MRCA Gilbert Meet 2007
MRCA
logo by N3FRQ
Date: 22-23 September 2007
OL:
Gilbert, PA (
Mission: Displays, Field Exercises, Night Lantern Activity, Presentations, MVPA Flea Market,MRCA Flea Market, Military Vehicle Show, Evening Morale Meetings.
WX: CAVOK
Staff:
OIC: Steve,
N3NNG
OIC:Al, N3FRQ
OIC:Dale,
KW1I
Communications: Ted, W3PWW
Field Operations: Dale, KW1I
Morale and Recreation Officer: Dale, KW1I
Navy Radio Liaison Officer: K2WI, Rob
Illumination Officer: Brown W1NZR, Brown
"The Military Radio Collectors Association, organized in 2000, is intended to bring together people with a genuine interest in the subject. It is an outgrowth of the Old Military Radio Net AKA East Coast Military Radio Net that meets every Saturday at 05:00AM ( Eastern time) on 3885Kcs in the 75-meter amateur band." In addition a CW net is held at 2100 (Eastern) on 3570 each Sunday evening.
Attending
the Military Radio Collector Association rally also means that you are going
to see a lot of Military Vehicles, Surplus Items, Collectors items and best
of all your military radio buddies. --- The MRCA Rally is held in conjunction
with the Red Ball Military Transport which is an affiliate of the
Military Vehicle Preservation Association.
Next Event Info:
The next MRCA Rally will be held on 18-20 September of 2008. "The event will, once again, be held in conjunction with the Red Ball Military Transport Annual Rally" Intel can be found at : http://www.mrca.ar88.n
The Rally is held at Gilbert PA
The Rally site is held at the Gilbert PA fairgrounds
which is located in a valley with lots of rolling terrain. You may camp
on site with excellent facilities. Motels are available.
Here
is a link to Mapquest. Gilbert, PA Mapquest
Ted
W3PWW, the MRCA NCS unpacking the famous Retro Rocket power supply
for the GRC-19 headquarters station.
Thursday
morning the early arrivals or those that camped out Wednesay night begin
their setup, Dale, KW1I does some emergency repairs.
.
N3FRQ
makes a quick contact on 5373 Kcs SSB.
Note: 5373 (dial frequency 5371.5) is rapidly becoming the unoffical SSB calling channel for MRCA members.
There are a lot of pages of photos,videos, and remarks. But if you want to skip around here are the links:
Al's
set on 51.0 which was guard channel for the arriving members.
"It's a Collins 628K1. It was intended as a PRC-77 replacement: 30-88Mhz, 25Khz channel spacing, 9 memories, plus frequency-hopping capability. Collins didn't get the contract, and sold the design to Datron. It lives on, in modified form, in the international market as the PRC-1088."
Al's
work shop. 
Brown arrives sporting a new comm truck.
Steve
gets a quick tour. 
Dale
unpacks his well equipment ambulance. This truck is great as a convoy
lead vehicle to Studebakers Resturant for the Friday night dinner.
Equipment line up: GRC-9 / DY-88 GRC-106, Mackay MSR-8000 PRC-77 / AM-2060, sleeping accomdations.
Al begins a emergency battery pack project.
More
later.
Fleamarket
started filling up on Thursday afternoon.
John, K1KHP sets up his antenna .
John wastes no time getting on the air.