MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, MAR. 27/98 INDEX: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Archives: Your Responses: Member Negotiations and Disputes: Inverter Design: Crystals Source: Special Event Freqs: DATE THAT LIVES IN OBSCURITY; By GEORGE CORYELL of The Tampa Tribune HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Archives: One of our new members has requested that our archives be made available on disk. And suggest that this would be easier than having selected issues sent him via email. While the later might be questionable, the request does have some merits. Currently the Group Post archives take up three 3.5" disk, #1/1997, #2/1998, #3/Backmail. All are simple text files and can be opened with just about any program, and each disk has it's own index. I would think that the disk, suitable packaging, and postage would run about $5.00 U.S. Is there any additional interest? Your Responses: PLEASE when sending me a message, include your email address in your signature. I fail to see why this is so difficult as your software will do it for you automatically. Also when sending me a replay, edit the subject line to reflect the message content instead of just hitting "reply" and leaving it as is. Otherwise, it is far more difficult to go through and clean out my folders of old, no longer needed messages. Also the promptness of my rely to you may be affected. Member Negotiations and Disputes: If you EVER experience difficulties of any kind when negotiating with another group member, or have a suspicion of conduct that is contrary to our guidelines, or something just doesn't seem right. I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT! Our membership is screened, and each member agrees before admittance to several rules. So far we have been very lucky, and have had an exceptionally honest group of people. In the near two years of our existence, only two persons have been remove from our number due to their unethical practices. While I may take no action for some time, if at all, information will be compiled and used if absolutely necessary. You may ask advise of me before initiating any deals. Protect yourself! Conduct all your negotiations via email, or in writing if at all possible, and save all related messages, even well after the fact. This way there can be no misunderstandings down the line, and you will have the evidence if there is a transgression. Inverter Design: For some reason the discussion just stopped. Several members have asked for a revival, and I agree. We left off with Mark G. designing a kit that could be as universal as possible, and would allow with simple modification, the operation of such radios as the BC-611, PRC-6, 10, 26 etc. Ralph H. was negotiating with a local transformer builder to have suitable transformers made. Mark had completed a design that allowed the operation of 24vdc equipment from 12vdc. Lets get back to it! For more information on the subject, see Backmail #32. Crystals Source: While there are several sources for decent, and reasonably priced FT-243 type xtals. We still need one for the later types such as HC-6, 18, 24, those bastard things in the PRC-64 etc. Jan and Crystec, though they will supply the xtals, their a total waist of money, and time. While in the past, their prices warranted taking a chance, no longer are they cheep, and prices rival those of reputable manufactures that include a lifetime warranty. International Crystal is a very reputable, and old company, but who can afford them? Boman puts out an extremely good product, but due to the influx of No Codes Techs, ordering xtals, then not knowing what to do with them, they will no longer make xtals for anything other than Land Mobile Equipment. This because their xtals are lifetime warranted, and the cost imposed on them by this before mentioned contingent was breaking them. So where do we go? Special Event Freqs: Again no response has been received in regard to Bob S. question about a 6mtr freq for communications with our old goodies at special events. So let me suggest, 51mc for special event activities as it's compatible with all radios capable of operation on this band, and many radios already have it in them. While it is true, that this does not conform to the ARRL's band plan, and the FCC may frown on non-licensed operation, who gives a shit? We're only talking a couple hundred yards here.(Yes I said Yards! Nonna that metric crap for me!) I would recommend that you get at least a No Code Tech license, especially as absolutely any dumb shit can pass that test!! For licensed Ham, DX operation, I think my choice would be 52.55mc, as this is the closest freq to the 52.525mc national calling freq that is compatible with all radios that might be used in DX operation. DO NOT operate in this mode without being properly licensed! Dennis Starks; MILITARY RADIO COLLECTOR/HISTORIAN military-radio-guy@juno.com *********************************************** DATE THAT LIVES IN OBSCURITY; By GEORGE CORYELL of The Tampa Tribune ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ST. PETE BEACH - Today is National Medal of Honor Day(March 25). It's an observance, not a holiday. There is no three-day weekend, no NASCAR race, no fireworks. The banks are open. It honors those whose courage is spoken of in awed tones by others who also served in combat; it is reserved for those who earned America's greatest military recognition. Perhaps today we might whisper a quick thank you to men like James R. Hendrix, Franklin D. Miller and Gary Lee Littrell. The Medal of Honor was created to reward soldiers and sailors whose devotion to duty and country were transcendent. It was first awarded 135 years ago today. President George Bush signed today's observance into law in 1990. Few people know about it. Memorial Day is May 25, with flags and speeches and ceremonies by local veterans' groups. The nation's shared experience of World War II shifts each year from