From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: kc5ijd@sprintmail.com Fcc: Sent Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 07:05:55 Subject: Military Collector Group Post, Nov.22/97 Message-ID: <19971127.070318.3335.12.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.38 Military Collector Group Post, Nov.22/97 Index: On the Rag; PRC-64 Group Project Status; CAN THIS BE TRUE?? Selling plots at Arlington!!! MEMBER INPUT; Finaly MEMBER PROFILE; Jim Mahaffey MEMBER PROFILE; John Kidd HUMOR; ************************************************************** On the Rag; Perhaps it's not to bad to be "on the rag" every once in awhile(of course we can never let our females know this). Some member input has been received as a result, for which I am very grateful. Though still not enough. The most common statement is "am very sorry but I don't know much about". What I have the most trouble making people understand is, none of us know very much! It is all these little tidbits of knowledge that must be combined to get a complete picture, or some measurable amount of "knowing much". A case in point is the series of discussion by several members on the TCS. Until that time, though the long life of the TCS was suspect, it took the little bits of information, all tacked together, to give us a complete picture, & proof of this radio's long & glorious life. Or the article & subsequent discussion on the BC-611, all started with a simple question. Do we not all (myself included) know more now than we did before? Not because of one person knowing much, rather because of the additional input from several people knowing a little. All started by someone knowing nothing! In the last series on Desert Storm Trophies & CMEC, either Bill or myself alone could have presented an adequate account. But is adequate enough? I didn't think so, that's why I asked him to participate. Was not the result much better because of the pool of knowledge? Are not the myths, rumors, etc dispelled, & the accuracy enhanced when several accounts collaborate? In closing, I don't get all my information from one book, but hundreds of books. I don't get my historical references from one person or his war story, but hundreds of people & their stories. These are all combined to get a greater more accurate account. Here we have hundreds of minds cannot the same be true? I need to get me a new soap box, I'm gaining weight in my old age, & this one is getting rickety. Dennis Starks; MILITARY RADIO COLLECTOR/HISTORIAN military-radio-guy@juno.com ************************************************************** PRC-64 Group Project Status; I'm most embarrassed, & sorry in my inability to get these radios out to you in a timely fashion. While I was able to get all the PRC-47's shipped out in fairly short order. This was because the weather was nice & I was able to set up an awning outside, with plenty of room, working on them without conflict with my normal business shipping. Shortly after this however the weather went to shit & has deteriorated ever since. As a result, I had to remove a bunch of stuff from my shipping room to enable me to set up two large tables in an already very cramped environment. Now, with all the radios laid out, the mixing & matching process is under way, & provided my finances not go to shit again, I sincerely hope to have these things out of here by the middle of next week. I am most grateful for your patience & understanding in this matter. Thanks, Dennis ************************************************************** CAN THIS BE TRUE?? Selling plots at Arlington!!! Now, something of real importance. I recieved the following from a friend, who recieved it from a another friend of mine, but the person who sent this to me did not know that I also knew the original writer. As a veteran of the military, I am sure that you will be sickened by it as much , if not more than I was. I have not recieved permission to make this info public, but have eliminated any names just in case it was not meant for public consumption. I have never heard of this matter until I recieved this mail. I don't know if it is a fact, but if it's true, and I have a very strong feeling that it is, ANY PERSON THAT READS THIS SHOULD BE OUTRAGED BY IT'S CONTENT. #1 KSFO (560 AM) radio in the Bay Area has been doing a number of shows based on the selling of burial rights in National Cemeteries to the highest bidder(contributors) by the Democratic Party. The shows came from an article being printed in full in the magazine INSIGHT, Upcoming 12/8/97 edition. #2 TRANSLATION: The Democratic Party has been "raffling " off plots in veterans Cemeteries to major contributors to the Democratic Party. Several years ago the requirements for burial at Arlington Cemetery were changed because of limited availability of space from being a veteran to Silver Star recipients (or higher), and Purple Heart Veterans. By selling off plots the Democratic Party and our CIC, William Jefferson Clinton, have slapped every veteran in this country in the face and said what we did wasn't/isn't worth a damn.It is an outrage against any patriotic American who ever served the country for this draft dodging SOB to do this to us! The rest was a grander personal opinion , which I don't feel is my right to pass on, at least without that person's permission. But I am in complete in agreement with his opinon. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST OFFENSIVE ACTS I HAVE EVER HEARD OF. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MAD AS HELL ! I'LL BET YOU ARE ! ************************************************************** MEMBER INPUT; Finaly >From a couple of Australian members WHAT AN ASS: Your warning earlier did not surprise me. His postings to the Boatanchor groups were nearly always selling at what I would call ripoff prices, or wanting parts or manuals to complete equipment, presumably to sell. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are correct in all your statements & assumptions. my problem is that I only know about rigs that I have seen, and then it aint a mystery anymore. ------------------------------------------------------ Wrong! The mystery is in how it was actually used, & by whom. About this, very little is known. I own dozens of radios that I have no idea about their historical significance. I/E owning a radio does not do away with it's mystery, in fact that's when the mystery starts. Even very common radios like the GRR-5 have some little known mystery behind them, though admittedly not always that glamorous. I've really enjoyed the series about desert storm trophies. Made me decide I'd like a Syncal but its probly out of my price range. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Thanks for the flowers,I need them from time to time. I gave $350 for my Syncal 30, with all the acc from another collector, he purchased it from the GI that brought it home. The Squad Call's are also available in Australia as this is were they were actually designed, but from what I've seen the prices are a little nuts. Whatsmore, being in OZ I don't know a lot about Ameican rigs. Australia didn't really start using your gear until the sixties. -------------------------------------------------------------- Wrong again. Australia used a bunch of U.S. equipment during WW-II. Ever hear of a Wireless sets No.31(BC-1000), or No.48 ? Not to mentions a host of aircraft types. As far as that goes, we are also interested in the radios you used in the sixties, which ones, were, how etc. We by no means are interested in just U.S. radios. Perhaps you could extend the mystery radio idea to being a section for members to write an article about a rig in their shack that other members wouldn't know a lot about. I have five rigs in front of me that most members will never have heard of. I'd be happy to start the ball rolling by putting my limited knowledge about them to paper. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Excellent idea, but not under the Mystery Radio heading. The term Mystery implies that there is yet unexplained truth. Before you can have mystery, you must know a little. Your Australian sets, we know nothing about, hence there can be no mystery. That heading would be meant as a regular item with input provided by all the members of the group. This would be the reason for announcing the next radio to be featured in a preceding post, to give others time to come up with some input before hand, thus all possible information can be included at once. I'd much rather place your input & Australian equipment under a heading like, From Australia I/E this material would not be a regular item, rather more like a Special Feature. I'd be most happy to see it. And there is especially great interest here about the so called Coast Watchers Radios(which are indeed Mystery Radios to us). The radio I know the least about is the Teleradio, I'm not even sure if it is a Teleradio because the term is used very loosly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know there is much varied opinion about these radios. Last year I presented some questions about it to our Aussie members. The reports were conflicting. I might suggest that you work together to get to the bottom of the real story, & make this story public. This because the coast watchers & their radios are of world wide fame, but little is really known about them. I would think it would be a great matter of national pride to get the story, the whole story told. The U.S. also had coast watchers in place with their operations modeled after your own. The equipment they used was of both U.S. & Australian origin. Very sadly though, their story has died, & we know nothing about them or their equipment. With no hope of resurrecting their story. I strongly erdge you to act before the same fate befalls your heros. Can you not now see why it is of the utmost importance to document every possible detail of the history of this equipment? Tis because this equipment is a physical part of that history, & such keeps it alive! Australia's radio achievements have been largely ignored over the years by the rest of the world. Your further insult is perpetuated by such Publications as Jane's(from England) which completely ignores Australia & the fact that equipment is & has been designed & manufactured there from pre WW-II times to the present. And that, in fact many of their own radios came from you. Perhaps it's time we changed that. Australian's & American's share not only a common language, names, & history dating to colonial times. But every major war(or Police Action) fought by our countries in the last 97 years has been fought side by side. Thus we share many other things you may not yet be aware of, are you familiar with the HF, medium & high power transmitters that were highly coveted by U.S. communicators in the early days of WW-II Pacific, these provided by Australia? Also early WW-II, our troops had no machetes for use in jungle operations, they were provided with a much beloved short sword as a substitute, also by Australia.