MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, April 27/98 INDEX: ANNOUNCEMENTS; COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY, & VIET CONG; Part II, By LTC William L Howard MEMBERS WRITE; NEW MEMBERS; Ed Guzick, & Ron ON THE COMMERCIAL FRONT; HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Well, I got the 318 in the old Power Wagon just in time for the trip ta Little Rock, with a couple hours ta spare. It was a little scary heading off on a 300 mile trip having a 28 year old motor that I knew nothing about under the hood of a 35 year old truck. But all went great, had power ta spare, and was even able ta pass some slow pokes in those Arkansas mountains. At times Ike found it hard to keep up with his V6 Ford Airostar. We were very pleased with it's performance, the Dodge, not the Ford! Now that the old truck will go down the highway good, I supose I should fix the brakes, and steering, so's it'll slow down when I want, and stay between the white lines. Yes, I know there's a yellow line down the center of the highway, I meant the white lines! About the only thing military to show up was provided by Don Reaves who drug in a trailer load of junk he'd rescued from many MANY years of storage in a barn. Though he had nothing of any real interest to me, I noticed some things wanted by other members so made several trips between his trailer, and my truck. So much for Spring Cleaning! I did find a box full of Motorola MX-300R VHF HT's, some with DES voice encryption. Most were in pretty nasty shape(which is typical) but a couple were nicer than the one Steve Haney gave me a couple years ago, and had their battery(very scarce, and expensive), so will better serve my collection. For those not familiar with this radio, it's a rugedized, all black, version of the standard Motorola MX series, and their first generation programmable. They were widely used by Missile Launch Crews, Air Force Security(Undergrounders), and Special Forces during the invasion of Grenada , the later due to a lack of more suited equipment I'd reckon. All in all, Ike and I felt we were in a different world. The people all talked funny, and didn't seem to mind the crazy prices on the old stuff. But we had a good time, and will most likely go again next year if they give us tables again. Dennis *********************************************** COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OF THE NORTH VIETNAMESE ARMY, & VIET CONG; Part II, By LTC William L Howard Telephone systems were not employed on any large scale and were usually used in the higher headquarters in secure areas such as Laos and Cambodia. Occasionally this equipment was captured by U.S. and Allied Forces. The main field telephone was the Chinese Model 0743, a copy of the Soviet TAI-43, copied from the WW II German field telephone. A Chinese 10-line cordless switchboard was the most commonly encountered item. There were also Yugoslav desk telephones, Polish storage batteries as well as captured U.S. EE8 telephones. There was also a Field Telephone that resembled the US EE 8 but in a leather case and apparently made in Japan was recovered. By the end of the US involvement several variations of the Chinese Model 0743 telephone had been recovered. There was an export model which had a different number and still another variation called a CX 2 telephone. The only difference seems to be the data plate. Routine administration and logistic matters were handled by couriers who carried recording tapes from point to point. Correspondence was put on magnetic recording tape which meant that a lot of material could be transferred in a small space. The most commonly encountered recorders were the small reel-to-reel sets that came out before the cassette recorders were on the market. Most of these recorders did not have a pinch roller and the speed of the tape across the recording head depended on where in the reel the tape was, the last portion usually going slower than the first part. In addition, the drain on the batteries was very heavy and as the batteries were worn down, tape speed slowed It did give the VC a secure means of transmitting routine communications. Radio communication was usually reserved for operations and intelligence with intelligence having the higher priority. Operations orders could be transmitted by courier but intelligence needed a faster means of transmission. There were several different types of radios in use by the North Vietnamese and the VC. RADIOS THAT WERE USED BY THE NVA AND THE VC Among the radios that were captured were the Type 71 B Radio Transceiver, which was a manpack AM radio which weighed 45 lb.. It covered 1.9 to 7.2 MHz and was 6 1/2" x 12" x 