memory to film clips on the History Channel. People are drawn to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, but even the images of that televised war have faded with time. Veterans Day is Nov. 11; Armed Forces Day is May 16. They are marked on the calendar, but not in memory. So it is with National Medal of Honor Day. ``It's limited to small functions at local levels. Nothing is really done on a grand scale,'' said Ronald Dake, director of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the USA, in Mount Pleasant, S.C. ``I think people tend to forget what heroes had to do or what sacrifice was made when you go into a period of peacetime,'' Dake said. ``They become complacent because there's nothing there to remind them.'' Dake said perhaps 100 people in his city knew what significance today holds, even though it's home to the Medal of Honor Museum. Hendrix, who earned the Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Bulge as a member of Gen. George S. Patton's Fourth Armored Infantry, said that from the time he moved to Davenport near Haines City, until recently, only a few veterans paid much attention to the medal. ``I came here in 1965 and they didn't know I was here until Desert Storm,'' Hendrix said. Since the war with Iraq, he has been in almost constant demand. He has attended dozens of ceremonies honoring veterans across the nation. The 72-year-old veteran of World War II and Korea says that when he wears the red, white and blue ribbon, many don't know what it is. ``Like everything else, some do and some don't,'' he said. ``Some say it's pretty, especially the younger ones.'' Miller, 53, of St. Pete Beach, never really expected the award. He said he was doing what he figured was his job, leading a team of Army Special Forces troops attached to the secret Studies and Observations Group on a reconnaissance patrol into Laos. After one of his men set off a booby trap that wounded four soldiers, Miller single-handedly fought off a platoon-size group of North Vietnamese troops, until he took an AK-47 round through his chest. ``Next thing I knew I was on the ground,'' he said. ``When you see that hole, you're hit and you know it. It's a real nasty looking purple hole.'' Being wounded was nothing new for Miller. During his six tours in Vietnam he received six Purple Hearts. But this wound beneath his breastbone was the worst he'd suffered. ``A voice told me to calm down or I was going to go into shock. It was a real voice,'' Miller said, ``over my right shoulder about a foot behind me.'' He got up off the ground and led his men to a safer position, repelling two more attacks before reinforcements arrived. Such action wasn't unique among his friends, he said. ``My story is my story. But so many people have done incredible things for us in this country that a simple thanks to a vet would be nice,'' he said. ``Almost everyone, every family, has had someone in the military.'' Gary Lee Littrell, also 53 and living in St. Pete Beach, was the only one of four American Army advisers attached to a South Vietnamese Ranger battalion in 1970 not wounded or killed when a mortar attack killed the Vietnamese commanding officer. The battalion was pinned down. Showing ``near superhuman endurance'' over the following four days, his award citation reads, Littrell rallied his South Vietnamese troops and directed artillery and air support until able to withdraw. Now he works at Tampa's James A. Haley Veterans Affairs hospital as a patient representative. Last year he returned to his hometown of Henderson, Ky., to speak to high school students there about his experiences in Vietnam and found it very different than when he spoke to students in the early 1970s. ``The only questions they asked back then was how many women and babies we killed,'' he said. ``I think patriotism has come back. I'm quite proud, really pleased,'' he said. But Littrell says even he has ``no feel about National Medal of Honor Day, because I've never participated.'' But he hopes to raise awareness about the award, particularly a memorial being constructed at the VA hospital which will honor the 12 Florida-born Medal of Honor winners. While all three men are embarrassed by any attention paid them, they agree the honor in the medal's title is most due those that didn't return from overseas. Of the 3,428 Medals of Honor awarded since March 25, 1863, 580 have been awarded posthumously. ``Today is not a free day. Somebody bought it with his life,'' Miller said. ``There is nothing greater you can give.'' *********************************************** HUMOR; From: ARMY PROCYREMENT SECTION Subject: ARMY PIPE SPECIFICATION 1. All pipe is to be made of a long hole, surrounded by metal or plastic centered around the hole 2. All pipe is to be hollow throughout the entire length - do not use holes of different length than the pipe. 3. The ID (Inside Diameter) of all pipe must not exceed the OD (Outside Diameter) - otherwise the hole will be on the outside 4. All pipe is to be supplied with nothing in the hole, so that water, steam or other stuff can be put inside at a later date. 5. All pipe should be supplied without rust; this can be more readily applied at the job site. NOTE: Some vendors are now able to supply prerusted pipes. If available in your area, this product is a recommended thing, as it will save a great deal of time at the job site. 6. All pipe over 500ft (150m) in length should have the words "LONG PIPE" clearly painted on each side and end, so the contractor will know it's a long pipe. 7. Pipe over 2 miles (3.2 km) in length must also have the words "LONG PIPE" painted in the middle so the contractor will not have to walk the entire length of the pipe to determine whether or not it is a long pipe or a short pipe. 8. All pipe over 6ft (1.83m) in diameter must have the words "LARGE PIPE" painted on it, so the contractor will not mistake it for a small pipe. 9. Flanges must be used on all pipe. Flanges must have holes for bolts, quite separate from the big hole in the middle. 