend the entire day in the store while they visited relatives. I did not have any money, but just browsing was good enough. Kinda like going to the public library and flipping through books. You don't expect to leave the library having purchased anything! Finally in high school around 1968 I got sucked into ham radio by some classmates. We all were enamoured with the idea of building a giant repeater network, and so got tech licenses and started collecting cheap 2-way radios. The first stuff was built out of GE prog lines and RCA CMAs and if you were lucky, some Moto G-strip stuff. In my first car (1963 Dodge 440) I installed an 80D complete with dynamotor! The interest in military stuff was put on hold all the way through college and my first graduate program. By then I had enough money so that the Dodge had become a 1970 Ford Bronco and the 80D was replaced with a set of two Micors and a U71LHT motrac on 6 meters. Pretty high-powered for a 23 year old kid. I lived in Boston at the time and was quite a sensation motoring down the pike with 1/4 kw erp on high band. It was around this time that I scored a couple of UHF GE mastr pros, among the very last ones to be produced and in immaculate condition. There were two consequences of this otherwise simple good find. First was an appreciation of Mastr Pros - remember my infatuation with quality. I doubt if before or since has there been a better executed design, and I still have many Pro strips in my basement working just fine. The second was a trade deal that led to owning my first R-390. Another love-affair which will never end. Well I had to store the 390 and all the other stuff soon thereafter as I went to live in France for a while. I came back and started my next graduate program, this time at UCLA. The lab I found myself in did work studying the auditory system and was a mix of biology, computers, and electronic equipment. Nirvana! I should have mentioned that in addition to needing to understand how old TVs work I had spent the better part of my childhood extracting hapless invertebrates and the occasional fish from San Diego tidepools, and capturing equally annoyed snakes and lizards from the wonderful canyons around the city and beyond. So the combination of biology and electronics was perfect. I also happened to live a short bike ride away from Henry radio (after about a year they sadly moved farther) and Jun's too. But more importantly I was within striking distance of the TRW swap meet. Soon I had lots of old military boatanchors, which I would bring into the lab late at night and fix up. We had a pretty good *audio* test bench which I started to upgrade with RF sig gens, wattmeters, and the like. What worked out unbelievably well was that my thesis advisor was an extra-class DX chaser and could hardly complain! After a couple-year post-doc fellowship in biophysics at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography I landed the job I still have in Portland. And guess what... in my own lab I have a nice little audio test bench for fixing lab equipment and building simple speciality circuits and it is complete with a Bird wattmeter, FM10C service monitor, and all the other stuff essential for fixing the broken power switch on the centrifuge or frayed cored on the test-tube stirrer. Actually, almost all the current BA activity centers on trading this for that to play around with something for a while. Having two small kids and a fixer-upper house I have zero time for repairing radios, and I *always* underestimate the time and hassle of getting something running. Also, I cannot seem to get it straight that I am a professional biologist not in any way a competant electronic engineer! Nevertheless, whenever I go to scientific meetings, visit with relatives, in-laws, etc I find the surplus places and come back with yet another BC-221 in my luggage. The basement is pretty full, and if I could just get to building some more shelves or a proper test bench... but then there is another swap meet next weekend and.... well maybe when I retire in 25 years. So that is where I am at. I am sure quite a modest relative to some of you more serious military collectors out there, but still having a good time at it. Among the collection is the following: RBB, RBC receivers URC-35 FRR-59A (2.5 of them!) R390s and 390As (several of each) 51S-1 SRR-13A CV-591 CR-88 PRC-47 PRT-4 TV-2 TV-7 SEM-52 Plus lots of parts for R390s, many MS connectors, etc. Of these items, a spare RBC receiver, the URC-35, one of the FRR-59s and the TV-2 are in the "trade" category. Although just about anything I have could be traded for something wonderful. What do I want?? Here is what comes to mind at the moment -- 1. mic/speaker connectors or spare ear-mics for the SEM-52 so I can get that guy working. 2. Harris RF-550 or similar pretty-darn good receiver with isb, excellent audio, stability, freq readout and with a selection of detectors and bandwidths. 3. Probably like everyone, I am always short on 3-pin MS power connectors for SRR-13s, FRR-59s and R-1051 family. Should be a MS-3106-5S if I am not mistaken. 4. Always wanted a working VRC-10 or 18... or maybe a RT524A. That's about it for the moment. Later, Randy Zelick WB6MAI 1707 SW Coronado St. Portland, OR 97219 home phone 503-246-8164 R. Zelick Department of Organismal Biology Portland State University P.O. Box 751 Portland, OR 97207 503-725-3086 (voice), 503-725-3888 (fax) email: h2rz@odin.cc.pdx.edu web: http://odin.cc.pdx.edu/~h2rz/ *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Jeff (AE4ZH) Dennis, Got your invitation to join the group. I have no problem with any of the conditions of membership. Here is a little about me and some of my interests. I am 36 years old and have been interested in radio since I was about 10. I have been a ham since 1993, my call is AE4ZH. I am not a radio dealer nor do I have any financial interests in buying, selling or trading radio equipment. I am mostly interested in U.S. equipment from the 1950's thru the end of the cold war. My main area of interest really centers around HF, particularly man-pack models. I have had the opportunity to use several models of U.S. equipment over the years, including the following; PRC-25, PRC-77, PRC-126, PRC-90, PRC-119, PRC-74B, PRC-70, PRC-104A & B models, GRC-106, GRC-109, PSC-3, ARC-199 and VRC-12 series. Of these I have a couple of favorites, the PRC-70 and the GRC-109, both of these are real neat little rigs with a lot of potential. I currently use a GRC-109 on the 30 & 40 meter ham bands along with a couple of other good ol' glow in the dark radios (Drake & Hallicrafters). Well that's about it, looking forward to talking with ya'll. Jeff email: jefesjoy@juno.com *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Ralph Hogan Ralph's BIO: I started dabling in electronics at an early age. I built my first tube SWL rx, a Knight-kit Star Roamer. I enjoyed SWL, but soon wanted to talk back to the exotic locales I was listening to. I became a Novice around 1971ish. I built my first TX, a DX-60B. The RX was a BC-348 w/dynamotor, which was later supplanted with a SX-117. A KWM-1 followed soon afterwards. My love of electronics lead me to graduate from Ga. Tech as an EE designing analog and digital telecommunication and data acquistion systems. I also own a small photography business on the side, so I keep very busy. I like land-mobile moto/ge commercial equipment, weened my teeth on old vibrator GE prog/preprog, BENDIX, LINK and Moto coffin box radios. My hamming interest spans low band FM to CW QRP HF operating and building repeaters. I've always been fascinated by 'green' box radios, especially the man-portable WWII and Vietnam era radios. These historical 'PRC' radios fall right in place with my lowband FM and QRP CW HF interest. I dont have a military background, however that hasn't stopped my great enthusiasm for it's equipment of all kinds. (Someday I'd like to have something green with wheels...) This group has helped me in many ways. For this I am very grateful and hope someday to repay the kindness of everyone so far. I'm not a fountain of militaria knowledge, I am always learning, but then again aren't we all? Its good to know I'm not the only afflicted person that gets excited when I see green, gray or black boxes. I appreciate the knowledge others have very patiently bestowed upon me. 73's to all Ralph Hogan WB4TUR *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Bob Simpson n0ntc@train.missouri.org Retired in 1990 after twenty-one years in the Navy, Chief Electronics Technician with experience in HF and UHF communications systems both shipboard and shore. Also, microwave and shipboard radar. Mainly interested in military communications receivers of the vacuum-tube era for personal use. I hope to collect reception-verification cards from all FORMERLY-COMMUNIST countries. Have five from Eastern Europe so far. Currently living in the middle of the Ozarks in a four-room shack I built myself. Might be a day or two late answering E-mail. Just about every adult male in my family has been in military service, but I was the first to actually retire after twenty years. I was an electronics whonk all through high school, my corner of the garage was always crowded with radio and TV chassis'. My first "REAL" radio was an NC-57 that came from a local ham in Riverside, CA for $35.00. That was 1965, and I sure wish I had that set back now! After four years in high school electronics, I sailed through ET(A) school at Treasure Island with no effort, got to ET(B) school, and then two (C) schools in a row,(COMSEC, don't ask!) After that, spent two years at NCS Kodiak, time in the P.I. at NCS San Miguel, Ground Electronics at NAS Lemoore CA, and my first ship, USS SHASTA, AE-33. I wasn't worried about being on an ammunition ship; if it blew, I'd never feel it. Nerve impulses don't travel that fast!! This was where I got my first military radio; an R-390A pulled from a dumpster on the pier. The Shasta had just finished converting to R-1051B's and wasn't able to dispose of the old radios in the usual manner; over the fantail in deep water! I carried that old set around the country for over a decade before trading it at a Hamfest. After the Shasta, it was Boardman OR for bomb-crew duty at the target range. Made ET1 here. Then, NSGA Adak. Loved it enough to go back again after a tour on the USS QUAPAW, ATF-110. Now I was a Chief ET, and doomed to push paper. I was the guy who sent over 36 tons of test equipment to DRMO San Diego. After an earthquake, (R-7.7), I was suddenly in charge of the transmitter site for an extensive technical rebuild. Saw my fill of 100KW TMC transmitters (AN/FRT-62) and the real problem child; AN/FRT-72 200KW VLF by Continental. After "saving the day", my crew and I were rewarded with a barbeque. Last duty station was NAF El Centro CA. I loved the desert! Me and old 4X4 GMC looked into every crack and cranny in the Anza Borrego desert park. I've still got that GMC by the way. Retired in 1990 with a medal for scoring high as 3M Coordinator. By this time, most of my luggage was old military radios. #1 My interest in collecting? My Navy career shaped my interest in 1940's and 1950's vacuum-tube communications receivers. I saw a bunch of these radios being replaced by solid-state sets of dubious reliability, and wasn't suprised to see these old veterans returned to service after the new radios became a maintenance nightmare. So far, I have six of the heavy old classics from the fifties, and am constantly on the look-out for others, and for racks to hold them. #2 I live in the Ozarks! Robert E. Simpson, 9570 Haney Dr. Houston, MO 65483 PH: (417) 967-3535 N0NTC #3 I just plain love the solid old comm gear. This stuff was built to last a century, and here it is, available with lots of life still left. My den looks like a NAVCOMSTA! Robert E. Simpson, ETC USN(Ret.) n0ntc@train.missouri.org ed) I hate ET's! But this one ain't too bad. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Noel Anderson Hi; I agree with the conditions. I am a ham (W1XB); male; aged 56 with an interest in primarily ARC-5/T-19 (Aircraft) military radios. I have a 40m receiver up and running, and am in the process of getting a transmitter on the air. My other interest is QRP. Thanks. Noel Anderson Colt N5856Z W1XB PO Box 342 Canaan, CT 06018-0342 (860) 824-7022 Please visit my Web site at http://home.li.com/~noel/noel.html *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; David Davidson hello name is david davidson main hobby is military radios second is m-151military jeep.love those military jeeps.into collecting military radio/field phones/tested /eqm/etc and the history of these radios love to be in the group.i could use a prc-47 for 100.00 thanks for reply DAVID DAVIDSON SHELBY NC 28150 *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Dave Prince My name is Dave Prince Amateur Radio Callsign VK4KDP. I live between and on the outskirts of both Brisbane and Ipswich in Queensland Australia. My interests are collecting, restoring and public display of military radio and signalling equipment from all branches of the Services and from any era up to present day. My collection is called the BRISBANE MILITARY RADIO COLLECTION and the ultimate aim is to have the equipment on permanent display in a Museum. I also restore military vehicles, particularly Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) or as they are known by Ausssies, BLITZ's. I have a Chev 3 Ton 4x4 with GS body and my latest is a Chev 8cwt 4x4 Heavy Utility Wireless (HUW which will be fitted out with original radio equipment and gen set, etc. Thanks for the invitation and cheers, -- Dave Prince VK4KDP davprin@gil.com.au Brisbane, Queensland, Australia *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Mike Cowart Hi Dennis, I received your invitation and want to join the group. I DO accept the the conditions stated in the invitation. Personal profile: I am a 50-year-old electrical engineer working as a technical writer for Hewlett-Parckard's High Performance System Lab in Richardson, TX. I have worked in electronics all my life: as an electronics technician, designer, and manager. I have a BSEE from Univ of Texas arlington. I started playing with electronics around the age of nine and got my Novice ticket in 1962 (WN5CMI). I obtained my Extra Class license in 1973. I started boatanchor collecting about two years ago, and my colloection is rather modest. I own the following: 3 Heathkit AT-1s (the AT-1 was my first transmitter) Hallicrafters S38 (it was my first receiver) 75S3 32S1 312B4 KWM-2 and my military BAs: 51J3 BC-669 BC-348 BC-342 and a couple of commands sets I have just recently acquired the military stuff, but that is what I am most interested in. I have been studying WWII and the events leading up to it for about a year now. I am especially interested in the bombers of that war and would like to acquire a "complete" set of bomber radio gear. But I am also interested in ALL radios used during the war. I can lend assistance to the group as a technician, but not as an expert in old mil radios; I am learning quickly, but am no expert! Thank you for considering my joining the group. 