K4CHE Photos and Notes

     MRCA Gilbert Rally 16-18       September 2010

      ** Comments on these pages are my own personal remarks and do not reflect MRCA policy or procedures.

        But first a few notes:

                  My email post to the MRCA list after returning from Gilbert.

                  Ah yes, Gilbert, it is a great Rally, but frustrating because there is so much going on,
its hard to talk to everyone especially some of the newer participants, hard to renew older friendships and look at all the new stuff, meet the new personnel and still play. A year will go by and then there will be another Gilbert thanks to Al, Steve, and Dale. But during the year we will remember:
Being Greeting by the security force and the local police Sergeant with 3 stripes who remembers me and waves me in and then it was fun watching the Howard building fill up with people and radios but especially putting the emphasis on people. Remembering walking with Al to go look at the Collins R-390A on a Thursday Rainy Night,
Seeing Homer and his new assistant Bryan the grounds keeper and assistant and saying hello for yet another time. Sad to look in the "tip barrel" and not see much of anything.
Remembering Al putting a whole roll of litz wire in front of me when I was setting up Thursday, litz wire that is price less and I accepted it know that Al understands my obsession with winding my own IF coils for yet another HBR- receiver. So the roll of wire is transferred from " my pile to your pile".
Pat saying he did not need a coat, before going up on the mountain early Friday and arriving on top with winds at 20 knots gusting to 30. Talking with the chief of parks on the mountain and comparing radios sitting on park benches instead of picnic lunches, I mean give me a break.
Later Saturday watching Al come out with a box of resistors when Rob needed a 100 ohm for the ARC- 1 metering system, I mean who carries a box of resistors.
John on the honky tonk piano playing for us at the pizza place and someone looking at Johns 18 antennas on his vehicle and noting that one of the mounts actually did not have an antenna.
Talking with Joe and asking about the next article in ER and he says "he has more time now but that he has all ready sent "Electric Radio several pieces" and my thinking I will never be able to catch up with Joe and Jeep. But looking at the command set spines on Joe's table and thinking that I can fabricate more flexible cables and not have to make a deal with "Toober" and where is Toober?
Listening to Al on 51.0 when Pat and I were on the mountain and it was communications chaos and Al saying calmly " lets sort this out. Wish I had had Al as a Copilot a few times.
Always remembering Why is 2 meters better than 51.0 from the mountain.
Watching Bill pick up the military style HBR during his presentation, putting it on the side and my realizing it was still plugged in but Bill saying this is hot and that he has to be careful a professional.
Watching Flory answer every single question his son asked and march around in his Marine Corps Gear after surviving the Marine Corps Boot camp this summer.
Bill showing up with the same shirt and that Pirate Hat and loaning me those dangerous killer magnets to hold the ponchos on my truck, and learning that they come from hard drives that are junked.
Looking at Pete's meticulous work on modification of the dial of the type 12 stuff.
Watching Dave haul in the huge BC-669 (or version there of) box and leave it as a calling card and it would sit unattended until later Ted would load it up on 3885
Looking at Pete's face when I told him I blew all the filaments on my URC-4 when I was preparing for Gilbert but now I would not be able to QSO his type 12 equipment.
Looking at the typewriter that traveled from Jeeps to Bernie's , to OBR's to Gilbert last year, and then back with Flory and then back to Gilbert and looking at it sitting on my "war wagon" rear gate ready to talk to me and it sits there when Al suggest that perhaps it might make its way to the NJARC club military communications museum and thus it will make still another trip, perhaps the final one. Remembering Chuck and his gift of the CD full of SINGARS manuals. Talking with Ted and learning of his problems with his T-195 inverter power supply which I know I can fix but sitting there thinking --- "why is it I can fix every ones else's stuff but can't fix my own?
Watching Bill and Paul erect their "Taj Mahal" tent and later seeing it in the dark glowing like some sort religious revival tent you could probably see it from the air for miles and then slowing approaching the lit up room and opening the tent flap to return a flash light and being hit in the face by the "heat" emitting from within, those boy travel in style.
Getting up at oh dark thirty and walking around the rally and actually seeing others doing the same thing, some with flashlight looking at what was for sale. Watching Mark consume MRE's, Mark always cheerful and full of information.
Watching Bill get fired up about 160 meter coils when I gave him a gift of some home brew coil forms. Seeing Jeff consume squirt cheese and crackers, a tradition.
Watching Ted at midnight go around and methodically look at every exhibit and taking it all in he was probably the only one that read my CAP info displayed like a science fair project.
Watching Ray setup and sit like a king pin high up in his truck in his chair and hearing that he let his daughter drive and watch Joe Meagher finally show up to a Gilbert show and his carefully surveying the situation and my receiving a personal invitation to visit the Baltimore museum.
Watching Dale run around with 1 each road map in hand back and forth trying to get it all organized.
Watching Gene and Larry Saturday morning with the field stove that burns diesel and air and listening to the stove go swooooosh when it fires up as he gave me a scary demo.
Meeting the famous Jack Antiono who took the time to find me, Jack who has sent me countless items and helps everybody.
Watching Dean and admiring his coolness and polite way.
Watching Dale and Dean and Bob drive the Mule and their expressions like they were leaving the planet and going to neighboring asteroid on a mission. Dale and Dean brothers who share the same interest, how lucky they are.
And Chuck and his endless series of projects that he is carefully dragging me into the abyss. Bob, Jeff's friend Bob bringing me over a half of a special ops parachute because he knows I like parachutes for shelters. Talking with Gene on 29.050 and finally making contact with my HT-1. 

Lessons learned: After it stops raining never park under a tree in a 86 Suburban War Wagon that you are going to sleep in---- because after the rain has stopped--- the tree generates a continuous barrage of rain all night long, a constant series of drip, drips, and more drips and those acorns are not any fun either. Hard drives have excellent magnets for holding poncos. Bring a small heater for you tent. Always bring a box of resistors.         Its no fun watching the building slowly empty while you are packing up. Friends are very important. "and the beat goes on". 73 breck    

                
                  Ole friend Mike Baranosky and his hugh flea
                  market area. Jeff Ciccone KG2BZ looks on.
                   Mikes prices can't be beat.

            
                I picked up an R-390A for a fraction
of the eBay cost. Al Klase helped me haul it
back Thursday night in the rain.

                           
                               A nice PRC-77 installation on Bob's mule
                         using a crypto mount.

                        
                                   Pat KC2RNN on his SINCGARS rig.

                                 Click here for video.

                                 MRCA 2010 continues on Page 2