MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Sept.1/98 Index: LISTENING TO THE HURRICANE HUNTERS; SPECIAL EVENT REPORT; Woodland Park, CO MEMBERS WRITE; 10 Meter FM Type SF Radiophone? WHATSIT; R30, Type 12 ? HUMOR; *********************************************** LISTENING TO THE HURRICANE HUNTERS; After traveling around the net over the last couple of days to look at the various hurricane list out there, I've decided an update is definitely in order. I just got off the phone with one of the pilots at the 53 WRS and interviewed him regarding the frequencies they are using for comms during their missions. Here is the scope. The 53 WRS uses the "Teal" callsign when they are on their hurricane hunter missions. When they are on an airlift mission they use "Hobby." The Swan and Gull callsigns are NO longer used. Yes, they do use UHF milsat for DATA ONLY comms (no voice). I doubt it would be worth the time or energy to attempt to monitor since the Vortex and Recco messages sent via this data circuit are widely available on the net within minutes after they clear the aircraft. From the HH website: "A key part of the WRS is its ability to send data instantaneously via military satellite directly to the forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, or to another transceiver at Keesler Air Force Base, or a portable station which moves with the Hurricane Hunters wherever they go to chase the storms. The weather officer can also send written messages to the forecasters and staff on the ground, providing details of the storm and coordinating the mission." They use primarily three HF nets for comms in addition to their normal VHF/UHF civilian/milair stuff. GHFS: According to Colonel Peterson they use this when they need to talk to Miami or Keesler, etc. Look for them on the primary GHFS frequencies of 4724, 6712, 6739, 8968, 8992, 11175, 13200, 15016, and 17976 kHz. If the comms last any length of time or traffic is heavy they could move to a GHFS discrete, so listen for that frequency to be passed by the GHFS ground station. MWARA: Used by the pilots for air traffic control purposes. Depending on where the storm is will determine which MWARA will be used the the HH folks. You will primary catch them on the NAT or CAR freq families and when they are working the East Pacific storms look for them on the CEP family of freqs. According to the colonel they are using St. Croix in the Virgin Islands for a forward base in the Atlantic and Hickam as a forward base in the Pacific. For an excellent list of HF MWARA channels a visit to WUN's Tony Orr website is a must. The URL is http://patriot.net/~jetset/hf.html. The third HF net that Col Peterson said they use, but rarely is the US Air MARS phone patch net. Some of the freqs that have been reported include: 7633.5 and 13927 kHz. Bob Wyman and Allan Stern have been providing excellent coverage of the VHF/UHF freqs being used down their way and those freqs have also been confirmed by Col Peterson. As for the Air2Air that Bob asked about I think the 304.8 is it. However, you might also want to check the following: 381.0, 283.7, 349.4 and 385.9 MHz. One of these could prove productive. Those of you within Keelser UHF range should watch the 53WRS CP freq of 349.4 MHz for comms. That freq was in use the last time I was down that way. Be sure to visit the 53 WRS website which has lots of great information at: http://www.hurricanehunters.com Have a great time out there and good hunting. Larry Van Horn Grove Enterprises * * * * * * Assistant Editor/Staff Writer, Monitoring Times Magazine MT Home Page: http://www.grove-ent.com/hmpgmt.html Telephone: (828) 837-9200; Fax (828) 837-2216 Toll Free 800-438-8155 in the US and Canada Brasstown, NC USA: 35 deg 2'46.3"N, 83 deg 56'28"W *********************************************** SPECIAL EVENT REPORT; Woodland Park, CO This past weekend was the Mountain Amateur Radio Club's annual fest near Woodland Park, CO (west of Colo. Springs). The only mil radio gear I saw (which I bought) is a NIB(!) BC-603 rcvr, with the SCR-508 (etc.) manual. Also included was a NIB MT-xxx rack - this is NOT the bigger rack that holds the rcvr, xmtr, etc. - this rack holds only the BC-603. Also included was a refurbished 12V dynamotor for the BC-603, in an original (refurb) box with a packing slip dated 1950. Also came home with a couple of boxes of "vintage" microcomputer stuff (S-100 bus). Pete Colo. Springs saipan59@juno.com ed) while the BC-603 is real common, it's mount was a great find. *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; 10 Meter FM ARRL's bandplan says that 10 meter FM will use repeater input frequencies of 29.520, 29.540, 29.560, 29.580 and outputs 100 Khz higher. The frequency 29.600 Mhz is for Simplex operations. The plan has been observed since at least 1988 when I bought a scanner. But their's a problem for people with green radios, unless part 97 of title 47 has changed. I remember it saying that an FM signal below 30 Mhz was prohibited from occupying a bandwidth greater than an AM signal would. I wonder if anyone knows if it's changed. I'll try to take a look at it on the web and let you know. Is there a way to reduce the deviation of a PRC-9 while maintaining the signal to noise ratio of the signal going into the modulator? Regards, Sean T. Kelly, sean_k@hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Forest Service Type SF Radiophone? The other day, I saw a "Type SF Radiophone," which looks basically like an over grown chrome plated BC-611. The antenna is stored on the side and must be removed and screwed onto the top. There is a trailing wire counterpoise coming out of the bottom of the set. Two frequency Tx, one Rx. Big 4 pin jack below the mike for external handset. Does anyone know what this set was intended for, what frequency band, and who made it? Alan ed) the radio you saw was developed and produced in very limited quantities for the US Forest Service just priar to WW-II. The smallist of the series, it was intended for use during forest fire operations etc(as all the others in the series). They are very rare and the available information on them is scarce. The manual Hue Miller gave me on these radios does not include the model SF, but Joe Pinner has a book that I beleive does. Maybe he can elaborate for us? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Got some bad news from Surplus Al, his son Glio age 41 passed=20 away this week due to brain tumor. I am sure that a card or E mail would be appreciated. E mail: surplsal@tl.ingi.net US MAIL: Al Yascavage POB 215, Hunlock Creek PA 18621 *********************************************** WHATSIT; R30, Type 12 ? Hi Dennis, I wonder whether you can help me identify this piece of gear. It looks more modern than ARC-12 equipment. I have no manual, and the bloke I got it from doesn't know either. As usual, it came without cables and connectors. Radio Compass R30 Receiver, R30A Reciver, LF in 3 bands, MC-215 spline cable tuned, BNC aerial connector, electrical band changing, 14 subminiture valves hard wired in, looks like an ARC-5 but smaller and painted grey, covers .... .19-.40Kc .40-.84Kc .84-1750Kc C-59A Control box band change switch with mask, tuning knob, S meter P14A dynamotor 28V, generates 400cps as well as HV L11 loop ferrite rod under low glass dome IN-12-1 indicator 360 degree indicator marked "Radio Compass" Regards Ray Ray Robinson VK2ILV Electronic Engineer robinson@elm.mq.edu.au Speech Hearing and Language Research Centre 612-98508765 ph School of English Linguistics and Media 612-98509199 fax Macquarie University North Ryde 2109 Sydney NSW AUSTRALIA *********************************************** HUMOR; HAIL TO THE CHIEF! Bill Clinton is considering changing the Democratic Party logo from a donkey to a condom because it represents inflation, halts production, and gives you a false sense of security while you are being screwed. * * * * * Washington has come up with a solution for the Clinton situation. They added the 11th comandment.... "Thou shall not put thy rod in thy staff" * * * * * Bill Gates is in town (New York) showing all the computer executives how well Windows 98 works. But computer executives say that Windows 98 goes down so much they are thinking about renaming it "MONICA" * * * * * It seems the big new game to play at the White House is SWALLOW THE LEADER! * * * * * In Kennedy's time we had Camelot. In Clinton's we have CAME-A-LOT. * * * * * Arkansas is very proud of Clinton. All these women coming forward, and not one of them is his sister! * * * * * Q: What is the difference between George Washington, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton? A: Washington couldn't tell a lie, Nixon couldn't tell the truth, and Clinton doesn't know the difference! * * * * * Bill and Hillary were in bed last night asleep. At 2 AM Hillary woke up and needed to go to the bathroom, so Hillary was shaking Bill to wake him up to tell him she needed to go the bathroom. Bill said to her "Hillary, why are you waking me up to tell me you needed to go the bathroom?" Hillary replied, "Because I wanted you to save my spot." * * * * * President Clinton has decided to recruit interns from only four colleges: Morehead, Oral Roberts, Ball State and Brigham Young. * * * * * Hillary Clinton goes to a fortune teller who says to her, "Prepare yourself to be a widow, your husband will soon suffer a violent death." Mrs. Clinton takes a deep breath and replies, "Will I be acquitted?" * * * * * The FBI has coined a technical term for the stains found on Monica's dress: "Presidue" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New York, NJ, August 27 -- People for the Ethical Treatment of Software (PETS) announced today that seven more software companies have been added to the group's "watch list" of companies that regularly practice software testing. "There is no need for software to be mistreated in this way so that companies like these can market new products," said Ken Granola, spokesperson for PETS. "Alternative methods of testing these products are available." According to PETS, these companies force software to undergo lengthy and arduous tests, often without rest for hours or days at a time. Employees are assigned to "break" the software by any means necessary, and inside sources report that they often joke about "torturing" the software. "It's no joke," said Granola. "Innocent programs, from the day they are compiled, are cooped up in tiny rooms and 'crashed' for hours on end. They spend their whole lives on dirty, ill-maintained computers, and are unceremoniously deleted when they're not needed anymore." Granola said the software is kept in unsanitary conditions and is infested with bugs. "We know alternatives to this horror exist," he said, citing industry giant Microsoft Corp. as a company that has become extremely successful without resorting to any form of software testing. PETS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of software programs and promoting alternatives to software testing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BLONDE AND A MOSQUITO? A mosquito stops sucking when you slap it. WHY DO FARTS SMELL? So deaf people can appreciate them too. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIGHT AND HARD? You can sleep with a light on. WHAT ARE 3 TWO LETTER WORDS THAT MEAN SHORT? Is it in? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GAY RODEO AND A STRAIGHT RODEO? At a straight rodeo they yell ride that sucker. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF COWBOY FOREPLAY? Get in the truck, bitch. WHAT DO YOU CALL KIDS BORN IN WHOREHOUSES? Brothel sprouts. WHY DON'T THEY HAVE BLIND SKYDIVERS? It scares the shit out of the dogs. WHY DON'T PYGMIES WEAR TAMPONS? They keep stepping on the strings. WHAT DO YOU CALL A COW WITH NO LEGS? Ground beef. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN IRISH WEDDING AND AN IRISH FUNERAL? One less drunk. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU COME ACROSS AN ELEPHANT? Wipe it off. WHAT IS THE FOURTH BIGGEST LIE? It is only a cold sore. WHY WAS TIME OUT CALLED AT THE LEPER HOCKEY GAME? There was a face-off in the corner. WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF MIXED EMOTIONS? When you see your mother-in-law backing off a cliff in your new Mercedes. WHERE DOES VIRGIN WOOL COME FROM? The sheep the herders couldn't catch. WHY DID THE BLONDE SNORT NUTRASWEET? She thought it was Diet Coke. WHAT IS THE LAST THING THAT RUNS THROUGH A BUG'S MIND WHEN HE HITS THE WINDSHIELD? His ass. *********************************************** (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 or this group are included. For more information conserning this group contact Dennis Starks at, military-radio-guy@juno.com) ***********************************************