73, Mike Cowart - WA5CMI cowart@rsn.hp.com *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Larry Hill 09 Mar 98 Larry Hill hill762@ix.netcom.com 1573 Harbor Blvd Belmont,CA 94002 (650) 593-0619 Dear Sir, I find your groups conditions quite acceptable, and would like to subscribe. About myself: I'm 38. I served in the late 70s-early 80s as a RATELO in the 82nd Airborne,then as a weapons sergeant with 7th Special Forces, where I went thur the 05B OJT course. I also served with JFK Center. I have some familiarity with PRCs 25, 77, 74, and 70. Also a long time ago with the ANGRC-109. I currently own a PRC-25, PRC-47, PSR-1 and PEWS transmitters. I am active in ARES/RACES here in northern Silicon valley. I have a M882 Dodge pickup.And am a war, and civil defense fanatic. Current Wants: Advice on how to tune a 1/2" copper J-pole for a PRC-25 in the 6 meter band. Recommendations for a power amp for a PRC-25 Ideas on handhelds compatible with the 25/77 Thank you very much. 73s KB6OWW Larry ______!______ o o (_) o o ^ ^ ^ Airborne! *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; J. Coote I would like to see what this list is about, please sign me up. Personal Background: Jay Coote W6CJ Amateur Extra Licensed Private Investigator specializing in COMSEC-TSCM Communications tech - law enforcement Age 45, married Mil Radio Interests: I have an RT524 and a few PRC126s. Have made a few Amateur contacts on 52.525 using a PRC126. Hope to see a standard Amateur calling frequency established in North America for users of mil FM radios (150 Hz optional) Interested in FM and HF-SSB mil radios from the last 1-2 decades. Interested in in applications of ECCM (hopping) and other secure radios (as long as not classified) for use by law enforcement for SWAT, mil liason and special ops. Thanks, J. Coote jcoote@aol.com AX25: W6CJ@K6VE.#SOCA.CA.USA.NOAM *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Tom Norris My current interests are in most things military and electronic. I first got started in the mid seventies aquiring various military gear for use on the ham bands. I then just started collection for collections sake. Got rid of most all my military gear except for a nice NIB GRC-19 set back in the mid 80's. Never did really lose interest, just ran out of room. :-) I started the mil list back in 1996 by picking up where others at the time had left off. Still try to maintain a decent up to date web page of info on military electronics gear. ( see URL in sig... ) Would like to include more ( actualy ANY ) info on ECM and radar gear if am able to find such. Please visit The Mil List for info on military communications gear: HTTP://www.telalink.net/~badger/millist/mi.html This is a non-comercial endeavor strictly for providing info for those who have a need for it - and intertainment for those who dont.... ANY and ALL Contributions Welcome. Tom Norris KA4RKT badger@telalink.net Nashville, Tennessee, USA *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Spencer Banner Dennis, I would love to subscribe to your e-mail magazine. Let me answer the two questions you pose first- 1. I accept the conditions in the e-mail you sent out. 2. A bit about me: I work as a manager of a large county government radio shop and 800 mhz trunked infrastructure. While I like the two way radio stuff its gotten a bit boring and my personal tastes in radio gear (I'm a ham, SWL, etc...) have turned to more exotic stuff- mainly surveillance receivers (Watkins-Johnson, RACAL, etc....), both government and military. I also have general interest in military tactical radios- mostly late model stuff, and enjoy reading anything about the use of radios under combat conditions. 'Spy' radios are also becoming interesting to me. Between managing a staff of 13 and having two small kids at home its a bit of a challenge to have ANY hobbies, but thats about it. Pls start sending the e-mails! I am especially interested in the article on Desert Storm Trophies! Thanks. sb Spencer Banner Spencer.Bahner@metrokc.gov *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Jerry Proc VE3FAB Hello Dennis, Sure, go ahead and add my name to the military collectors list. I agree to the acceptance of the invitation conditions. My notable achievement has been the restoration of the radio systems aboard HMCS HAIDA, a WW2 tribal Class destroyer moored in Toronto. Much of the equipment that I have restored was made by Canadian Marconi so that's my area of specialty. I've also developed an on-line radio research paper which can be viewed at: http://www3.sympatico.ca/hrc/haida/radio/rrp/toc.htm The radio research paper is a sub-set of HAIDA'S Web page which includes a 13 stop radio room tour in addition to a 15 stop general tour: http://www3.sympatico.ca/hrc/haida I never buy or sell but I do have some spare equipment aboard the ship which I am willing to trade. My main stock-in-trade is information relative to the equipment fitted aboard the ship. Regards, Jerry Proc VE3FAB jproc@idirect.com HMCS HAIDA Naval Museum, Toronto Ont. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; George Rybicki, Phd Please consider my membership application for your group. I am a collector restorer and user of 1950 's to 1970's military radio and test equipment. My radio station is based on the GRC-19 a t-195 and a R392. I also use a R390A, a R274C, a R388 and an Art13. My next project is a GRC-106 which I am restoring to use as my SSB radio. I have found in my past experience that the military gear cannot be surpased in terms of ruggedness, reliability and maintainability. I very much enjoy bringing an old cast off piece of equipment back to life. I am an electrical engineer for NASA in Cleveland. I am 37 years old, married with two children. I live on a rural property between Akron and Cleveland in a town named Richfield. I would be happy to help list members with a good supply of parts and components I bet I have 5000 tubes. A majority of the material I have on hand was stripped from military equipment in the 50's by a local ham who passed his collection on to me. I also want to trade most of my WWII equipment for later vintage gear I dont like octal tubes or working on very early vintage equipment. I do this as a hobby not a business. Posting what I have for trade once is enough for me, trading is better for me too, money I can get at the bank machine. I hope this is enough info for your requirements. Thanks George George Rybicki, Phd 3232 Riding Run Richfield Ohio 44286 330-659-3543 gcr2@po.cwru.edu I am loooking for a manual for a Manual for the GRC-106 set and an amp and accesories, maybe even a working unit. I have for sale or trade one Model 19 wireless set GC with PS, cable and mount. Two art 13's complete one GC other good-, Two B tuning units pilot and operators control units for GB7 transmitter also tubes for same, BC 604 20-30 mhz transmitter with full xtal drawer, VRC-19 with manuals cable and control box, lots of other parts pieces and tubes. Located near Akron Ohio. 73 George *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Carl Konefsky Mr. Konefsky was removed from our group due to his highly unethical activities. Dennis *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Bob McCord Hello Dennis, Profile: I was born and raised in Mississippi, so I probably resemble the best (worst) of Jeff Foxworthy's jokes. I served with 2/20th SFGA MSARNG (among others) from 1981-1987 both as a communicator (yep, a dit dah... can you say A4?...) and a repairman (mostly teletype on the repair side, but a lot of radio as well). I got my BSEE in 1988 from Mississippi State University in communications electronics and left the country for Japan shortly after graduation. I taught english, and studied japanese, for two years living in the mountains of northern Japan (Iwate-ken, Tono-shi about three hours north of Tokyo by bullet train and then another hour east by regular train), worked as a design engineer for a japanese electronics company for four more years (Tokyo Electron Tohoku Ltd. in Iwate-ken, Esashi-shi), and then returned to the US in 1994. I am currently working for that same electronics company in Beaverton, OR concentrating on product and supplier quality. My interest in military radio collecting stems from the time I was in Special Forces. I originally got my Advanced Class ticket in 1983 (or so) but didn't do much with it until now. I want to focus on military gear that was used by OSS, CIA, and Special Forces from WWII on to present. I will repair the equipment myself and it will be used for MARS work and ham operation. Also, since I spend a lot of time camping, I plan to do much (if not most) of my operating in the field. I am looking for radios that call to me, "Take me to the woods!!!", not just something pretty to sit on a shelf. After all, communicating in the rain, huddled under a poncho, near the top of a mountain, now that's fun... I don't have much in the way of gear to trade as yet, but I do have a PRC-47 up and running as my mainstay radio. It is still USB at the moment (a problem I intend to correct within the next couple of weeks) so I am not talking with it yet, but it seems like a nice little (hah!!!) radio. I look forward to getting it fully on the air. Thanks for letting me join the group and I hope I can be of service, Bob McCord KF5PB ttlbob@gte.net *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Glenn Anderson I accept your invitation and conditions of the group, count me in. My name is Glenn and I am an engineer for NEC in Los angeles.I support PBX phone systems. I was a 31 Victor in the Army 77-80 so I worked with some of the stuff I collect. I am a hobbyist, not a speculator for profit! I cant stand seeing profiteers inflate the prices for us.I will help any way I can. Thanks,Glenn. Glenn.Anderson@turner.com *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Shep Shepard, Hi Dennis: Thank you for the invitation to join your military collectors group. Yes, I would like to join and will abide by the rules of the Group. Please enroll me manually or send me "subscribe" instructions. Thank You. Shep Shepard AA7MH/K7HS shep@northlink.com Currently restoring a 1957 UNIMOG Radio Truck! *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Hal Blaisdell Dennis, Sound Ok. 1. I agree to the terms and conditions of the group. 2. I am a Vietnam Veteran and served in the US Army for a period of 6 years active duty, all in the Infantry(1965-1971) .I've been collecting signal equipment for about ten years and have a small collection of Military Radio Sets. I also collect Military Vehicles and all are configured with the proper radio sets (equipment)... M151 Jeep Set up as a Battalion Command Vehicle as mine in 1968 Vietnam. A WC-1 Weapons Carrier set up as a WWII, Tank Destroyer Vehicle with operational Radio sets. (Of course along with these two major interest I have amassed a huge quantity of "other" items... Helmets, uniforms, manuals, etc.....). Signal Equipment continues to be my passion and quest....... Hal Blaisdell torchboots@email.msn.com ed) I'm most envious! *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Adrian Heinrich Dear Dennis, I am more than happy to comply with the conditions of participation in your network. As a member of the Historical Radio of Australia in Melbourne, Victoria, I collect radios and memoribilia ranging from broadcast receivers to some military items. My military interest is more recent and stems mainly from my Royal Australian Air Force service (20+years) as a Radio Technician (Air); during this time I worked on SP2H Neptune and P3B Orion Anti-submarine (ASW) aircraft and the P3B Weapon Systems Trainer (Training Device 2F69C); I recently acquired a CRT3 Gibson Girl out of nostalgia, for I used to perform periodic servicings on them with the Neptunes - I spent a considerable time hunting the World for an original Boxkite to complete the package, and found one in Australia. Avionics equipment I worked on included comms, navigation aids, radar, Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM), and ASW. Trust this information is sufficient. Regards, Adrian Heinrich adrian_heinrich@hotmail.com I am currently in flight simulator maintenance for Ansett Australia Airlines (10years) where we operate Boeing 737 and 767, Airbus A320, British Aerospace BAe146 Full Flight Simulators on a 24hr basis. ed) I also worked on, and used the CRT-3. It took four able bodied seamen ta get it back in it's bag with all it's associated paraphernalia!Was kinda like one of those 75 man rubber rafts that were contained, along with emergency provisions and equipment in a fiberglass container the size of a 55 gallon drum, they were never meant to be put pack, once deployed! *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Kim Campbell I'll join your group however I don't know how much I can contribute as I'm fairly new to this. However I'll do what I can. As far as interest... well I'm interested in mostly tactical millitary commo gear. Korean War era or newer. Also intelligence eqiupment. Don't really have any specific wants other than I'm looking for an AN/PRC64A. Thats about it. 73 and I look foward to hearing from you. Kim Campbell, WB4LZQ wb4lzq@atl.mindspring.com ed) don't worry about any lack of experiance, we'll all fix that. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Ed Guzick Mr. Dennis Starks I accept all the conditions
as explained in your guidelines and wish to participate in the military
equipment collectors forum. I guess I would qualify as a military collector
as my wife tells everyone that it's my hobby! I am a veteran of the US
Army, 1951-53 and retired from the Radio/TV industry, 33 years with Motorola.