15” Power was provided by a D71 dry battery with taps for 1.5V, 7.5V, 90V and 150V. ed) Two versions of the 71B are known to have existed, each is externally the same, and about the size of a 50 cal ammo can, not including the battery box. The first, in the authors collection, used 1930's vintage tubes. The second example the 71B-1 in my collection, uses miniature battery tubes and is of much later design. Both it, and the bullet hole riddled Type 63 Bill will describe later, came from the same Military Counter Intelligence display that stressed communications security. My 71B-1 has an orange sticker on the lid that reads "Charlie Is Listening". Chinese Type 102 E / XD 6 Station One of the most often captured radios was the Chicom Model 102 E which was manpacked or mounted in vehicles. This set was a copy of the U.S. AN/GRC 9 set with a few changes. The transmitter took up more space and the outer carrier, a metal chest housed the transmitter, receiver and a space for the D81 dry battery. The transmitter required a 6410 hand cranked generator or a 964IE dynamotor. The hand-cranked generator looked just like the U.S. versions but had a built-in voltmeter, an idea first seen in WW II Japanese generators. The set was a 15 watt set with a range of 75 miles, and covered 2-12 MHz. The complete set with accessories weighed 105 lb.. The receiver and transmitter alone weighed 38 lb.. This set was being replaced by the XD 6 set which had the same technical characteristics. The Type 139 radio receiver was a manpack AM set which could be interchanged with the receiver of the 102E set. It was contained in a thin sheet meta! case with a snap-on battery case and had a switch for connection to an external battery. The set weighed 10 lb.. without the batteries and was 61/2" x 101/2" x 11" and covered 2-12 MHz. Power requirements were I.5 V and 90V. This set was known to be used by the Viet Cong. The Chinese type 7512 Radio Receiver was an AM table model receiver that was well constructed but very heavy at 90 lb.. It was designed for fixed station use and operated on 110 or 220 volts. This set covered 1.5 to 25 MHz in 8 bands. Needless to say this set required access to commercial power or a portable generator. The Type 63 Back Pack Radio The Type 63 manpack set was the newest item supplied by China. This set was probably intended as a replacement for the Model 71 B radio. This set looked like a copy of the U.S. WWII Walkie-talkie but when the RT unit was removed from its case, it looked more like an AN/PRC 10. It weighed 35 lb.., was 3 1/2" x 10" x 16" and was powered by a D-63 dry battery with taps at 3V, 27V, 90V and 178.5 volts. It was estimated to be a 2 watt transmitter and covered 1.5 to 6 MHz. Unlike the U.S. counterparts this set had a built-in key for CW operation. The other major Chinese set that had been captured by Allied Forces was the Chinese Type 601C Radio Transmitter. This was a high power set that was table or vehicular mounted. It weighed 45 lb.. and was 20" long, 8'. high and 8 1/2" deep. The power requirement was 6 volts and 500 volts from a generator or dynamotor. This set was estimated to have a range of 75 to 2000 miles, again in the 2-12 MHz range with 3 bands and 6 preset crystals. Again, it was capable of voice or CW. This set was probably intended for communication between a major headquarters and Hanoi. In addition to Chinese manufactured radios, there were Soviet generators. large Polish storage batteries and a host of small transistor AM sets from all over. In mid-1968 we recaptured an AN/GRC 9. a set from the 1950's that had been supplied to the South Vietnamese as part of the MAP - Military Assistance Program. It was captured by the VC and put into service on their side. Soviet assistance in the area of radios was minimal. In late 1967, the 1st Cavalry Division Airmobile captured a Soviet R607 naval radio. It was captured while being landed from the sea. It never actually saw service in Vietnam. This was a huge setup, designed for installation on a ship or for a fixed base station. The only known set of North Vietnamese manufacture was the VTS-2 Radio Receiver. It was contained in a square metal box. The set was 10" x 8” x 7" and used plug-in, tube shaped coils. There were six coils, four were stored in the top of the receiver, and two were in use. It used ten D cells for power and covered 1.9 to 12.2 MHz. The use of D cells made it very easy to purchase replacements on the local economy, a prime consideration for an army whose supply lines, better known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail, went through miles of jungle and was subject to constant bombing. In addition to these sets, the Viet Cong used