10. When ordering 90 or 30 degree elbows, be sure to specify left-hand or right-hand, otherwise you will end up going the wrong way. 11. Be sure to specify to your vendor whether you want level, uphill, or downhill pipe. If you use downhill pipes for going uphill, the water will flow the wrong way. 12. All couplings should have either right-hand or left-hand threads, but do not mix the threads, otherwise, as the coupling is being screwed on one pipe, it is being unscrewed from the other. 13. All pipes shorter than 1/8in (3mm) are very uneconomical in use, requiring many joints. They are generally known as washers. 14. Joints in pipes for piping water must be water-tight. Those in pipes for compressed air, however, need only be airtight. 15. Lengths of pipes may be welded or soldered together. This method is not recommended for concrete or earthenware pipes. 16. Other commodities are often confused with pipes. These include: Conduit, Tube, Tunnel and Drain. Use only genuine pipes. 17. Scottish Regiments in the Army, use Army pipes in unusual ways. These are not approved of in engineering circles. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: FW: McDonald Douglas Questionnaire Thank you for purchasing a McDonnell Douglas military aircraft. In order to protect your new investment, please take a few moments to fill out the warranty registration card below. Answering the survey questions is not required, but the information will help us to develop new products that best meet your needs and desires. 1. [_] Mr. [_] Mrs. [_] Ms. [_] Miss [_] Lt. [_] Gen. [_] Comrade [_] Classified [_] Other First Name: ...................................................... Initial: ........ Last Name: ...................................................... Password: .............................. (max 8 char) Code Name: ...................................................... Latitude-Longitude-Altitude: ........... ........... .......... 2. Which model aircraft did you purchase? [_] F-14 Tomcat [_] F-15 Eagle [_] F-16 Falcon [_] F-117A Stealth [_] Classified 3. Date of purchase (Year/Month/Day): 19....... / ......./....... 4. Serial Number: ................................................. 5. Please check where this product was purchased: [_] Received as gift / aid package [_] Catalog showroom [_] Independent arms broker [_] Mail order [_] Discount store [_] Government surplus [_] Classified 6. Please check how you became aware of the McDonnell Douglas product you have just purchased: [_] Heard loud noise, looked up [_] Store display [_] Espionage [_] Recommended by friend / relative / ally [_] Political lobbying by manufacturer [_] Was attacked by one 7. Please check the three (3) factors that most influenced your decision to purchase this McDonnell Douglas product: [_] Style / appearance [_] Speed / maneuverability [_] Price / value [_] Comfort / convenience [_] Kickback / bribe [_] Recommended by salesperson [_] McDonnell Douglas reputation [_] Advanced Weapons Systems [_] Backroom politics [_] Negative experience opposing one in combat 8. Please check the location(s) where this product will be used: [_] North America [_] Central / South America [_] Aircraft carrier [_] Europe [_] Middle East [_] Africa [_] Asia / Far East [_] Misc. Third World countries [_] Classified 9. Please check the products that you currently own or intend to purchase in the near future: [_] Color TV [_] VCR [_] ICBM [_] Killer Satellite [_] CD Player [_] Air-to-Air Missiles [_] Space Shuttle [_] Home Computer [_] Nuclear Weapon 10. How would you describe yourself or your organization? (Check all that apply:) [_] Communist / Socialist [_] Terrorist [_] Crazed [_] Neutral [_] Democratic [_] Dictatorship [_] Corrupt [_] Primitive / Tribal 11. How did you pay for your McDonnell Douglas product? [_] Deficit spending [_] Cash [_] Suitcases of cocaine [_] Oil revenues [_] Personal check [_] Credit card [_] Ransom money [_] Traveler's check 12. Your occupation: [_] Homemaker [_] Sales / marketing [_] Revolutionary [_] Clerical [_] Mercenary [_] Tyrant [_] Middle management [_] Eccentric billionaire [_] Defense Minister / General [_] Retired [_] Student 13. To help us understand our customers' lifestyles, please indicate the interests and activities in which you and your spouse enjoy participating on a regular basis: [_] Golf [_] Boating / sailing [_] Sabotage [_] Running / jogging [_] Propaganda / disinformation [_] Destabilization / overthrow [_] Default on loans [_] Gardening [_] Crafts [_] Black market / smuggling [_] Collectibles / collections [_] Watching sports on TV [_] Wines [_] Interrogation / torture [_] Household pets [_] Crushing rebellions [_] Espionage / reconnaissance [_] Fashion clothing [_] Border disputes [_] Mutually Assured Destruction Thank you for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire. Your answers will be used in market studies that will help McDonnell Douglas serve you better in the future - as well as allowing you to receive mailings and special offers from other companies, governments, extremist groups, and mysterious consortia. Comments or suggestions about our fighter planes? Please write to: McDONNELL DOUGLAS CORPORATION Marketing Department Military Aerospace Division P.O. Box 800, St. Louis, MO ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Re: Center for Disease Control By the way, did you see the announcement from the Center for Disease Control yesterday in which they determined that: "Bill Clinton CAN get sex from aids (aides)...?" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cat who doesn't act finicky soon loses control of his owner. -- "Morris the Cat" *********************************************** (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 are included. For more information conserning this group contact Dennis Starks at, military-radio-guy@juno.com) ***********************************************