I like to mess with tube receivers but only for my personal pleasure.
I have the BC-611 and BC-1000 (operational) and have restored others including
BC-721, BC-620, BC-659 and PRC-6. I am constantly searching for anything
military, be it parts/receivers or what-ever and always open to a trade,
for items of interest to me. I am on a perpetual quest for military receivers
particularly from the WWII era. I am no electronics expert but I supported
my family for 40 years as a technician. So I do know a little bit about
the stuff. At the moment I am not looking for any specific item(s) but
I am searching for a source or substitute for the wrinkle paint as used
by the WWII Signal Corps. I had a 1945 MB jeep, restored by me but I sold
it as I lost my mechanic (my son) who moved to California. Everyday I
miss that jeep a little bit more. Undoubtedly, I would get another if
I came across something which appealed to me. Currently I'm on the look
out for a WWII bicycle or scooter (getting too old for that bigger stuff)
and belong to both the Vintage motor bike and Cushman motor scooter clubs.
Ed Guzick NEW MEMBER; Ron Hinze Dear Dennis, Thank you for the information on
the military radio net. I accept the terms of the network. I am a collector
of primarily World War II radios but I also have some later equipment.
I collect Collins amateur equipment, so I also like the R-388 and R-390
radio equipment. I'm not much into solid state gear, but I have an R-1490/GRR-17
receiver that does not work. I would like to get some help with it. I
have access to a lot of military manuals and would be happy to help anyone
who might need schematics, etc. I noticed that you are also headed in
the direction of military vehicles. I've been looking for a restored WWII
jeep MB or GPW. Please include me into the network. Thanks, Ron NEW MEMBER; Carmelo Litrico Hallo Dennis, I am a Military Equipments Collector. My Radio Collection starts from WS 38, RAL, RAK,TCS, to modern PRC 128 or AN/UGX 7 fax machine. I have about 50 Radios in my collection not too much, but I am very entusiast for. I am 42 year old and I live in countryside, on Etna mountain, in Sicily. Surplus and Military equipments are my principal interest and spend all my freetime for it, trading equipments with my friends. I am in contact with many italian collector. I am very interested to your group, so tell me wath I have to do to partecipate with your group. Waiting for, i send my best regards. Carmelo Litrico IW9DKX JM77MN *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Dick Dillman Greetings, Dennis, and thanks for your invitation
to participate in the military radio collectors mailing list. >If after
you agree to the above & decide you want to play with us, let me >know.
Sounds great. I'd love to join. >#1.Your acceptance of the above conditions.
I accept. >#2. A letter describing yourself, your current interest, &
whatever else >you might like to include. I've been a collector of classic
communications gear for many years and have recently concentrated on military
equipment. I attended the Military Radio Collectors Group meet in San
Louis Obispo for the first time this year. My military equipment inventory
includes: 2 ea. BC-611 I-135 test set for above. AN/GRC-9 with DY-88 dynamotor
AN/GRC-109 with AN/GRC-71A code burst kit RBA/RBB/RBC receivers with power
supplies RCA AR-88LF (ex-Royal Canadian Air Force) RACAL RA-17L (ex-British
Ministry of Defense) I like to use the equipment in addition to collecting
it. The AR-88LF has just had an infusion of new condensers and is playing
very nicely, thank you, and the AN/GRC-9 has had several field trips.
I plan to use the '9 in the upcoming Vintage Field Day. I'm a former member
of the Military Vehicle Collectors Group and drive a 1958 (civilian) Willys
4WD utility wagon. I'm also a fan of classic militarty aircraft and currently
I'm working with a PBY. I trust that's an adequate introduction. I hope
to hear from you soon. Best Regards, Dick Dick Dillman NEW MEMBER; Richard Wurtzinger Dear Dennis: The offer to join your elite group sounds too good to refuse. There are a dwindling number of us that can help each other with History and experience with vintage military electronics. Yes, I would like to join your group. My interests are in the areas of WWII Radar and communications equipment. As to a want list, I am looking for schematics / manuals for the ASB radar from WWII. I am a ham for nearly 40 years, K9RLF. I am an Electrical Engineer by profession for a hearing aid company. Send me a profile example and I will fill in additional info as the other members have. Thanks for championing this activity I think it will be a worth while venture. Richard Wurtzinger 1140 S. Taylor Ave. Oak Park, IL 60304 *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Richard Brunner Dennis, OM: 1. I accept the conditions of membership. 2. Description: I am 63 years old, licensed for 45 years, and deeply interested in vacuum tube technology, with a special interest in military equipment. I am also a student of German. 73 Richard Brunner, AA1P rbrunner@gis.net *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; John Bowers My name is John Bowers. Call is K9UTK. My interests include: BC610 TCS-14 et al models R-390 and 390A BC 348 BC342 i am currently working on getting the BC610 and the TCS on the air this summer. regards John *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Ian O'Toole Hi Dennis, Please accept my application to join
your group. I accept the stated condition of being a group member. My
name is Ian O'Toole and I have held the amateur radio callsign VK2ZIO
since 1967. I live in Sydney. My interest in military radio equipment
goes back to the early '60's, when still at school, I used to "do" the
disposal stores every school holidays with a couple of mates. My first
rig was a 522 which I used on 2 metres - I worked cross band using a #19
set as a receiver. My interest grew and my collection widened considerably
in scope. There are currently over 350 major pieces in my radio collection,
which is in a 16' x 36' shed which is fully insulated, lined and carpeted.
I operate as Castle Hill Military Radio Collection. I collect equipment
from the 3 services from whichever country I can obtain them. I give frequent
displays and have an active programmed restoration schedule which keeps
me very much on my toes. Each item that I put on display has a set of
notes, illustration and circuit diagram for interested observers to take.
The notes also include a statement of what I am about and a contact number.
This has resulted in hundreds of phone calls and a LOT of equipment whch
usually arrives gratis! The collection also contains thousands of manuals/copies
which form the basis of a great reference collection which is available
to interested collectors. Regards, Ian O'Toole NEW MEMBER; Doug Greville I am 37 y.o. and my prinicple interest is armoured vehicles, the radio aspect is part and parcel of having complete vehicles. I have never been in the military other than school cadets. I bring my vehicles to driving condition and use an AN/Vic-1 system in one of them as an interecom. I would like to so equip another 2 vehicles. Regards Doug ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Armoured Vehicles Collector _______ _/_(_o_)_\_ ____ _/|___|_|___|\_ /____\ / [___] [___] \ Douglas Greville _/[o]___\_ /\_ [o] [o] _/\ Broken Hill __/=_|____|_=\__ |w||___________||w| N.S.W. /__\__________/__\ |w|\u u/|w| Australia |w| \ / |w| |w| \_________/ |w| |w|$ \______/ $|w| [w] [w] [w] [w] M8 Ferret dgrev@ruralnet.net.au Web Armour site at: http://Fast.to/DG (http://users.hunterlink.net.au/~derf/dga/) *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Joe Morgan My current interests are military radio equipment: 1) sophisticated HF equipment like Watkins-Johnson or Racal HF receivers or transceivers. 2) large dish to use as radio telescope Joseph Morgan morganjw@email.msn.com *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Ed Kirkley Dennis, I accept the terms with hesitation. I
am NOT in this to make money, (if I were my wife would like it a lot better),
:) I have lost more money than I have ever put into this. I love helping
people and I really need help as avionics/radios are not my occupation.
I am a 50 year old Grandfather, Vietnam Vet, that currently works for
US Airways as a supervisor in Heavy Maintenance in Charlotte, NC. I am
very interested in and own several PRC-25's/77's. I am in the process
of putting them in as base stations, mobiles, and what ever else I can
think of. I am looking for a 70's model military 880 in camo paint restored
or restorable to drive. I love anything from the military if it's real
military and not import junk. I have uniforms, weapons, gear, rations,
etc, etc. If this is not enough let me know and I'll bore you some more!
I would like very much to join the group and help out any way that I can.
Sincerely, Ed Kirkley NEW MEMBER; Chuck Milton, I think I can honestly say I've always liked
radio and have been involved with them since building my first crystal
set, a foxhole radio, around age 7. The thrill of hearing the local AM'er
without batteries or electricity is still with me. I am retired from AT&T
after 32 years and many locations throughout the US. My hobby for the
years has been collecting and restoring 1920-1950 vintage sets. The emphasis
is on repair as thats where I get the most enjoyment. My collection is
now at 150+ prime sets. I got my Radiotelephone First Class Ticket in
1963 and worked on AM Broadcast transmitters while attending school. When
I was recruited by AT&T, I was hired to supervise part of their Interstate
TD-2 Microwave routes and was able to learn that phase of radio at the
same time. My career shifted to Marketing/Sales/Finance and from then
on I was chained to a desk and business suit while racking up zillions
of frequent flyer miles. Ham Radio was always a goal and after retirement
I went ahead and got licensed. I started restoring BA gear for on-air
use as well as adding to my collection. Currently have Collins, WRL and
Heath stations in working order. I do repairs on BA's for local hams who
desire to keep these fine pieces of gear working on the air. I enjoy the
historical side of radio and have a lot of paper for reference and just
plain enjoyable reading. I have only recently become interested in Military
gear and have started down that road with an RS1/GRC-109 and an RS-6.
Also, an R-390a and I'm hoping to get an ART-13 for AM use. I like to
swap radios and enjoy keeping them in circulation and away from destruction.
In addition to my ham ticket and General RadioTel certificate(formerly
First Class) I am a member of AWA, Collins Collectors Association, Mid-Atlantic
Antique Radio Club, Southeastern Antique Radio Society, Bluegrass Amateur
Radio Society and the Mid-South Antique Radio Club. ER is my favorite
magazine and the Internet keeps me in touch with hams and collectors from
all over. I like CW and AM but recognize that there are times when SSB
is in order. Locally, I keep in touch with an all-mode 2m rig. XYL and
I are empty-nesters and will be re-locating to Northern Florida in the
near future. I want space to erect antennas and have a larger shack for
all the gear. Thanks, Dennis, for the invitation and hope this info is
sufficient. Looking forward to participating with the group. KF4LYF, Chuck
Milton NEW MEMBER; Hank Fackovec 1: I absolutely accept the guidelines and conditions
as described. 2: I am a military vehicle, Como and field equipment collector
by hobby, as well as a Ham (KA2WAQ) and own a Two Way radio communications
business (Servicing Police, Fire and Federal agencies). I am 36, live
near Boston Ma, have been in the hobby for almost 20 years and a member
of the Company of Military Historians My current sets include PRC 25s,
PRC 77s, Sabers. MXs, and Spectras. Some of the things that I am currently
I am presently seeking are a communications shelter for my M-37, Advice
on a VRC unit for the early 50s era. Thanks again Hank Fackovec NEW MEMBER; Jim Haynes Personal: I'm recently retired from University
of California, Santa Cruz, where I was mostly a Unix plumber. I've been
a ham since about 1956, specializing in HF-RTTY. Was in the AF 1960-63,
also was in Civil Air Patrol back in the late 50s-early 60s. Current call
W6JVE. I don't consider myself a big-time collector, but I do have a few
old BC receivers, some old military radio equipment, and too many Teletypes
rescued on their way to the dump. Also some old F.A.A. equipment, which
is pretty close to military in flavor. I'm a member of Arkansas Air Museum
in Fayetteville where I plan to work on the radio part of the exhibits;
also a member of "Sentimental Journey to Southwestern Proving Ground"
in Hope, Ark. which puts on an annual celebration of the old proving ground,
including an air show and various displays. I'm urging military radio
collectors, or military equipment collectors in general, to come to that
for a get-together, show-and-tell for the public, and perhaps some trading.
This year [1998] it will be 23-27 September - contact me for more information.