a number of "homemade" sets. The set described in the 1967 T.l.B. was a CW receiver and transmitter housed in a 50 cal. ammo can, 6" x 8” x 11" and weighed 11 lb.. without the battery. It was a 2 watt set with a range of 2O miles covering 3.8 to 6.8 MHz. It required I 1/2 volts for tube filaments and 90 volts and 150 volts for plate supply. It had a hand wound coil. (In a previous article I described the reconstruction of a VC homemade radio in a 30 cal. ammo can. This 30 cal ammo can set was not covered in the 1967 T.I.B. so I assume it was captured much later in the conflict.) The article is included here, on the following pages. The technical intelligence bulletin was never updated or reissued during the course of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. By 1972 the CMEC was shut down and the units were returned to the United States. In 1975 D Co./519th Military Intelligence Battalion was transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground and began to function as a technical intelligence unit. A new and updated Technical Intelligence Bulletin was issued in the late 1970's. Included in the new T.I.B. was the Mercury Talk Transceiver, examples of which were on display at the Signal Corps museum and at Aberdeen Proving Ground. It is assumed that examples of this set were recovered in Vietnam in the latter stages of the conflict. NEWER SETS IN THE CONFLICT Mercury Talk The Mercury Talk is a high frequency, continuous range transceiver with a frequency range of 1.7 to 6.0 MHz. It was first manufactured in the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the late 1960's. The Mercury Talk incorporates independent manual tuning for the receiver and transmitter sections. This feature allows the operator to receive and transmit on separate frequencies simultaneously. The Mercury Talk may use either a whip antenna, which is connected to both the receiver and transmitter, or long wire antennas, which may be connected separately to the receiver and transmitter. Two 12 volt DC batteries are connected in series to power the radio. In addition, a 1.5 volt DC battery is used to provide illumination for the dial lights. The Mercury Talk measures 33.7x22.7x 11.4 cm (131/4 x9 x 41/2") and weighs 6.8kg (15 pounds) with batteries. The Mercury Talk may be operated in either the Amplitude Modulated (Voice) or Continuous Wave (Morse) mode. The radio has a power output of 2 watts and a transmitting range of 10-16 km (7-10 miles) in the voice mode or a power output of 3.5 watts and a transmitting range of over 160 km (100 miles) in the morse mode. There is no speaker incorporated in the Mercury Talk; therefore, a headset or external speaker must be used when operating this radio. The narrow frequency range of the radio makes it extremely susceptible to electronic warfare (EW). The Mercury Talk is ruggedly constructed, easy to operate, reliable and completely transistorized. Solid state construction in the Mercury Talk reflects an advancement in the state of the art for PRC communications equipment. Compared to the U.S. Army's AN/PRC 74 B, it is smaller and lighter, but it does not have the frequency range or the transmitting distance of the U.S. radio. Since the Mercury Talk is a continuous tune radio, it may be netted with U.S. AN/PRC-47 and AN/GRC-106 radios. The Mercury Talk is replacing older AM radios as part of an ongoing program to update communications equipment in the PRC Army Mercury Walk Radio There is also a radio identified as the Mercury Walk Radio. It measures 8” x 6” x 3” and with the battery box added on the bottom, it is 11 “ high. It is powered by 11 D cell batteries. All controls are on the top panel. It tunes 45 to 50. I assume this is MC. The top panel controls are located under a cover held closed by spring clamps such as found on U.S. military radios. Main tuning control had a lock down lever. Other covered controls were a two position switch and a rotating dial, numbered 1 to 10, presumably a volume control. Two more controls are adjustable by screwdriver and there is a socket for plugging something in, presumably a calibration device. On the ends are several more items. A rubber covered push button, presumably for morse code transmission and the antenna connector are on the right side. The antenna connector requires a special adapter to mount the Russian type Kulikov antenna. On the left side are a 7 pin connector for the head phone/mike set and a multi-position rotary switch which presumably is a function switch. Off/On-Voice-CW. The set is held in the case by two spring loaded clamps. On removal from the case, the set is modular in construction. There were 7 modules on one side(top) and a flip out