(I'd love to have one of these!). What about the 15,000 man strong detachment of Aussie troops in South Vietnam, 1965, the only industrialized nation to show the U.S. some support in that conflict! What did they use? I could ramble on for several more pages but I hope I've got my point across. I myself have MANY questions for you & your countryman, hopefully someday my time will permit further discussion of them. ********************************************************* 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. ********************************************************* HUMOR; Subject: Macho Mice Three mice were sitting in a bar talking about how tough they were. The first mouse slams a shot and says, "I play with mouse traps for fun. I'll run into one on purpose and as its closing on me, I grab the bar and bench press it twenty or thirty times". And with that he slams another shot. The second mouse slams a shot and says, "That's nothing. I take those Decon tablets, cut them up and snort them just for the fun of it". And with that he slams another shot. The third mouse slams a shot, gets up and walks away. The first two mice look at each other, and turn to the third mouse and ask, "Where the hell are you going?" The third mouse stops and replies, "I'm going home to have sex with the cat." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTUAL NEWSPAPER HEADLINES GATORS TO FACE SEMINOLES WITH PETERS OUT The Tallahassee Bugle MESSIAH CLIMAXES IN CHORUS OF HALLELUJAHS The Anchorage Alaska Times GOVERNOR'S PENIS BUSY [should be "Pen Is"] The New Haven Connecticut Register THANKS TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, STAFF SGT. FRUER NOW HAS A SON The Arkansas Plainsman CLINTON PLACES DICKEY IN GORE'S HANDS Bangor Maine News STARR AGHAST AT FIRST LADY SEX POSITION The Washington Times CLINTON STIFF ON WITHDRAWAL The Bosnia Bugle LONG ISLAND STIFFENS FOR LILI'S BLOW Newsday ORGAN FESTIVAL ENDS IN SMASHING CLIMAX San Antonio Rose PETROLEUM JELLY KEEPS IDLE TOOLS RUST-FREE Chicago Daily News TEXTRON INC. MAKES OFFER TO SCREW COMPANY STOCKHOLDERS The Miami Herald MARRIED PRIESTS IN CATHOLIC CHURCH A LONG TIME COMING The New Haven Connecticut Register GOVERNOR CHILES OFFERS RARE OPPORTUNITY TO GOOSE HUNTERS The Tallahassee Democrat WOULD SHE CLIMB TO THE TOP OF MR. EVEREST AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY! The Houston Chronicle ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCRIPTURE A pastor went out one Saturday to visit his church members. At one house, it was obvious that someone was home, but nobody came to the door even though the pastor had knocked several times. Finally, the pastor took out his card, wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it, and stuck it in the door. * Revelation 3:20 -- Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. The next day, the card turned up in the collection plate. Below the pastor's message was the notation "Genesis 3:10": * Genesis 3:10 -- "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EVEN MORE NEWSPAPER HEADLINES SOMETHING WENT WRONG IN JET CRASH, EXPERT SAYS POLICE BEGIN CAMPAIGN TO RUN DOWN JAYWALKERS SAFETY EXPERTS SAY SCHOOL BUS PASSENGERS SHOULD BE BELTED DRUNK GETS NINE MONTHS IN VIOLIN CASE SURVIVOR OF SIAMESE TWINS JOINS PARENTS FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE IRAQI HEAD SEEKS ARMS IS THERE A RING OF DEBRIS AROUND URANUS? STUD TIRES OUT PROSTITUTES APPEAL TO POPE PANDA MATING FAILS; VETERINARIAN TAKES OVER SOVIET VIRGIN LANDS SHORT OF GOAL AGAIN BRITISH LEFT WAFFLES ON FALKLAND ISLANDS LUNG CANCER IN WOMEN MUSHROOMS EYE DROPS OFF SHELF TEACHER STRIKES IDLE KIDS REAGAN WINS ON BUDGET, BUT MORE LIES AHEAD SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM SHOT OFF WOMAN'S LEG HELPS NICKLAUS TO 66 ENRAGED COW INJURES FARMER WITH AX PLANE TOO CLOSE TO GROUND, CRASH PROBE TOLD MINERS REFUSE TO WORK AFTER DEATH JUVENILE COURT TO TRY SHOOTING DEFENDANT STOLEN PAINTING FOUND BY TREE TWO SOVIET SHIPS COLLIDE, ONE DIES TWO SISTERS REUNITED AFTER 18 YEARS IN CHECKOUT COUNTER KILLER SENTENCED TO DIE FOR SECOND TIME IN 10 YEARS NEVER WITHHOLD HERPES INFECTION FROM LOVED ONE DRUNKEN DRIVERS PAID $1000 IN `84 WAR DIMS HOPE FOR PEACE IF STRIKE ISN'T SETTLED QUICKLY, IT MAY LAST A WHILE COLD WAVE LINKED TO TEMPERATURES ENFIELDS COUPLE SLAIN; POLICE SUSPECT HOMICIDE RED TAPE HOLDS UP NEW BRIDGE DEER KILL 17,000 TYPHOON RIPS THROUGH CEMETERY; HUNDREDS DEAD MAN STRUCK BY LIGHTNING FACES BATTERY CHARGE NEW STUDY OF OBESITY LOOKS FOR LARGER TEST GROUP ASTRONAUT TAKES BLAME FOR GAS IN SPACECRAFT KIDS MAKE NUTRITIOUS SNACKS CHEF THROWS HIS HEART INTO HELPING FEED NEEDY ARSON SUSPECT IS HELD IN MASSACHUSETTS FIRE BRITISH UNION FINDS DWARFS IN SHORT SUPPLY BAN ON SOLICITING DEAD IN TROTWOOD LANSING RESIDENTS CAN DROP OFF TREES LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS CUT IN HALF NEW VACCINE MAY CONTAIN RABIES MAN MINUS EAR WAIVES HEARING DEAF COLLEGE OPENS DOORS TO HEARING AIR HEAD FIRED STEALS CLOCK, FACES TIME PROSECUTOR RELEASES PROBE INTO UNDERSHERIFF OLD SCHOOL PILLARS ARE REPLACED BY ALUMNI BANK DRIVE-IN WINDOW BLOCKED BY BOARD HOSPITALS ARE SUED BY 7 FOOT DOCTORS SOME PIECES OF ROCK HUDSON SOLD AT AUCTION SEX EDUCATION DELAYED, TEACHERS REQUEST TRAINING INCLUDE YOUR CHILDREN WHEN BAKING COOKIES --------- End forwarded message ---------- When finished reading use browser back button or go to http://www.prc68.com/MCGP/MCGP.html