Then I promote an event each Feb 20, "Green Key Night (& Day)" to celebrate
the beginnings of amateur RTTY on the date it became legal to use FSK
on the HF bands. This is open to everybody, just with guidelines to use
a mechanical teleprinter if you can, use vacuum tube gear if you can,
use 850 shift if you can, but chew the rag and have fun and honor the
pioneers and wallow in nostalgia. I'm hoping to build a barn, carriage
house, playroom, or whatever you want to call it in the back yard to store
and display and operate old radio and TTY equipment. I like to read books
and articles about radio and telegraphy and telephony in history. Jim
Haynes MEMBER PROFILE; Alan Tasker I've had a fascination with Military Portables since about the age of 10 or so when I observed men in uniform using PRC-6s. My sixth grade teacher gave me a CRC-7, and the die was cast. While I continue to add to my collection, my efforts of late have been concentrated on finding out what was used and why. Tired of shuffling thru the 3x5 card file with all the PRC info stored on them in sequential order, I recently put the data concerning the mainline portables into chart form (Excel), and added a write up to go along with it (Word or paste it to e-mail). For the sake of comparison, this information is segregated into the six types of portables the Military uses... The Squad Radio (VHF-Lo) The VHF (Lo) backpack radio Forward Air Control (UHF) Special Forces (HF) Rescue (UHF+) Non-Tactical (usually VHF-Hi) If anyone wants a copy, please let me know. Comments are encouraged. In my work life, I head the engineering department of a small custom hybrid shop in the greater Boston area. Thanks Dennis for all your efforts. Alan Tasker (WA1NYR) N. Billerica, MA atasker@ix.netcom.com ed) Beleive it or not, everybody was supost to submit one of these! Thanks Alan. Alan's write up of portable radio will shortly be featured here as a multi part series. Thank's again. Dennis *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Buzz KD7BZ Dennis, Thank you for the invitation to your military
equipment collectors forum. I agree to your terms and conditions and would
like to join your list. My interest are restoration of military vehicles
(WWII thru Nam) and the electronics that were used in them. I also have
repaired several radios for members of or local MV group. I got my electronics
training in the Navy in the early sixties then flew as a radio operator
in patrol bombers (P2V). I became a ham in 1965 and joined Army MARS in
1967. I retired from the phone company in 1991 and have been enjoying
my hobbies ever since. Thanks for the invitation. Buzz KD7BZ NEW MEMBER; Ray Robinson Hi Dennis, I was talking to Ian O`Toole and Bill Howard about Japanese WW2 radios, and Bill has invited me to join your group. So I have read your intro document, and submit this. #1 I accept your conditions. #2 Ray Robinson VK2ILV I've been a ham since I was 14 years old. When I first sat for my license in 1964, I passed the theory and regs but failed the morse. this made me eligible for a Limited License, but I was under age, and did not get it till I was 16, when I became VK2ZON. I was living in Cessnock then and going to school. The local TV and Radio repair shop was run by Chris Cowan VK2PZ and he taught me everything. There was plenty of War surplus gear around and I bought and used what I could. I left school and went to University in Sydney where I got my degree in Electronic Engineering. I was a trainee at AWA (Amalgamated Wireless Australia), one of the largest radio and electronics manufacturers in Australia. I learnt lots about manufacturing processes, from operating a lathe to making crystals. I saw the PRCF1 being made, just a few benches down. Today, AWA is only a shadow of their former greatness. I was there for 3 years, then went to OTC (Overseas Telecommunications Commission), a semi goverment body that ran the radio, telephone, telex, and satellite traffic in and out of Australia. The Post Office ran the Australian internal communcations. They have since merged into one giant, Telstra. I was with OTC for 9 years, working in Coastal Radio then Telex. It was here that I discovered these funny microprocessor things. I had my own 6800 development kit (still got it), and could program in machine code. I had to calculate the branch offsets manually, and I can still count backwards in hex! I joined Macqaurie University, and am still here, working in Speech Research for the School of English. When I joined I had 4 technicians, 1 CP/M microcomputer, 1 General Automation minicomputer, and 1 Hewlette Packard minicomputer. I retired the GA mini. The HP had 2.5 meg of fixed disc, and 2.5 meg removable disc! After a few years I retired this, and bought a VAX, for $120K. Three VAXes later, we bought a SUN workstation. I have 20 of these now, (I`m writing this on a Sun). These have heaps of RAM, I have 30gig of disc, and plenty of users fooled into thinking I know it all. In reality, I have made all the mistakes, and so know all the cures. The Suns are used for speech Synthesis, speech Recognition, and speech Analysis. I don't do any of this, myself. I provide the machinery for the PhD students, and the Academics. They come to me with wierd and wonderful ideas, and I'm supposed to know what they are talking about, and make the computers do it for them. I now have 1 tech, and 1 programmer, and my time is split between programming, and engineering. I am currently making a German EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) unit work on our Sun. We put a helmet on a subject and then glue electrodes to the lips and tongue. As the subject speaks, the electrodes pick up a field from the helmet, and give a trace of the movement. In contrast to this, I go home and play with 1940s valve technology! I have a small collection of military radios, some under the bench waiting restoration, and a few working. Some of these, I had when I was 14 years old. Each time I moved house, I lugged them with me. I also have a vintage computer collection. I have put some of the radios on the web at http://www.shlrc.mq.edu.au/~robinson and hope to put more there as time permits. There is a rough balance of Australian, UK, and US equipment there. Last year I sat down and relearnt morse, and gained my full license, so that I can use some of this gear. This involved a change of callsign. I have an SCR-274N and ARC-5 station almost complete, just missing a transmit control box (C-29, or BC-451), and a power adapter (MX-20, or FT-310) so that I can connect an ARR-1 (also need a CZR-29173 switching relay and CZR-23214 pilots control box for this). Regards Ray Ray Robinson VK2ILV Electronic Engineer robinson@elm.mq.edu.au Speech Hearing and Language Research Centre 612-98508765 ph School of English Linguistics and Media 612-98509199 fax Macquarie University North Ryde 2109 Sydney NSW AUSTRALIA *********************************************** MEMBER PROFILE; Scot Barth My name is Scot Barth. I was born in 1967 and received my first Amateur License in 1982. Amateur callsign is KA6UDZ. I make my living working as an RF Engineer designing receivers and frequency synthesizers for Mil GPS applications. My first mil radio was a TCS-9 Transmitter that I received in 1982 with a bunch of stuff given to me by my dad's co-worker. A year later a guy that my mother worked with was cleaning out his garage and told me to bring a truck. I didn't have access to a truck so the car made four trips way over gross. In this I found, among other things, an MD-7/ARC-5, SCR-522, AN/ARC-4, T-23/ARC-5, RHZ, TCS-12 Tx, and two ARC-5 receivers (One NIB). Some of the things received were scrapped. All of the above survived except for the TCS Tx which eventhough incomplete yielded some of the parts needed to restore the first TCS-9. At the time I did not know what I had, but could not stomach cutting up a brand new ARC-5 Rx. That same year I bought my first ARC-5 Tx for $2 at a swapmeet primarily for the air variables and roller inductor. It was incomplete, but survives as received to someday be restored. The same swapmeet resulted in my buying a new TCS-14 Tx for $15. Needless to say, that was just the beginning. In August of 1985 I bought copies of the pilots manuals for the B-17 and B-25 at the Madera Gathering of Warbirds. It was by reading these that I became truly infected with the Mil radio bug. I guess that I should mention that I am also a warbird freak. This explains why my interests are almost entirely War II aircraft sets including Command Sets (all flavors), ARC-4, SCR-522, SCR-269, SCR-287, ATC, and RU-16. My goal was and is to make everything I have operable. I have been successful to a certain extent, but have many pieces left to find. Racks, mounts, and connectors are the hardest things to find as anyone involved with this stuff undoubtedly knows. Scot Barth Udz@aol.com ed) I have known Scot for many years, and he is a very welcome new adition to our number. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Bob Lindgren I collected as a youth in the '60's and had
a BC-348 and some rack mounted command sets. In the late '60's I had personal
experience carrying a PRC-25 as a Grunt with 2nd. Battalion, 1st. Marines.
My hobbies have come back to the radio in the '90's and I now collect
WWll military aircraft receivers, vehicle transceivers and Viet Nam era
manpack radios. I love horse trading. Bob Lindgren NEW MEMBER; Richard Arland Hi dennis: Many thanks for your "Invitation"
message. I would like to participate and will fully abide by the terms
and conditions of the MIL-BA group. BIO: Name: Richard Arland Callsing:
K7SZ (ex: K7YHA, CT2BH, KA2AA, G5CSU, DA2NE) QTH: Wilkes-Barre, PA (nr.
Scranton) Retired USAF MSgt: 20 years in AFCC as a Tech Controller. Vocation:
Electronics Instructor - State Correctional Institution - Dallas (PA)
Licensed ham for 35 years (extra class) and GROL (old 1st phone Com'l
license) Hobbies: Ham radio (although interest has waned the last several
years), BA restoration (specializing in Halli and Hammarlunds), photography,
MIL-vehicles (no I don't own any, but sure would like to have a M3 Stuart!),
camping and fishing. MIL-BA interests: Just starting out. Want to collect
WW-II army comm gear, selected Viet Nam era comm gear and SF radio gear.
WANT List: BC-611 for now. Also need lots and lots of info on what all
the funny numbers and letters mean (HI!). I'm the FNG, so be gentle. vy
73 Rich K7SZ NEW MEMBER; Scott Johnson Dennis, I accept the conditions of the list
and would like to participate. I am a graphic designer and am in the process
of completely restoring a 1953 M-42 (USAF) During the reasearch phase
of the restoration I discovered that the truck was equiped with several
radios. This lead me to your door step as my experience with electronics
and radios is non-exsistant. I have become quite well educated on the
subject of Dodge M-37's so I may be of some help to your subscribers in
that arena. I am currently looking for a GRC-9 and a VRQ-1, 2 or 3 (I
need some advice on the latter radio) and all the accessories for thier
installation and operation in a Dodge 3/4 ton. I am also looking for the
Arctic winterization kit for the cargo box of a Dodge M-37. Regards, Scott
Johnson 1953 M-42 (USAF) NEW MEMBER; Breck Smith Received your "daily news" this AM. How do you
find the time to do this "daily posting" ed) I don't sleep much. Profile:
Breck Smith Earn my part of my living with a Mom and Pop radio business
in Dover, Delaware. Amateur radio call sign K4CHE. Maintain 3 repeaters
for amateurs here in the Technical Black Hole Of The East Coast. Write
articles for amateur magazines and other magazines.The March issue of
"73" had a product review that I wrote on a timer/ID board for fox hunting
and repeaters. Do extensive 9600 baud experiments with the satellites,
with converted Motorola and General Electric equipment. Am a fox hunting
fanatic with several articles written about that subject. Started collecting
military stuff again when I acquired a M-151 jeep several years ago. Was
doing some work at one of the local AM radio stations, heard the manager
screaming that the jeep had to be gone by the end of the day, walked in
his office and walked out 10 minutes later with papers to a jeep that
had Country and Western stuff painted all over it. It has been downhill
ever since. My wife says I am going through a post Viet Nam syndrome.
Am interested in the group to find missing tech data and to trade equipment
etc. First Military radio that I used was in the 1950's, when I used to
run a SCR-522 on two meter AM, couldnt afford the money for the selenium
rectifiers for a 24 volt power supply so closed the antenna relay with
a two by four board with a nail in it, drop the nail on top of the relay
armature to transmitt. Now ART-13's, T-195's on AM in the shop, collect
mobile and portable stuff for the jeep. Do "static displays" at airshows
etc, with hands on radio equipment set up for everyone to play with. Started
another ARC-5 collection. Work on equipment for other people with military
vehicles, recently converted a BC-1306 mobile power supply to a switching
power supply, the owner wanted the radio to work all the time not just
when the vibrator power supply felt like working. I play with the new
stuff and the old stuff, as long as it is green. 73 from the technical
black hole, Dover Delaware Breck Smith, aka: AB1, zorro NEW MEMBER; Traverso Leandro I thank for the fast reply. I do a premised
my english writing isn't any better therefore eventual excuse errors.
I am all right for dots since 1 at 7, in limits of my possibility (you
keep present that on Italy market of the military surplus is more narrow
respect to United States), is this one right for which the best you contact
I have it via Internet and would do me much liking entering to make part
of yours" group of friends". Mine interest is equipment of american soldier
(US Army, Marines, etc.) from the 1960 in after with a care to period
of war of Vietnam. At this care I am the responsible of a group of friends
fans to history of period, that it has reconstituted a team of the 101
Airborne remaining the faithfulest possible in fact than uniform and veicles
with which participe at assemblies of historic military veicles in Italy
and in France. We are building a site Web on topic. Going on the personal
my passion is radio, I am radio amateur, for my transmissions I use in
prevalence device of military provenience [GRC 106a); I have got a M151A1
restored for which told first with thin radio bridge . Actually I am searching
with little success the 2 following pieces of Prc 74: BASE ANTENNA SUPPORT
AB-995/PRC-74 MOUNTING MT-3613/PRC-74 cordially, Traverso Leandro *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Wammes Witkop Dear Dennis, I've read your conditions and
do accept them. As to myself, professionally I am a publisher of magazines,
computer magazines, ownong one of the last smaller independant publishing
houses on this subject in The Netherlands. Busy as a bee - so my hobby
in military communications had been dormant for some twenty years, untill
last fall I blundered into a VRC-13 I could not resist. Since then I've
been getting odd bits and pieces togheter, in order to restore this set
to it's full glory. Actually using it hardly interests me, by the way.