module carrier on the other side(bottom) and a circuit board. The resistors looked like a tour through the history of resistors. Some resembled resistors of the 1930s and some looked like modern Radio Shack resistors. Capacitors were molded of olive drab plastic. There was nothing that looked like a tube socket so I concluded they were again hard wired inside the modules and were not readily apparent. The central feature of the top side was a 7 gang variable capacitor. There were also three (4 ?) wire coils wound on ceramic forms. On the lower end, adjacent the battery box was a plug, into which the power cable would be plugged. The top section had a plug for something that was missing. It may have been a holder for a crystal for the CW mode. It also appeared that the top was suppose to have a metal cover but that was missing from the set that I have. The battery box had several plastic spacers, trough like affairs to keep 8 of the D cells in line. At the power port end there were three more D Cells in a special holder. Power outputs were measured with weak dry cells and the 11 D cells provided 13.95 volts, 1.5 volts and 3 volts. There was also a separate plug for reading the voltage of the 8 D cell string. Presumably these provided filament, plate and dial lamp voltages. The main advantage to this set was that it was powered by D Cells which could be obtained in local hardware stores. It is light weight, weighing less than the AN/PRC 25s and 77s of the period and less than the AN/PRC 10. The main disadvantage was the difficulty of servicing the set, especially in the field. Not having the headset/mike nor the antenna, missing some internal parts and possibly having dead tubes, any sort of operational testing was out of the question. Chinese Type 883 Radio The Type 883 Transceiver is a lightweight, compact, battery powered, frequency modulated (FM) man-pack radio. This radio was first manufactured in the Peoples Republic of China in approximately 1965 and was standard issue in the PRC’s army. This transceiver was also exported to several other countries in southeast Asia. The transceiver can be continuously tuned over a frequency range of 45-50 megahertz and is powered by dry cell batteries. The battery source consist of four D cells (BA 30 ) and a D 62 battery pack. The entire unit is housed in an aluminum die cast case which is painted a glossy, khaki colored enamel and has a total weight, with accessories of 13.5 lbs... ( 6.5 kg) The transceiver is designed for short range communications and has a transmitting range of approximately 1 mile; however, by carefully selecting a transmission site, the transmitters range can be extended to as much as 4 miles. The Type 883 has several limitations. The major problem with this transceiver is that it lacks internal calibration. With out internal calibration it is impossible for the operator to accurately determine if the actual frequency on which the transceiver is operating matches the reading on the frequency dial. In addition, organizational maintenance on the type 883 is difficult because the parts are soldered to the chassis instead of the plug in type. The set is also very susceptible to electronic warfare due to its narrow frequency range.. Also the transceiver is unbalanced and awkward to carry because the battery compartment is attached to one side of the case. The 883 however can be netted with the AN/PRC 25, AN/PRC 77, AN/PRR 9, AN/PRT-4A and the AN/VRC 12 family of radios. The set was considered obsolete in 1975 and was being replaced by newer man-pack radios. Front panel controls are the minimum needed. On the left side is a toggle switch for volume control. Below this is the 4 pin headset connector. On the far right side is a dial light switch and the antenna connector. As with several other radios this set uses a Soviet designed Kulikov antenna but requires a special mating connector. The center section of the set, which is under a liftable cover has the frequency tuning knob, knob lock and frequency indicator dial. There is also a test socket cover, ergo, there must be a test set made for this radio. The battery box has the on/off switch for the radio The complete set consists of the transceiver, an accessory bag, the antenna, the microphone and headset and an accessory box. While I have the radio, the headset and microphone and antenna, I have never seen the accessory box or bag so can not comment on what it contained. The picture of the accessory box would indicate tools and spare fuzes This radio was designed to provide communication between platoon, company and battalion levels. As such it is comparable in role to the AN/PRC 25 and 77 sets. It is not the best set for