Just getting all the parts working en restored, so that the set could
be used if it was needed. Next to the VRC - by now not a 13 anymore, I've
found most of the pieces to turn it into the more complex members of the
family, though bi-lingual (English and German) - I'm trying to complete
a SEM set, German Army. Bit of a job, as cables seem to be more then rare...
Also, UK WWII has my interest. F.i. the 19-set. As well as field-phones,
where I seem to be rather alone. Got one or two exchanges and a number
of phones, waiting for restauration when I get more time free. I hope
this gives you an idea of my interests and I am looking forward to participating
in the group - if you'll have me of course... Cheers, Wammes Witkop NADCOMM; The North American Data Communications Museum Fallbrook, CA --- Prospect Heights, IL --- Randolph, NJ What the heck is NADCOMM? Well back in 1984 I was visiting a telephony equipment supplier in Virginia. During the tour of the facility I noticed a 35 ASR Teletype with only 50 hours on the hour meter! It was being loaded for the scrapper. I objected and the company gladly sent it to me via Roadway Express along with a second 35 ASR for parts and a 35 RO. Well, why would I want these machines...? Since leaving the US NAVY in 1966 I went to work for Illinois Bell as a Teletype Repairman. I spent years working on the "beasties" and I also needed a machine to make mailing labels for our old car club. I rewired the monster for use on-line and swapped a sprocket feed typing unit for the friction feed one. As time went on, the idea of collecting and preserving older Teletype and early data communications equipment was brewing in the back of my mind. It all came together in 1996 when I let several people know I was going to establish a volunteer museum. Many of my old friends from Illinois Bell thought the idea was unusual but interesting and several "got the bug" and assisted in finding many old and interesting items. Since I attended more than 25 training courses at the Bellcore Training Center in Lisle, IL many of these folks got to know me pretty well and decided to donate equipment instead of sending it to the land fill. I found many test sets saved from the scrapper by the owner of Radio Station WNIB in Chicago, Mr. Bill Florian. My long time Illinois Bell friends Frank Frisch and Bob Cnota helped collect and store many of these items. When I retired from Ameritech in September of 1996 the collection took up quite a bit of space in my basement and in a 20' x 30' storage facility. When we moved to Southern California it took an additional $4,000.00 to transport the equipment to Fallbrook. In Fallbrook, we began by storing the equipment in a storage building, but the rent was $112.00 per month, which I did not want to spend, and so my wife suggested making the garage into a museum. I worked day and night to bring all of the stuff here and set it up. Many things I could not have done without the help of local friend and engineer, Bob Gordon. Then my long time friend, Roger Bindl volunteered to set up our website and the rest as they say, "is history." You can view our website at: http://www.hem.com/nadcomm Pacific Bell found out I was using ISDN to telecommute and asked if they could do a story on me for the Internet. I said "sure." Well when the scout came here he saw the ISDN installation, but was more impressed with the museum collection, which by then included the ex-Bellcore DDS Hub and end-office equipment and a Model 26 TTY from the Pasadena area. After both a 3 hour photo session and a 2 hour interview the feature article was put onto Pacific Bells website. You can see and hear it by pointing your browser to: http://www.pacbell.com/others/stories/story-12.htm After several months of keeping in contact with friends via e-mail, Jim Harvey, WB8NBS told me about the "Greenkeys" reflector. I, of course, signed up right away. Through the reflector I have met many individuals who have contributed to the museum and have become both benefactors and friends. Several are people with the same ideas I have and have become members of our board of directors. Tom Kleinschmidt and Jack Hart have dedicated themselves to the effort by accepting appointments as Vice Chairmen and are making their collections available for people to see in the Midwest and Eastern regions. The preservation instinct is strong for those of us who started in the data communications business in the 60s. We are always looking to add additional equipment, supplies, literature, documentation and memorabilia. My son, Richard wrote our mission statement, which you can see on our website, however the ideas are well written and I would like to share them with you here: "The North American Data Communications Museum (NADCOMM) is committed to the project of collecting, displaying, and operating the equipment which has powered the communications revolutions of the twentieth century, from telegraphy to digital telephony. The collection, largely donated by committed telecommunications workers and businesses, already encompasses a wide array of machines spanning the entire history of teletypewriters and the transition to contemporary digital modem technology. NADCOMM's goal is to counter the present state of communications history, marked by the quick and successive obsolescence of "last year's models," by maintaining a working collection of functional equipment tracing the stages through which telecommunications technology has passed. Curator Don Robert House and the NADCOMM staff believe that this project involves more than the nostalgia of the technophile. The advances in technology preserved in the NADCOMM collection have shaped not only the present state of technology but economic, social, and cultural history through their use in industry and mass media. Whether or not we accept the premise that these advances mark the transition of world history into a wholly new postmodern "Information Age," their impact on contemporary culture makes the unique project of NADCOMM a vital one. Moreover, the fact that equipment is displayed in a functioning state means that the NADCOMM collection remains a valuable resource for hands-on technological training for the communications professional and the interested layperson alike." Thank you Rich, I couldn't have said it better myself! In addition to the equipment already mentioned we have acquired many unique and unusual items. Some are ex-military and these include the CV89 RTTY FSK converters and an R-1051B receiver to receive Radio Teletype messages. We have equipment waiting to be picked up in several areas of the U.S. and hope to obtain a telegraph carrier system that is being preserved in Florida if we can figure out how to get it to one of our locations. Tom is hoping to rent a storefront location in the Chicagoland area where interested folks can see this technology without having to climb down basement stairs or fly to the foothills of Northern San Diego County. Come on down and visit us sometime, just call or write first for an appointment. Don Robert House Chairman & Curator, NADCOMM e-mail: nadcomm@usa.net *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Don Robert House I would like to be a member of your group. My main interest is with Military and Naval use of data communications equipment, both on land line and radio frequencies. I am the chairman and curator of the North American Data Communications Museum. We have display locations at Fallbrook, CA; Prospect Hts.,IL, and Sandy Hook, CT. Teletypes, Convertors, comparitors, RTTY receivers, telemetry, facsimile, etc., etc. Please see our website at: http://www.hem.com/nadcomm/ I will send more information in an attachment that is a Microsoft Word document. Let me know if you need me to send it as text or whatever. Thanks for the invitation. I agree with and support all of your guidelines and regulations. Sincerely, Don -------------------------------------------------------- Don Robert House e-mail: dhouse@abac.com e-mail: nadcomm@usa.net URL: http://www.hem.com/nadcomm URL: http://www.pacbell.com/others/stories/story-12.html *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Jack Hart Dennis, Saw your email to Don House (NADCOMM).
I'm one of his cronies and am also a military electronics collector. I've
been a Ham for 39 years and my first love was and is teletypewriters and
radioteletype. I have a collection of about 40 teleprinters, with quite
a few of them being military surplus. I've recently put together two AN/GRC-106
setups, complete with the teletypewriters. Due to a recent move, the stuff's
all piled up in the basement waiting to be reassembled. I've also got
an RT-524, PRC-25 and PRC-6 as well as the requisite R-390A receiver and
an R-1051B. As luck would have it, I'm also a military vehicle nut, but
I don't yet have any vintage vehicles. I do get by with my 1995 Hummer,
though! I would like to join your list and share what I have with others
who also appreciate olive drab (in its many shades). Thanks and 73, Jack
Hart, WA2HWJ NEW MEMBER; Ray Fantini I am in acceptance of all terms of your group conditions, and am glad to see that this is not just a trading list. Brief Bio: Sometime back in the seventies I became interested in Radio, had several plastic radios but then one day I saw a BC-348 saved up my allowance for three months and that was that. then a friend turned me on to Hamfest, went down hill from there. over the past years I have owned and restored everything from ARC-5, BC-312, BC-348, R-390,388,392, SP-600, SRR-11 and 13 and lately newer stuff like R-1051 and WJ-8888 ( have progressed from the 40,s to the 70,s ) add to this lots of other GRC and T stuff. then about six years ago someone took me in a back alley and showed me this book, it was a spot bid catalog for government sales. hit bottom then. started buying everything. Now have stuff everywhere, in addition to radios I also dabble in military computers, from primitive CPM systems to some fairly new stuff. have lots of fun working with GRiD laptop system and have large collection from the earliest Compass systems to the last of the 1550,s ( they have gone back into operation and are selling a 1585 ). the GRiD laptop is a heavy duty computer in a black magnesium case. Well that's what happened to me from just being exposed to a BC-348 as a kid, maybe there is something to be said about operating my PRC-47 on forty or one of my primitive laptops on packet while my other ham friends use there little plastic box radios. or maybe I just need therapy. Ray Fantini, KA3EKH e-mail: RAFANTINI@SSU.EDU *********************************************** NEW MEMBER;Wesley Davidson Dennis, sorry about the delay. I agree to
the stated conditions as you have outlined. I am a collector of military
radios and also an avid radio hobbyist. I currently hold an extra class
amateur radio license and F.C.C. 2nd. and 3rd. class radiotelegraphy licenses.
I also hold a marine radio operators permit and a general radiotelephone
operators license with radar endorsement. I like military portable uhf/vhf
field radios. I also like to collect military field telephones. I currently
have for trade: One- Aircraft Transmitter/Reciever Type T 1119 Ref.No
10D/1047/ A-(british crown)-M Serial # 38150 The radio is in excellent
condition, it is in the transportation container which is also very nice.
The crate is stenciled: "Wright Airfield -Aircraft Radio Transmitter.
It includes the shipping documentation which is perfectly preserved and
is dated 1942. I am interested in trading for 2 - PRC 77s, since I am
not sure how difficult prc-77s are to find I will negotiate accordingly,
just let me know. I am glad to find other hobbyist with the same interest.
How can I find other radio listings for sale or trade on your site ? Thanx
for all your help. I am including a j-peg photo of the radio, what do
you think? Wesley 513-574-6099 NEW MEMBER; Wes Gladhart Hello, I got your info / guidelines for membership from KC5IJD in Lafayette LA. and I'm very interested in participating. I'm originally a military vehicle nut with such things as WWII jeeps and Dodge 3/4 ton, and some more jeeps from the 50s. when I go to a vehicle meet or parade, everyone seems to need a 50 cal machine gun to keep up so I got interested in radios. I've collected some obscure gear and I've learned to be wary when answering adds. Most people are happy to help but some are in it for the bucks and I'd rather not use them unless they're the last resort. Your group really sounds like the ideal resource for the collector with questions. My primary current project is the Marine Corps' GRC-14 (MRC-55) which apparently was never actually put into service. My goal is to have a show quality M38-A1 jeep fully outfitted with the GRC-14 and possibly other appropriate rigs. The search for hardware has been long and slow. I'm also considering making the WC-52 Dodge a commo vehicle with the SCR-58 and ??? I accept Guidlines 1 thru 7 and my info is; Wes Gladhart, Email jeepstuf@aol.com Thanks for considering me, Wes *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Perry Ballinger, W8AU Dennis: I am in agreement with your
stated principles governing the group. I am not a dealer...and my MIL
radio interests are in specific areas now, not everything in general....(not
enough space). A very brief "profile." Licensed 1955 at age 14. (W8VYU)
W8AU since 1976. Former USN/USNR ETCS. Collected Signal Corps/Army Air
Corps radios until 5 years ago, mostly "cleaned out" by W8KBF and yellow
sheet sales. Still have small stuff: BC611s, GRR-5, BC348, RT70, BC-1306,
GRC-9, etc. Latest project: Replicate a WW2 Destroyer "Radio Central"
(Fletcher Class) with TBK/TBM, TCS, RBA/RBB/RBC (RBM/RBS?) LM TCK? Standard
Opr Desk w/xmtr Start/Stop/Key panel, Grey Underwood Mill, etc. Have 75%
of necessary gear. Still looking..... Can append this at later date, but
this is probably all anyone wants to know anyway! Looking forward to your
next mailing. 73, Perry Ballinger, W8AU NEW MEMBER; John Pitts (N5AGQ) Dear Mr. Stark, I would very much like
to subscribe "become a member of" the 3 post mentioned in your Invitation.
I have read the rules and I am more than willing to comply with them.
I am very much interested in "military radio" and hope that I can be of
assistance to the readers abroad. I am currently 35 y.o. happily married
with a fantastic 8 y.o. daughter. I hold an Advanced class Amateur ticket
(since '77) and have been a Electronics Technician for better than 17
years, having worked in many aspects of the field including Radio - EMI
testing, Mobil computing, Integrated Circuits manufacturing, and host
of other things from blood analysis to my current occupation as Project
Manager - Breathing System, Wyle Life Sciences - which is essentially
the design and manufacturing of Robots that emulate human breathing patterns,
which are in turn used in the testing and development of the human breathing
systems on military high altitude aircraft. As Pete McCollum, requested
that you send me the invite, I am therefor sure you are aware of my interest
regarding "clandestine Radio equipment" and how I am attempting to gather
all the info. I can regarding the QRC-222 unit which is my long-time,
low-level obsession. It is my hope, that my affiliation with the group
might help me in this endeavor, and by default, I may be of assistance
to them. Most Sincerely, John Pitts (N5AGQ) NEW MEMBER; Dave Thomas Hello Dennis, Thanks for the invitation to join
the Military Radio Collectors Group. I have read all of the rules and
guidelines for joining the group and I agree with and can comply with
them. Some Information About Myself Name: David E. Thomas (go by the name
Dave Thomas) Location: Apex, N. C. (Just outside of Raleigh, N. C.) Age:
55 years old this week. Occupation: Network Training Instructor for a
large cellular phone company. Amateur Radio: First licensed in 1959 as
a novice with the call sign of KN4SAN. Have been an active ham for almost
39 years. A lot of the early years were spent tinkering with military
surplus gear and memorizing the latest catalogs from Fair Radio and some
of the other companies that existed during the 50's and 60's. Still have
the call sign of K4SAN and now an Extra Class. Collecting Interests: Collect
and restore various PRC, GRC and ARC types of radio equipment. Also interested
in NAVY receivers and transmitters such as SRR/FRR receivers and equipment
such as the R-1051 and the URC-35. I try to restore and make all equipment
that I collect operational. Most of it gets used on the amateur radio
bands if it will cover the correct frequency ranges. Also interested in
and collect some of the special purpose receivers such as CEI, DEI, Watkins-Johnson,
etc. Military Experience: Was a member of the Air National Guard for 9.5
years. Part of the duty was as a HF ground radio maintenance man working
with equipment such as the TSC-15, KWM-2, TRC-75 and GRC-29. Last 3 years
was spent as a radio relay maintenance man working with the TRC-24 and
TRC-97 microwave and troposcatter radios. Am looking forward to becoming
part of the group. If I can answer any other questions about myself, please
let me know. Thanks, Dave Thomas K4SAN NEW MEMBER; Cal Eustaquio To whom it may concern: I accept the terms
of this net and I heartily appreciate such a group. My name is Cal Eustaquio,
N6KYR. I have a ham since 1977 and a member of the armed forces since
1981. Currently, I have 17 years of combined service between the U.S.
Navy, Naval Reserve, and the California Army National Guard. I am a tank
platoon leader of D Co, 1-149 Armor Battalion. My interest in the military
gear was derived from experience in the military as an ET1 and a ham radio
op. I was stationed aboard USS Badger (FF-1071) and USS Lang (FF-1060)
for almost 4 years. The electronics suite between both ships definitely
comes under the realm of this group. I have had experience mostly with
naval communications and radar equipment. If you have any questions about
the WRC-1 and any of its components, let me know. On the subject of military
radios: I have been the "public affairs coordinator" for the Military
Radio Collectors Group (MRCG) that meets at Camp San Luis Obispo, CA.
I was unable to attend this years festivities due attending Armor Officer
Basic School in Fort Knox, Kentucky (home of Armor/Cavalry). This is where
I learned about the ins and outs of the M1 Abrams main battle tank (which
is, in fact, perhaps the world's best tank). Our latest comm equipment
is the Army's SINCGARS equipment. I don't know if any of this has yet
to reach the surplus market but that is what is on there now. Which comes
to mind: I am in the process of looking for an RT-524 radio set so that
I can keep in touch with my unit during maneuver and gunnery operations.
By having such a radio as personal gear, I can ensure high reliability
of the unit since it would be mine and no one else's to mess with. I would
also ensure immediate maintenance of the rig. The alternative is to get
a PRC77 but I'd rather get the R-T first. So, I look forward to communicating
with you all and helping in any way I can to furthur expansion of this
group. Oh yes...I forgot that I am helping a friend restore an M-151 MUTT
that he has purchased. He is currently looking for its lineage and I suggested
to him that he paint the MUTT in either Vietnam-era colors (maybe 1st
CAV) or borderguard Germany/Cold War era colors (11ACR near Fulda Gap,
Germany?). I have heavy interest in military vehicles myself (particularly
tanks). Glad to be here and I hope to correspond with many of you in the
future Cal Eustaquio 2LT, AR "Airborne--All the Way!" "Armor--On the Way!" NEW MEMBER; Alan Stanscik Hellow, I am Alan Stanczik, presently living
in Lyons, IL. For the past 20 years I have been employed in the warranty
repair of automotive car radios, my speicialty is ford automotive radios.
I collect WW2 German Military radios, interrested in all types, some of
the ones I have, Torn EB with battery case and covers, Torn Fug g, WR/1
P. My want list 1. Shortwave Reciever Kw.E.a 2.Feldfu b or c, and f 3.Antenna
for the Kleinfunksprecher d 4. Dynamotors Type U.10 a1 and Type E.U.a2
5. 90 volt battery used in the Torn EB Trade items 1. Pair of BC 611's
2. BC1000 3. 19 MK 2 wireless set 4. BC 654-a 5. Original WW2 German Radio
manual for the WR 1/P Thanks Alan Stanscik NEW MEMBER; Jeffrey Ciccone Dennis I would very much like to join your
group. I am not a dealer although I do trade and buy/sell items. I have
been involved in this hobby since 1975 when I worked parttime at G&G Radio
in New York during high school and college. In the past 10years I have
been involved in the military vehicle (MVPA) hobby, specializing in radio
jeeps. I have won awards at the National Convention in 1994 and most recently
in 98 at Tobyhanna with an M151 jeep carrying the MRC107A forward air
control radio pallet. I also operate this equipment on the ham bands occasionally
(KG2BZ) I have a decent amount of TMs for postwar gear as this is what
I concentrate in but I am familiar with WWII gear. Looking for BB451 batteries
w electrolyte,PRC66,MRC20 equipment(connectors and mounts for ARC27,ARC8,ARC3
and vehicular antennas AT462,AT463, MP57) rf translator module for PRC104,
rf translator for 618t3,power amp modules for RT524, ARC51BX, GRA39 have
to trade /sell RT524,Wilcox 807,PRC25, AS2522 NVIS ant, AT1011 sections
Dennis thanks again Jeffrey Ciccone KG2BZ NEW MEMBER; Pete Owen. Hi Dennis... Thanks for the invitation. I can
certainly accept your conditions. Yours sounds like a group I would be
interested in. About me. I'm a retired Boeing hardware/software engineer.
Being brought up during the WW2 and postwar era, I have a keen interest
in the electronics of that time. I own several ex-military receivers,
and am always on the lookout for others. Presently I am searching for
an ex-RAF receiver, the R-1155, preferably a Fleet Air Arm -N model. I
am also interested in test equipment, and instruments. I have a collection
of over 250 slide rules. Regards, Pete Owen. NEW MEMBER; Steve Waters Dennis Thank you very much for the invitation.
I would like very much to join the group. I agree to the rules of membership
and will follow them. I will give you some info about myself and my interest.
Steve Waters Amature Call AE4IN. I am 39 years old and loved radios all
my life. I have been introduced to old military radios by my friend and
mentor Sam Timberlake. I am still on the low end of the learning curve
when it comes to repairing the old rigs but I am learning . I have a BC-610
that I use weekly and a SX-28-A that needs a little work that I plan for
a winter project. I have a SP-600 that I use with a VIKING 1 and am currently
working on a Valiant. The NAVY Reciever you are already aware of and thanks
for your help with info on it. I have turned toward military equipment
not only for the historical aspect of it but the rugged construction and
the great repair manuals that I find most useful. My knowledge of the
military rigs is shallow but I learn every day. I am an Instrument Tech
by trade and work in the Pulp and Paper Industry. When not playing with
radios I spend time with my family. My son Nick is KF4TXR and he is developing
an affection for the older rigs also. Nick made the trip to TENN with
me to pick up the BC-610 and helped me with the repair. My other hobby
is working with old motorcycles. Thank You Steve Waters NEW MEMBER; Marty Reynolds Dear Dennis: Charlie Milton submitted your
name to me. I've been a ham since '54 (yipes) & started mt radio life
sith a BC459. I'm one of the founders of the Classic Radio exchange &
always operate my TCS-15 in same. And in the AWA you'll hear me with a
DuMont (yes) '42 contract BC 186/187/ 188... that were built for Stilwell
et. al. in Burma. So now I'm assembling a SCR828 art'y FM rig as my latest
mil-pursuit & think membership might be beneficial. I can offer use of
a Sun Sparc 10 & majordomo reflector s/w-install if you consider doing
that later. You'd share that T1-connected reflector s/w with 30 other
groups & about 4000 messages per day - a fly-spec in the thing's ability.
So hope this reads well enough for acceptance, hope you don't consider
the reflector occupancy offer a bribe, & I look forward to a positive
response. Yours Very Truly Marty Reynolds ...who has a MT1029 VRC shock
mount for a RT524 and/or RT274 for sale and who can only guess that if
a BC659 counterpart can sell for $300, this oughta be near half that -
cause the mid-east lads cud use it today. I need help on this subject
and I'm shoppin' for a BC605 interfone amp. PS and why I forgot this I
can't guess. I've just finished a "signal conditioner" circuit to use
mil-spec headsets in a civvy aircraft. It makes the dynamic mike as found
in Telephonics H173 headsets look like a carbon type. Interface idea may
be as common as dirt but mamma I did this one myself with 2 transistors
and about 6 other passive components. Packaged it in a film can today.