use by a force conducting guerrilla warfare, which is probably why it was never seen in Vietnam prior to 1968. It must be assume that these sets were issued to the NVA in time for their 1972 offensive and for the final assault in 1975. Presumably these sets were recovered by US forces after the 1972 offensive and were discussed in a 1975 Technical Intelligence bulletin prepared by the 11th Military Intelligence Company. By the time these radios entered the conflict, the U.S. effort in Vietnam was winding down, the technical intelligence effort had departed and there was the possibility that some of these sets came home with GI’s as war relics means that they are more likely to be encountered than some of the older sets. The collector values of these sets depends on how badly you want the set and how complete the set is. Obviously the more complete the set, the higher the value. DISPOSITION OF CAPTURED RADIOS Those sets that were captured before or during my time in Vietnam (1967-1968) were for the most part dismantled so the component parts could be photographed. The remaining chassis was sent to the scrap metal yard. Those sets that were not destroyed were sent back to test and evaluation centers in the USA. Examples of these radios were on display at the Signal Corps Museum and at Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Foreign Material Intelligence complex. There are others in various Military Museums through out the united States. Several have shown up in private collections. As a result very few of these sets survived. In the 30 years since I left Vietnam, I have only encountered three Chinese field telephones, one Type 63 backpack radio. The Type 63 that I got was missing the battery box and all the accessories. This was not too surprising as the set had 26 bullet holes and was beyond restoration and an R 139 A transistorized receiver that I am not certain was in Vietnam during the period of U.S. involvement. Chinese Type 139 A Radio Receiver A general description of the set, reveals that the Chinese Type 139 A Radio Receiver is also late Vietnam war, if in fact it was part of the conflict. It is probably the replacement for the Type 139 Radio Receiver which was a tube set and was powered by a 90 volt dry cell and 1.5 volt dry cells. As of September 1968, none of the R 139A sets had been captured by US forces to the best of my knowledge. This particular set had a serial number of 70 1917. It was speculated that it was made in 1970 and was really set number 1917. This has not been confirmed by any source. If in fact it was made in 1970, it would have entered the Vietnam Conflict in 1971 or 1972, just as the U.S was pulling out and the Technical Intelligence effort ceased to function. Physical Description : The set is 10 inches wide, 3 and 1/2 inches deep and 5 inches high. The battery box and four rubber feet add another two inches to the set, making the overall height 7 inches. The weight, with out batteries is approximately 6 lb., more with all 7 batteries in place. There are sling swivels on either side, indicating that it was designed to be carried over the shoulder, similar to a Ladies handbag. Spring loaded snap catches (4) hold the front panel cover on the set. An additional; four snap catches hold the battery box on the bottom. The battery box is hinged and can not be completely separated from the radio. This set is all solid state and is powered by 7 D cells, providing 9 volts and 1 1/2 volts. The radio is removed from the case by unscrewing four captive screws and then sliding the radio out of the case. Difficult to do as there are no real handles, only one knob for pulling. The set tends to stick to the rubber gasket and the power plug is a tight fit in the connecting socket. This is probably due to age. Once out of the case, there is an extension of the power cable and plug which plugs into the set and allows it to be used with the batteries in the battery case while the set is being worked on. This was no doubt inspired from looking at the Japanese radios of WW II. There are provisions on the front and the side for a pair of headphones to be used. The plug sockets are smaller than the standard 1/4 inch and larger than the standard mini plugs available in the USA, which means the original headphones must be obtained or a means of rewiring developed for use with US style plugs. The headphone jack on the side panel and on the front panel are encased in a plastic shield which makes the set water tight. It also makes re-wiring almost impossible with out damaging the seals. Front Panel Controls: On the bottom left are three controls. The far left control is marked in Chinese and has the number 0 in the center. It is connected to a potentiometer. The center control indicated volume. Turning it clockwise increases the volume. It too was a potentiometer. The control on the right rotates through 360 degrees but has markings on the case through 180 degrees. It is connected to a small variable capacitor and is probably for adjusting the antenna. Above these controls is the main tuning control. It has a screw down clamp to hold the dial fast however this did not seem to be working. Above this control are two smaller controls which are connected to switches. They are 3/8 inch in diameter and not that easy to turn. One switch is connected to the dial light and derives power from the 1 1/2 volt battery.