And on the H173s, I left a Piper Warrior with mine yesterday while a Huhey
Cobra (no kiddin') crew was walking by with their H173s. They didn't notice
me but I sure did them! And also I've got a pioneer WW2 bom-mic headset
called the HS46/UR that used a M6A/UR carbon mic. My mic is shot so I'd
like to probe the subscribers for another - or a dynamic substitute. Funky
looking thing that may have been in O-2 attl'y spotters - manual says
for use below 10000 feet. Also cud use a CO219 mic. adapter cord that
goes PL68 to JJ48 and another one called a CD307 that goes JK26 to PL55
for the headset Marty Reynolds NEW MEMBER; Wayne Nowacki I accept your requirements to be a member of
your group. I am a licensed ham radio operator, and have been semi interested
in military radio for many years. I have recently aquired some prc 9 and
10 s, along with this i pickup, 1979 dodge 4x4 surplus that is basicily
original military camo paint and all. I would also like to equip this
vehicle with military type radio equipment. All equipmet I want must be
able to be used in ham bands. I am in the process of building an ac power
supply for the prc radios, after completing this project I want to build
a dc-dc converter for the prc radios. My occupation is a fire chief in
a Rural fire district in the Rathdrum Idaho area. I am also a part time
police officer for thr City of Rathdrum. My past employment has been in
law enforcement and prior to that I was an electronic tech two way radio
and microwave. I have worked with electronics off and on since the mid
sixtys. Some day I would like to obtain a modern type military communications
equipment. tnx wayne nowacki NEW MEMBER; Chuck Gumbert Hello Dennis- I would like to become a member of your group and will have no problem with the guidelines and conditions as you have listed them in your invitation. As for myself, I am married, 44 yrs old and live in extreme South Texas along the Mexican border. I am a plant manager for a Fortune 100 company and also spent several years as a fighter pilot for the US Navy. I'm a ham radio operator (somewhat inactive) who has spent hours running phone patches as a member of Navy MARS. I have owned a PRC-47, BC348, R392 and still use a BC342 as my primary SW receiver. I also belong to the Military Vehicle Preservation Assoc and am an active member of the Rio Grande Chapter. I have restored a 1967 M715 and am just completing a 1942 WC56 Command Car. Thanks for the invitation Dennis. I look forward to hearing from you. Best Regards- Chuck Gumbert chuckwrl@hiline.net ed) I'm most envious of your vehicles, while I get to drive an M-715 on a fairly regular basis(still in service with both ours and many area fire departments) I do not as yet own one, nor the Command car for which I'd gladly commit murder to own. My closest experience with Naval fighters was being blown over the side by the exhaust from a Tomcat (USS JFK circa 1976-80, me being a lowly radioman and venturing out on the flight deck only for antenna maintenance and the like, I was slow to learn flight deck hand signals, I thought the guy was just waving!) Glad to have you aboard even though you were an Airdale. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Jim Laidler WL7VK Dear Dennis, 1) I accept all of the terms
and conditions listed below. 2) My Radio Collector "Resume" My interest
in miltary radio equipment grew out of my interest in amateur radio. Unlike
many "hams", I didn't start out my "career" with an old military radio;
I started with VHF/UHF equipment of modern civilian construction. Shortly
after getting my amateur license, I entered active duty service with the
US Army. Although I wasn't in the Signal Corp, I was usually co-located
with the Troop HQ (I was in the Air Cavalry), so I was in close proximity
to the Troop HQ radios. It was then that I started my long-term "love-affair"
with "green radios". My current interest in military radios has taken
two directions: first, like most military radio fans, I like using them
for operating on the amateur radio bands. However, I also use my "green
radios" when I am on Reserve drills and during our Reserve unit Active
Duty Training (ADT). Like most Reserve units, mine is poorly equipped
with commo equipment, so bringing my own radios along allows me to keep
in contact better with the other units. It's been a fun way to use my
radios AND it allows me to use the resources of my unit's signal people
to keep my radios in good, working shape. My current collection includes
both military radios and older civilian radios (some of which were used
in the armed services during WW II and the Korean war. AN/PRC-68B(V) AN/PRC-77
RT-70 Hallicrafters HT-37, HT-40, HT-18, SX-99, S-40B Hammarlund HQ-110,
HQ-129X I hope that gives you an idea of who I am and what my interests
in military radio are. Thanks, Jim Laidler WL7VK NEW MEMBER; Michael Crestohl Hello Dennis: Thanks for your invitation
to become a member of your list. I agree to the conditions as set out
in your invitation letter. I am an amateur radio operator with an interest
in specific military/government radio recievers, transmitters and mechanical
cryptographic equipment, ie: R-390/390A, GRC-109, PRC-64, etc. I am the
co-founder of the R-390 mailing list on the QTH.NET server. In addition
I am active in the USS SALEM radio club. I live with my wife and baby
daughter in Northern Vermont not far from Burlington. I look forward to
reading this traffic with great interest and posting when I feel I have
something to contribute. Cordially, Michael Crestohl NEW MEMBER; Mike Rioux W1USN I have been interested in radios in general,
ham radio in particular, and have always been fascinated by military surplus
electronics. I am currently in my 30th year of active and reserve service
in the US Navy. I am a Commander and an Intelligence officer. I like small,
covert radio equipment. My current 'small' collection includes a PRC-64
(I looked for over 10 years before I finally acquired one! - a Delco 5300),
GRC-109 set, PatrolPhone SC-120, a URC-87, and a soon to be acquired PRC-74B.
I also build small transceivers to use in ham radio. I have an additional
interest in codes and ciphers and own a M209B cipher machine and a lot
of books relating to codes and ciphers. I am also a high-power shooter
and collect M1 Garands. I would like to acquire the 'accessory' kit for
the PRC-64, and any ancillary equipment for the PRC-74B. Thanks, Mike
Rioux W1USN NEW MEMBER; John Liner [Liner, John] The following is a brief description
of myself and insterests: I work for Harris RF Communications as a Field
Service Engineer. I provide support to our customers, usually in the field.
This support includes training, repair, advice, demonstrations, and anything
else a user might need to communicate. I retired from the Army (13 years
as a Special Forces radio operator, 12 years as an aviator-mostly in Special
Operations). My radio interests include boat anchors, mil radios, and
building wire antennas for the HF bands. I like to operate RTTY, CW and
occasionally voice. Among other things, I have an AN/GRC-109, an AN/GRC-87,
an R-390, a KWM-2 and an RF-2302. (I once wrote a short article that,
much to my pleasant surprise, was published in Electric Radio. The article
was on the AN/GRC-109.) If any of your members need copies of manuals
on old or obsolete Harris radios, I can sometimes help out (depending
on what I've been able to find in the dumpster). I won't ever ask for
money for a copy, other than to pay for copying costs and postage. Even
that is negotiable, if the requestor has something interesting to trade
for. Currently, I am looking for the following: 1.) A manual for the Tektronix
Type 549 o'scope, and a manual for the Tektronix Type 1A4 module, for
the same scope. (I have found a source for both manuals, but the owner
wants $85 for copies of both.) 2.) A manual for the AN/GRC-87 HF radio.
At the very least I need pinouts for the power connector, so that I can
power it up. I most assuredly need advice on restoring it. (It seems to
be in very good condition-I need to know how to align and check it out.)
3.) Crystals, type FT-246 for the GRC-109. John Liner. NEW MEMBER; Alan Fryer, N3BJ Hello Dennis Thanks for the invitation
to join the group, really appreciate it. This sounds just like what I
need to get boned up on the mil equipment I'm interested in..... I'm a
Product Service Engineer for General Electric Electric Vehicle Motors
and Controls and live in Bent Mountain, VA about 15 miles SW of Roanoke,
VA on the Blue Ridge Pkwy. I'm 49 years old, been a ham for 36 years,
main interests over the years have been CW, DXCC and contesting. Moved
down to the Roanoke area in 1991 from Erie, PA and really got caught up
in all the hamfests in the VA/Carolinas area and did some boatanchor trade/swap,
not to collect the stuff, but to put it on the air on CW and work DX.
I've got a great location here, located on the highest point of Bent Mountain,
with tremendous low angle take-off in all directions from a 3200 feet
elevation. Really enjoy the CW DX with older QRP sets from the mountain.
Worked 8Q7IO in the Maldives a while ago on 30M with my GRC-9 pounding
into a dipole, and VK6RU in Perth on 20M into a dipole with the GRC-109.
The GRC-9 and GRC-109 are the extent of my mil stuff presently, but really
interested in some of the HF CW clandestine stuff from the past, once
again, to put on the air and work DX. Also very interested in the history
behind the development, deployment and use of the same. Look forward to
exchanging info with other members of the group and meeting some of the
fellows that may be in the VA/MD/WV/NC/SC/TN area. I'll be at all the
large hamfests this spring, including Timonium and Dayton. Happy Holidays
! Alan Fryer, N3BJ Bent Mounatin, VA NEW MEMBER; Cliff Wallace Hi Dennis, Thank you for the prompt response
regarding my interest in the military collectors group. I most certainly
agree and accept the conditions as stated in your invitation. The following
is a short synopsis of myself and my interests: I was first licensed as
an amateur radio operator in 1962 and presently operate from Lockwood
Valley, California as WA6ZCB. In that same year I also obtained my commercial
license and began training to be a radio engineer and have also spent
some time behind the mike. Progressing to a higher income plain I migrated
to the telephone company before being "enticed" into the military in 1967.
I graduated from the Southeastern Signal School at Fort Gordon, Georgia
and was immediately sent to communications security/intelligence training
and then to "jump" school. With that behind me I was assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division in Viet Nam to work in the field as a forward intelligence
operative. After leaving Viet Nam I was assigned to 5th Army at Fort Carson,
Colorado to work with an intelligence unit including service at Cheyene
Mountain. During my military tour I used literally every type of radio
possible. These included the PRC-25 & 77, PRC-47, AN/GRC- 106/109 and
both the track and truck mounted radio teletype stations. Upon leaving
the military I returned to the telephone company where I escalated to
the position of radio operations supervisor from which I retired in 1993.
Concurrently, in 1972, I entered public service and served 25 years with
LAPD as a police officer specializing in traffic related activities such
as traffic enforcement, accident investigation and DUI enforcement. I
retired from there in 1997. Presently I am working for the L.A. County
Sheriff as a radio engineer at the main radio communications center in
East Los Angeles. My main interest is to recreate and preserve the military
radios I used while serving in the army up to and including the vehicles.
I also enjoy restoring older sets, WWII equipment, the ARC-3, ARC-5 command
radios, BC-series and portables such as the BC-611. I am always happy
to correspond, offer and seek advice regarding radios, military in particular,
as I believe the past experiences we have should be shared and not lost
in time as distant memories. Even the bad memories have a learning factor
to be remembered and hopefully they are over-shadowed by the good times.
Currently I am in transition, a fancy name for moving, and have to limit
myself to smaller and portable equipment. I would like to obtain a PRC-47
and would be interested in finding out if any of the members have established
a net on the amateur bands using military equipment exclusively. Naturally
I am interested in hearing of other equipment and learning about those
units which I did not have the pleasure to experience first hand. I sincerely
hope this excerpt will satisfy the requirements for participation in your
organization. If you require additional information, please don't hesitate
to let me know. Thank You for your consideration. Yours Truly, Cliff Wallace NEW MEMBER; Roy Morgan Dennis, I'd like to participate in your radio, etc. activity. #1. I accept the contitions you sent in your e-mail. #2. ( ... yourself, your current interest): I'm a graduate electrical engineer (Tufts, 1966), former Navy helicopter Pilot (ASW, Atlantic), and active ham (K1LKY since 1959). My interests are in military communication receivers, toobe type mostly, and transmitters of the tube era. My collection includes R-390A's, National, TMC and Hammarlund receivers, a Johnson Valiant and Ranger. My second major hobby is photography, and the house is equipped with a darkroom. I own two military transmitters of interest: a PRC-2(?) 243 mc survival beacon transmitter, and a clandestine RT-1B transmitter (1950). I'm currently gathering information about the RT-1B. I also have a 1944 Navy GO-9 aircraft HF transmitter. Wanted: A Collins PTO for the R-390 VLF receiver, model 70-H1. I offer as a finders fee to repair and align any R-39X receiver. I also want to find an inverter for the GO-9 (28 volts to 115vac 800 cycles). Trade: I have two ARN-6 ADF receivers. Will trade one for a rack or rear connector and conrol box with cable to get the other one running. Assistance: I have lots of test gear and experience for alignment/repair of equipment. Can also do high quality photography of equipment. I am in the Washington DC area, near the Historical Electronics Museum and the Crypto Museum, and would be able to do a limited amount of research for someone who can't get to those places. ---Roy Morgan K1LKY since 1959 Hydrodynamics/Hydroacoustics Technology Center Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division ed) It would appear you might have the only surviving example of a PRC-2. We're gonna hafta do some serious hagglin over it, as I ain't got one, and that's not acceptable. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Dorian H. Klein Dennnis , I was so glad to see that there
are other people with the same interests as myself.Please accept this
email as a application to your group. I am Dorian Klein,I work in industrial
maintenance at a factory west of Chicago. I got started in military gear
many years ago, but when I puchased am M-37 3/4 ton cargo truck I got
the bug.I had always had an interest in special forces and spy technology
and was surprised that I could actually buy the gear! I currently own
a grc-109 radio set with the usual accesories such as the gn-58 hand crank
generator and the gra-71 code burst set.I also own a cia issue "village"
radio. I would like to collect more, and most of all learn more.I look
forward to associating with others with simular interests. Sincerely,Dorian
H. Klein NEW MEMBER; Robin Faulkner N7GSU Dear Dennis, I look forward to the association
with you and the group. Please note however, that it is a bit of a catch
22 for a newby like myself who is interested in military radios and their
history to get started, when everyone who is holding items that are surplus
to their on collections are only willing to part with them in trade; since
a newcomer with just the desire and interests has nothing to trade with
until he makes his first acquisition. My interest in radios in general
began in my childhood and has never waivered. I joined the army signal
corps at age 17 and served in Viet Nam with the 21st Signal Group attached
to MACV. I also served with the 67th Signal Battalion at Ft. Riley, KS
and after returning from Viet Nam at Ft. Gordon. My primary MOS was 31N20
with secondaries of 31M20, 05B20, 05C20. I also held the MOS's 95B (MP)
and 16C20 (Nike Hercules Missile Fire Control Crewman). I was an instructor
in the Signal Officer's Basic Course at the SE Signal School, Ft. Gordon,
GA after my return from Viet Nam and my discharge from Walter Reed Army
MC where I was recovering after my return from RVN. While at Ft. Gordon,
I met and married my wife of the last 26 years. Kathy was a student at
Ft. Gordon in the 31J20 course (Teletype and Facsimile Equipment Repair
Tech). She was later transfered to Ft. Richie, MD where she served as
a tech at "Site R," with STRACOM. My amateur Radio Interest is primarily
QRP-HF CW ops. I am a member of QRP-ARCI (Member #4791) and NWQrp (Member
#500). While in Viet Nam, I saw duty with a number of units within MACV,
including the 5th SF Gp, Nha Trang and Team 26 in Dalat. I worked with
numerous "projects" pertaining to sensor systems used on "the trail" and
some PsyOPs. I have operated the PRC-64, GRC-109 and other such equipment
from bunkers to beaches in RVN and some of her neighboring countries as
well. About a year ago, I suffered a seizure at work and later learned
I have a condition similar to MS. I am now disabled and spend most of
my time at home on the computer. I was forced to sell all of my ham gear
to pay the lawyers, doctors and the IRS and now find myself basically
starting over at age 48. My mind is still pretty sharp but I can only
stand for short periods and walk with the help of cans. I am losing my
hearing, my eyesite and generally getting a bad attitude... but still
hanging in there. In short, I think I might have something to add to the
group and I certainly feel they have a lot to offer me. If I can assist
you or any member in anyway within my powers to do so, I need only be
asked. I agree to abide completely with all the "rules" of the group and
would be honored to be counted among them. My main interests are in collecting
a few examples of portable HF equipment that can be used on the "ham"
bands and with which I have some personal history. Any equipment collected
by me and still in my position at the time of my death, will be donated
to museums or other collections I have associated with, by my family.
Respectfully, Robin Faulkner, N7GSU NEW MEMBER; Mike Tyler WA8YWO Dear Dennis, Thank you for the invitation....yes
I agree with the conditions. My name is Michael Tyler,WA8YWO.I am 46 years
and have been colllecting military radio odds and ends since I was about
12.....I teach Electronics for 9-12th grades students.I had just about
gave up collecting until recently. I really enjoy repairing and operating
with my 10 year old son , the older military radio equipment.I believe
he will become a military radio collector someday himself. I recently
heard about your group through Robin Faulkner in MC Minnville, OR. I was
telling him how I had started to trade some of my small collection and
was not satisified with the units that i was receiving from the other
party. He then told me I should try to become a member of your group.
If it would be possible to "take me in" I sure would do my best to up
hold the integrity of the group. I am mainly interested at this time in
World War Two radio equipment. I like to collect and Restore BC-611, BC-1000,
MAB, DAV and similar equipment. I also like to collect and restore downed
Pilots radios. I am also interested in the PRC equipment like PRC-25,
PRC-6,and PRT-4, PRR9 and of course the PRC-8,9,10. I am interested in
only trading and restoring. Thanks again Mike Tyler NEW MEMBER; Derek Oldenburger Hi Dennis, Your group sounds neat. I have
enjoyed ww2 radios since I bought a BC 604 from Fair Radio Sales in l960!
I have a general class amateur radio ops license (K9FQO) and a class 1
commercial radio ops license. I have been playing with ww2 radios since
1960. I have a sizeable collection of equipment, parts and manuals. I
have no economic interest in my hobby. I am looking for a schematic or
a manual for the TRC1 receiver at the present time. I would enjoy participating
in your group. I do not have scanner capability at present but hope to
in the future as far as copying info for people but do have copy access.
I would enjoy being part of your group. Thank you, Derek Oldenburger NEW MEMBER; Peter Perg Good morning Dennis. I have read the mandate of the Military Collectors Group and they sound just fine. So, I herewith state that I accept these, I am in this collection thing purely for my own enjoyment. Where necessary and possible, I will try to help other members in locating and/or repairing items, and/or sharing knowledge. Background: Born 11/25/36 in The Netherlands, educated BSc Electronics, later did post graduate studies at UofCincinnati. Emigrated to USA in 1967, worked for Avco Electronics in aerospace development. Later joined RCA in video recorder development. Then, joined Kraft Systems to design their transmitters and receivers for radio control of models. In 1981, I returned to the aerospace industry, started my own company in 1988 which I sold in 1992 to SBS and retired from in 1996. Started collecting olive drab boxes about three months ago and have a [very] rapidly growing collection. Specialty interest: everything portable, backpack, handheld, up to and including Vietnam era. Other interests include flying (model airplane and full size). I am an instrument rated pilot. I was introduced to this group by Alan and Ralph with whom I had been corresponding via e-mail. They expressed just the right amount of tremendous enthousiasm and help I was looking for and I hope that I will, in the future, be in a position to also contribute. So, please accept this membership application. Thanks and regards, Peter Berg, married to Marcia KQ6AA e-mail berg@rc-direct.com or: potifar@aol.com *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Mark A. Cobbeldick, -Ex-US military (MOS was in communications).
-Licensed Amateur Radio Operator ( KB4CVN ) since 1982. -Work in the commercial
two-way radio field, as a technician since 1983. My current position,
is as a master technician & product support specialist, for a large two-way
radio equipment manufacturer. -Recently developed a greater interest in
MilCom equipment. I have owned variouse pieces of MilCom equipment over
the years (PRC-8/9/10's, RT-524 ), but only as a curiosity, and later
used as trading fodder. Several years ago, I got interested in six meter
operations, then into vhf-lowban d (29.7-54 MHz) monitoring, at first
only as a DX indicator for six meter work. This lead into a greater interest
in vhf-lowband/midband monitori ng, and greater interest in MilCom monitoring.
Now an interest in owning /operating surplus MilCom equipment. (I only
now wish I had not traded- off the equipment I once had in my possession!)
Mark A. Cobbeldick NEW MEMBER; Mark Burgess, Sir I would like to participate in the group.
I dont recall getting a previous invitation, sorry. My name is Mark Burgess
I am 31 live in Maine and have been collecting military radios for about
8 years now. I hold a technician class ham license and am a SGT in the
Army National Guard going on 14yrs. My current invantory of radios is
1960's and above gear leaning toward the tactical radio 30-88MHz, RT524's
PRc 77's PRC 68B and related antenna systems OE-254's and remote systems
GRA-39's and of course a myriad of secure landline telephones. Also I
have an extensive book and CD rom library of TM's relating to the above
mentioned equipment. I would be more than happy to share any information
or knowledge with anyone in the group. Thanks Mark B. NEW MEMBER; Conard Murry Hi Dennis, I would very much like to be involved
with your group. Please subscribe me at cmurray@tntech.edu I am 35 years
old and have been a ham for 20 years. I work for the Electrical Engineering
Department at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN as the R&D Engineer.
I started fooling with milsurp 20 years ago because it was cheap and interesting.
Now, it's just interesting! If these radios could just tell us where they
have been....... I like Navy gear, but some green stuff is lying about
too. I am a user rather than a sit-and-stare-at-it collector, so if I
can't get on the air with it, I don't keep it long. I have operational
right now a TCS, a GRC-19 and a SRT-14 that I pair up with either a R-390A
or a SRR-13A. I also have a T-4/FRT that I am restoring .. it works OK
at 500 watts out on 80M, but I need to rebuild the other coilsets and
I also need a better HV power supply for it. About all I feel the need
to acquire at the present is a R-1051 of some variety. I like to shoot
milsurp rifles too. As far as helping others, I am willing to do what
I can. I have been helped by others in the past and I know that if everyone
does what they can, then we all benefit. You get out what you put in.
I do have a stash of a couple thousand tubes that I am willing to pass
along to anyone with a need, and I have a couple of SRR-13 hulks that
I can help with parts from. I hope I qualify for admission to the group.
73, Conard Murry, WS4S NEW MEMBER; Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow, KA1KAQ Hello Dennis - Thank you for
this invitation to join the group. I have seen a few messages from this
group, as well as talked to a few members. This seems to be a very knowledgable,
resourceful group that enjoys the aspects of this hobby without the commercialism
and 'gold digging' approach found in so many other lists/reflectors. This
is what I have observed from the few postings I have seen in the last
year or so. I myself have been a radio nut since high school, getting
started with shortwave and CB(until it became so incredibly stupid in
the late 70's), then moved on to get my amateur license in 1983. My first
shortwave receiver was a Hallicrafters S-40B, followed by a National RAO-7/NC-127
from a WWII B-29(at least that's what the old timer told me). I have always
been interested in mililtary gear of all types, mostly radio-related,
but I do have a few nice old flight jackets, a leather flight helmet w/mask,
some other army helmets and misc. trinkets. I'm basically a packrat. The
radio gear that I have of a military nature includes several of the ARC5
receivers and transmitters, a BC-191, 2 ART-13's, RAK-8, RAO-7(or 8?),Hallicrafters
RBK-13, RCA CR91A and AR88LF, two R-390's, one by each manufacturer, one
R-390A by Parametrics/Teledyne, CU-286/FRR-33 multicoupler, two SP-600's
and a BC-779. One area where I have become extremely interest recently
is the area of covert/clandestine radio gear. I recently got my hands
on a GRC-109 set up with both supplies, although the recevier is actually
the CIA RR-2B. I am amazed not only at the compact size of this gear for
it's design age, but also by how well it works! I've put together a kit
from a 20mm ammo can with the small power supply and T/R as well as the
manual and other odds and ends. I hope to find the GRA-71 code burst unit
as well as the spares box with the spare parts. I'd also like to find
other models, but I don't hold out much hope for this since it seems that
'spy radios' are becoming 'fashionable' now too, like Collins gear did.
As far as the business end of things, I do believe you have it right -
people should be able to buy/sell/trade their military wares on the list,
but not make it a business. The purpose should always be to further ones
own knowledge and gear, not their bank account. I have always preferred
trading for this reason, since it allows both parties to get what they
want, no(or very little) cash needs to change hands, and it moves items
which are surplus to one person into the hands of someone else to use
and enjoy. Myself, I have a fairly large collection(I hate to use that
term because of the 'hoarder' or 'money maker' implications)of radio gear,
ranging from amateur to military, to old braodcast radios, keys, tubes,
etc. One item I have recently gotten hold of in an estate deal is extremely
interesting, but I can find no one with any knowledge of it. It is a WWI
British MK III 'shortwave' military crystal receiver. Apparently it was
used by the field artillery to receive transmissions from spotter aircraft,
but aside from the clipping included in the case, that is all I can find
on it. The date on it is 1918. Hopefully someone on this list will know
more. Finally, as far as contributing, I'm not too sure just how much
I'll be able to help, as I don't have a lot of knowledge, but I do enjoy
learning and will no doubt have a lot of questions over time. Perhaps
I'll even have an answer now and then. Oh, about me, myself....I'm 38
years old, I am not a yuppy, nor am I 'politically correct' - quite the
opposite, I tend to use common sense and be somewhat outspoken at times.
I do agree with the terms you have described and I look forward to learning
more. Thank you very much for this opportunity! Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow,
KA1KAQ Randolph, VT NEW MEMBER; Louis Meulstee PA0PCR Dear Dennis, in an e-mail Bill Howard
informed me about your group, how it works and what the conditions are
to join. Although my time is limited having a busy job, I feel that I
can live with this and welcome questions on my field of knowledge, so
I accept the conditions. A description of myself: Born in 1942 and always
lived in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Married with two grown-up children.
Work for KPN Telecom (previous PTT) as a product manager in the field
of PMR mobile radio. I am a radio amateur (PA0PCR) for about 37 years.
My main interest is British Army radio communication technical history
and development. I keep only a small collection of WW2 radios primarily
due to limited space. >From 1981 till present I have written about 150
articles on military radio communication, published in a variety of newsletters,
magazines etc. (e.g. the Old Timer's Bulletin, Radio Bygones etc.) In
addition I published two books in a series on the technical history and
development of British Army radio entitled "Wireless for the Warrior"
(Volume 1 Wireless Sets 1-88 and Volume 2 Standard Sets of WW2). More
info on these books can be found on my web-site. Finally, I have built
a web-site quite recently in which I also posted a list with condensed
technical details of most of the British WW2 sets including good quality
pictures. See my site at: http://home.wxs.nl/~meuls003/home.html Best
regards, Louis Meulstee PA0PCR NEW MEMBER; Laz greetings. i received your invitation letter. i am interested
in joining the group. i bought my first USSR R-105M at a computer convention
and am going to get it up and running in my studio(once i get an antenna
and a headset). i'd like to join your group, however #6 concerned me.
i do want to learn about these things and the history of them, but i also
want to get a few additional radios. i don't have anything to trade but
beer and a dumb cat since i just got my first military radio. am i eligible
to join your group? laz (The preceding was a product of the"Military Collector Group Post", an international email magazine dedicated to the preservation of history and the equipment that made it. Unlimited circulation of this material is authorized so long as the proper credits to the original authors, and publisher or this group are included. For more information conserning this group contact Dennis Starks at, military-radio-guy@juno.com) |
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