(On this set, the dial light was burned out), I could not identify what the other switch was for. Both have contacts which are easily bent. The light switch when turned, did nothing until it was pushed in. Either the contacts were bent or the object was to have the light available for tuning but not on until the switch button was depressed. To the right is the main tuning dial and window. The window is lighted, as mentioned. Three scales are visible in the window. On the upper right side is a 3 position switch marked 1, 2 and 3 which is probably the band switch. Below this is another control, a 5 position rotary switch. This seems to be a sort of function control, Off and whatever else.(The position on the far left put the switch rotator in contact with an empty space so it must have been the off position.) Below this is one of the two jacks for the head phone connection. Two more items are on the front panel, screw terminals with the symbols for antenna and ground. Another screw terminal is located on the top of the set. At first I thought it might be for an antenna connection for when the set was installed in a vehicle. A second jack socket was located on the side which was for a second set of headphones. Interior Construction: The set is modular in construction and is made up of circuit boards which can be replaced if one is found to be defective. All controls are mounted on the front panel and the modules are mounted on the front panel or a metal frame, similar to the Japanese sets of WW II. Were it not for the transistors, one would think one was looking at a late war Japanese set. The center area of the set contains the three gang tuning capacitor. A worm gear meshes with a gear that turns the capacitor. At the other end is another gear train which turns the tuning dial. Very rugged construction and probably capable of withstanding rough handling. There are three tuning modules mounted on top of the set. Another control, the band selector switch, is mechanically linked to three rotary switches, one per tuning module. Each of the three modules had three coils, the rotary switches and assorted capacitors, resistors and other items, believed to be capacitors, which appeared to be adjustable through access ports on the top of the module covers. These appeared to have been set at the factory and were not really designed for field repairmen to work on. They were sealed in position at the factory with a form of glue. There are two other modules, one on the side which had three IF transformers but were not adjustable as the tops had been sealed with solder at the factory. This module also had a plug in crystal which was marked 500 KHZ. There were three transistors, 10 capacitors and 23 resistors. The capacitors were in metal cans and were the PC board mounting type. The resistors were 1/4 watt resistors. There were two other items, both in metal cans, one of which had two leads so I assume it was a capacitor. This module was electrically connected to the potentiometer on the front panel which was also connected to ground. The second module was on the bottom and had two interstage transformers, 15 capacitors that I could see, at least one transistor and numerous resistors. This module was in such a position that the parts could not easily be seen. There were at least 6 resistors. There was evidence of corrosion on some of the parts. Most of the capacitors had insulated sleeves over them to shield them from one another. The final component was a square metal can that plugged in to a socket. Contact was made by two screws that fit into sockets. This did not seem to be the best method of plugging something in but presumably it worked. Operating Characteristics: The tuning dial was graduated in three scales, one from 1.5 to 3.6, the second from 3.6 to 8.5 and the third from 8.5 to 18.0. I assume these are megacycles. Most of the older Chinese tactical sets operated on 2 to 12 Megacycles. Other characteristics are not currently available. Tactical Employment: The Chinese military is not as dependent on radio communication as the American army is. In many cases, the subordinate units have a receiver only so they can listen for instructions but can not ask questions or respond. This set can be used in a weather warning role as well as listening for coded messages. Strengths and weaknesses: Principle strength of the set is it’s compact size, rugged construction and it’s ability to run on flash light D cells, found in most every hardware store. Major weakness is the fact that it is not easily repaired. Removal of either of the two side or lower modules would require considerable labor. Replacement of one or more of the tuning modules would require removal of all three so that the shaft for the rotary switches can be withdrawn. In addition, while there are three separate modules, they are all built on one printed circuit board. Any major damage to a tuning module requires replacement of all three. It is my opinion that this set is basically a throw away set. If anything breaks down, throw it away and get a new one. Collector Value Difficult to place a value on this set. It is not readily identifiable as part of the North Vietnamese or Viet Cong arsenal during the period of the U.S. effort during the Vietnam War. Probably worth about $150 to $200.00 to a serious collector. Would be worth more if the headset were included as well as antenna, technical manual and a schematic. An interesting piece of Radio History of the Chinese Armed Forces. It is also one of the first Chinese military sets to use transistors, a step forward for the Chinese Radio industry. Bill Howard THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Re: Communications of Viet Nam - North i remember reading in the newspaper in 1968 or latest 1969 that Radio Liberation had begun in Tay Ninh province but due to being continually located and bombed, had finally moved outside South Viet Nam. also, re the receivers used for agent broadcasts, at least one black plastic - cased, simple, standard transistor circuit SW radio, used by Viet Cong, has been reported, by a military collector in Seattle. to clarify, this appears a non technical, non specialist's type radio, but is in a non-commercial appearing package. the standard infantry radio of the NVA, from examples i have seen, seems to be the Chinese type 63 backpack set, am-cw in the 1.5 - 6 MHz range. Interviews with the former "Hanoi Hannah" have appeared in Rolling Stone magazine and most recently, in the Parade sunday newspaper supplement. Also i recall, the rock group Byrds has a song called "Hanoi Hannah", i have not heard it tho to report on it. and while on clandestine stations: Atlantic Magazine had an article in 1995 on how a bomb-rigged Johnson Viking ham transmitter used for Radio Liberation in El Salvador, was used to work revenge on the army for the El Mozote massacre. hue miller *********************************************** NEW MEMBERS; Ed Guzick, & Ron 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 *********************************************** ON THE COMMERCIAL FRONT; I have two Navy electronic subassemblies in original shipping boxes that appear to be in unused condition. I'm not exactly sure what they are or what larger unit they may have been part of. The box says STD.NAVY STK. NO.F16-M-46251-1019 MONITOR SUB-UNIT Malden, MA and was marked by the original owner Scope Monitor. The chassis holds a CRT tube, a can-type electrolytic, two tubes and a direct-wired circuit board. The front panel has five pots. I got the two subassemblies from a deceased relative and would like to find a home for them, if anyone may be interested. I have no idea what they may be worth, if anything, and at any rate am not looking to profit from them. If you or any other military electronic collector might be interested in them, I'd be willing to donate them for the price of shipping. Each unit is about a foot long, 5" wide at the front and 4" high. Bob Olson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRC-70 SELECTOR ASSEMBLY, UNUSED, FOREST GREEN. NSN 5820-01-092-5904, ALSO CALLED THE A1 MODULE. THIS IS PART OF THE FRONT PANEL, WITH 6 FREQUENCY KNOBS AND READOUTS, CONTROLS FOR POWER, MODE, VOLUME AND SQUELCH. INCLUDES THE PRINTED CURCUIT BOARD WITH MICROPROCESSER. $60 EA. PLUS SHIPPING I AM LOOKING FOR ONE NEW IN THE PACKAGE AS1730 LOWER ELEMENT. PREFER CARC STEVE HANEY HANEY ELECTRONIC CO tc0654@mesh.net ed) Steve has a list of manuals available on request via email. *********************************************** HUMOR; UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ENTRANCE EXAM Time Limit: 3 WKS 1) What language is spoken in France? 2) Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions OR give the first name of Pierre Trudeau. 3) Would you ask William Shakespeare to ____ (a) build a bridge ____ (b) sail the ocean ____ (c) lead an army or ____ (d) WRITE A PLAY 4) What religion is the Pope? (check only one) ____ (a) Jewish ____ (b) Catholic ____ (c) Hindu ____ (d) Polish ____ (e) Agnostic 5) Metric conversion:How many feet is 0.0 meters? 6) What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5? 7) How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately) 8) What are people in America's far north called? ____ (a) Westerners ____ (b) Southerners ____ (c) Northerners 9) Spell: Bush, Carter and Clinton Bush: __________________________ Carter: __________________________ Clinton: __________________________ 10) Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five. 11) Where does rain come from? ____ (a) Macy's ____ (b) Kmart ____ (c) Canada ____ (d) the sky 12) Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity? ____ (a) yes ____ (b) no 13) What are coat hangers used for? 14) The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country? 15) Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium OR spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS. 16) Where is the basement in a three story building located? 17) Which part of America produces the most oranges? ____ (a) New York ____ (b) Florida ____ (c) Canada ____ (d) Wisconsin 18) Advanced math: If you have three apples how many apples do you have? 19) What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corp.) stand for? 20) The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)? ____ (a) B.C ____ (b) A.D. Name: ________________________ *You must answer three or more questions correctly to qualify --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dec Rourke rents an apartment in New York, and goes to the lobby to put his name on the group mailbox. While there, an attractive young lady comes out of the apartment next to the mailboxes wearing a robe. Dec smiles at the young girl and she strikes up a conversation with him. As they talk, her robe slips open, and it's quite obvious that she has nothing on under the robe. Poor Dec breaks out into a sweat trying to maintain eye contact. After a few minutes, she places her hand on his arm and says, "Let's go in my apartment, I hear someone coming..." He proceeds her into the apartment, and after she closes the door, she leans against it allowing her robe to fall completely open. She purrs at him, "What would you say is my best feature?" The flustered, embarrassed Dec stammers, clears his throat several times, and finally squeaks out " Oh, it's got to be your ears!" She's astounded! Why my ears? Look at these boobs! They are full, don't sag, and they're all mine! My butt - it's firm doesn't sag, and has no cellulite! Look at this skin, no blemishes, or scars! Why in heaven's name would you say my ears are the best part of my body?!" Clearing his throat once again, Dec stammers "Outside when you said you heard someone coming - THAT WAS ME! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who invented the brush they put next to the toilet? That thing hurts! -- Andy Andrews ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A lady lost her cat, and took the cat in a little casket up to a big church and said, "I want you to bury my cat." And they run her off. She went to another church, and they run her off. She took the cat to a Baptist church on the edge of town, and told the preacher she couldn't find nobody to hold a service for her dead cat. And the man talked to her bad. "How dare you think that we bury cats?" She said, "Well, I'm frustrated and I'm prepared to give two thousand dollars to whoever gives a service for my cat." And the preacher said, "Lady, why didn't you tell me your cat was a Baptist?" -- Jerry Clower ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnny's Little Red Fire Engine A man was walking on the sidewalk and noticed up ahead that little Johnny was wearing a red fire man's hat and sitting in a red wagon. It appeared that the wagon was being pulled slowly by a large Labrador Retriever. When he got closer to the lad, he noticed that Johnny had a rope tied around the dog's testicles, which probably accounted for why the dog was walking so gingerly. Smiling, he spoke to the little boy, "That's really a nice fire engine you have there son, but I'll bet the dog would pull you faster if you tied that rope around his neck." "Yeah," Johnny replied, "but then I wouldn't have a siren." *********************************************** (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) ***********************************************