MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Sept.17/98 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Peoria Hamfest, PRC-6 Group Porject, GRC-9 Group Project, Future Projects in Sight, RUSSIAN MILITARY RADIOS PART VI; By LTC William L. Howard MEMBERS WRITE; Russian R-116 on AM? Broadcasting! Type TR9D? HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Peoria Hamfest, Ike & I will be headed for the Peoria Hamfest the morning, pray for use that we make it there and back safely with no mechanical break downs. We'll have radios up on 146.56, & 51mc so give us a holler. Or keep a lookout for the BIG red Power Wagon. PRC-6 Group Porject, I thank most of you for your patients. I can sight many reasons for my delays but they'd just be redundant, look to the past projects and you'll see I was no quiker. Two weeks ago, due to my extremely limited available space, I built a temperary outside shelter to use in sorting out the 60 odd radios, and containing the mountain of packing/boxing materials. Two days after completion a storm came trough, picked up the shelter, caried it 70 feet(20 feet in the air) and jently sat it down on top my school bus. At 04:00 in the morning I was franticaly covering up all the exposed equipment with tarps befor the storm really hit. Since then, my business shipping area(only 10 x 14ft) has been cleared out, and the radios put in there. All my personal trade negotiations were put on hold several weeks ago so's to be able to complete this project. Please be patient just a little longer, I'm only one person. GRC-9 Group Project, Bill has sorted through the radios he was able to obtain. He's now ready to begin the selection of those lucky few recipients. I've sent him a list of all those persons who sent me messages putting their names in the hat, in the order they were received. The selection will be based on the received order of request with a very minor preference(and understandable) by Bill towards those who helped him with his TBX project. There will only be 6-7 complete radios available, no accessories, a few transmitter sections less cabinets, and one extra receiver. These extra components or any possible complete radios will be offered again if any are left. I am most grateful to Bill for undertaking this project for us. You have no idea the work, time, and personal expense he has donated to us. Especially when he could have just purchased the radios on his own and sold them at a profit. Future Projects in Sight, I've been sent for evaluation a sample commercially built PRC-6 inverted power supply that will allow it's operation from a 6 volt internal battery. Also available are versions for the CPRC-26, PRC-10, BC-611(in development), among others. As soon as time allows, I will do some testing, write an article, and propose a means by which we may obtain these as a group. One thing is for sure, I am not willing to again empty my bank account to provide front money, nor am I willing to undertake this project on my own again. If I don't get some help, I won't do it! Dennis ***********************************************[ RUSSIAN MILITARY RADIOS PART VI; By LTC William L. Howard SOVIET COLD WAR ERA RADIOS 1973 TO PRESENT: GENERAL ISSUE TACTICAL RADIOS Patrol Radios, Apparently the R 126 set was still in this role until the early 1980s. It has been replaced by the R 392 R 392 This is a man pack radio developed in the 1980's. It has 6 fixed channels: 44.3, 44.6,44.9, 45.2, 45.8 MHz. The channel selector on top of the set is normally covered by a circular cover like that used on the R 126. This set has an RF output of about 2 watts and is powered by a 9.6 volt Ni-Cad battery. In operation the set is carried in a canvas carrier strapped to the operators back It uses a single headphone with a cheek microphone connected to the set by a cord through the control unit. Company/Battalion Radios: R 107, The R 107 transceiver is one of the newest additions to Soviet communications. It is a manpacked frequency modulated transceiver which operates within a frequency range of of 20 - 52 MHz. encompassing 1,231 useable frequencies (Channels). This radio uses two bands, Band One is 20-36 MHz and Band Two is 36-52 MHZ. the set is capable of using the standard Kulikov antenna, a combined rod (2.7 meter) or a traveling wave (40 meter doublet). It has both continuous tune and preset capability with up to four preset frequencies. Power for the set is supplied by two rechargable KNP-20 2.4 volt batteries.. The R 107 is a sturdily constructed radio with a working weight of 16.9 Kg (37.2 lb.) The set has a power output of 1 watt and a range of 6 kilometers (3.75 iles) with a whip antenna 6-8 Km ( 3.75 - 5 miles) with a combined rod antenna and 12 - 25 Km (9.4 to 15.6 miles) with a travelling wave antenna. The set can be used as a radio relay station and can be remoted by using the standard field telephones, the TAI 43 or the newer TA 57. The set is designed for communications up to company level. This set operates in the same frequency range as the AN/PRC 25, AN/PRC 77 and the AN/VRC 12 and can be netted with these radios. This set is replacing the R 105 M series of radios. R 129 Man Pack Transceiver, The R 129 is a ruggedly constructed, man packed transceiver which operates from two 2.4 VDC batteries hooked in series. The set is 18.7 x 40,0 x 33.7 cm and weighs 19 Kg. The front panel contains the dials and switches which operate the tansceiver.The set can easily be recognized by the power switch's location on top of the radio. The R 129 can can transmit and receive in Single Side Band (SSB), Amplitute Modulation (AM) and continuous wave,(CW). It can also transmit but not receive Frequency Shift Keying(FSK) The set operates from 1 to 10.999MHz. It has detent tuning with a 10 KHz channel spacing.. The power output is 3 to 90 watts and has a range of from 10 to 300 Km. The antennas that can be used with this set are a 1.5 meter whip antenna and a Dipole Antenna. The set can be remotely operated from up to km distant with the use of the new TA 57 field telephone. The limitations of this set are that it is difficult to repair as the components are hard soldered to the chassis rather than being modular plug in units. Because of its weight it is difficult to manpack. As it has no speaker, headphones must be used. When in the mobile mode, the set is capable of only 8 hours continuous receive operation before recharging the accumulators becomes necessary. Base/Fixed Station Radios: R102, R 118, R 140 These sets were mounted in a Radio Truck. R 130 Vehicular Radio, The R 130M is an AM transceiver , which was a vehicuar replacement for the R 104 and R 104M sets. It is comprised of three major components, the transceiver, the the matching unit and the power supply. All three are house in gray metal cases. The transceiver is 10" x 17" x 12" and weighs 90 pounds. The matching unit is 11" x 16" x 10" and weighs 8 pounds. The power supply is 9" x 7" x 11" and weighs 12 pounds. The set has a frequency range of 1500KHz to 10990 KHz with 950 preset frequencies spaced at 10 KHz. It has six modes of operation, SSB.AM (AM Voice) Wide Band ON-OFF keying, Narrow Band ON-OFF keying, Continuous Wave ( CW) and transmission in Frequency shift Keying (FSK). The receiver can receive in the stand by mode. The R 130 utilizes three types of antennas for vehicle use. A 4 meter whip, an inclined wire and a doublet antenna. When on the move it uses the 4 meter whip and when at a fixed location, it can use any combination of the three. The set requires a power source of 22.1 to 29,9 VDC. The set can be operated with the R 123 by connecting both sets to the R 130M antenna matching unit. R 143, "BAGULNIK' CW/SSB/RTTY 1.5 to 20 Mhz, size 105mm x 310mm x 350 mm, 7 kg in weight and has headset.mike, whip antenna, and key Bagulnik/ R-143 without doubt was used in Desert Storm affair for it is quite contemporary rig. I've heard of specimens with foreign lettering on them. R-354, Is a smaller radio than the R 143 It is a radio possibly with burst code transmitter inside. It is not a type of FM radio in common use. Possibly it compounds speech and shoots it thereafter, but I am unaware. It's quite obsolete now, having entered service in 1982 or so. Maybe it acts as a scrambler for speech unintelligibility.Guess,it's because of several plug-in units,maybe they should be changed depending upon what task the set is to perform during and prior to an action. R-326, Was created in late 60's. They were starting to introduce this set to communication troops(1969... 1974).The receiver was considered SECRET and even the Russian soldiers were not allowed to see the set.The set consists of the receiver and a power supply capable of operation on either 220 VAC or 110 VAC. Accessories include a long wire antenna, headset and an antenna connection box. The set also makes use of two rechargeable batteries to power the dial light. R-326M, 1 to 30 MHz, digital readout, double conversion, mechanical filters, synthesizer, fully IC solid state. Front panel and AC Power Supply are different than the one used for the R-326. Outer sizes and the cabinet are about the same. Just an excellent receiver to monitor short wave bands. Can be powered from accumulators. R-326M, probably came out in the early 80's, and is now out of production, due to disarmament. It is an excellent set. SPECIAL PURPOSE OR MISSION RADIOS: R 394, Developed as a replacement for the R 350 and R350M series radios R-394K is. It' s contemporary R-350/00AB. 2 times less in volume. R-394K is an Aluminum khaki colored suitcase 350x130x260 mm, weigh is.7 kg. w/posts for joining a parachute canvas. According to Serge, there is no real difference between the sets and he felt that one might have a coder and one with out.. The sets had a Freq range of 1.5 to 13.5 MHz with an output of 15-20 watts, estimated. The set that was examined was Serial No 91 and the meter was dated 1977 but the data plate on the set put it's manufacture at 1982. R374, It is questionable that this set exists. ARMORED VEHICLE RADIOS: R 173 Transceiver / R 124 Intercom The R-123 was replaced in the Russian armed forces about 10 years ago.( 1987-88) The replacement was the R-173. This is a modern, all solid state, synthesized radio that tunes 30-76 MHz in 1kHz steps. The set has keyboard entry for frequencies and an LED readout. It also has some memory channels but I can't recall how many at the moment. I don't think the Iraqis got any R-173s. AGENT RADIOS Small Transistorized Radio, powered by 9 volt battery The agent radio does not have any type of model or identification number; nor would one expect it to. The idea would be that nothing on the set should give any link to a specific intelligence service. The purpose of the set was to receive OWVL (One Way Voice Links), the "numbers stations". The numbers are used with OTPs (One Time Pads) to provide the agent with an unbreakable cipher. Of course the radios were for "receive only" since there was no reason to transmit back. Miscelaneous Facts not covered elsewhere It can be seen the the Russians prefer to power their radios with re-chargeable wet cell type batteries. Their term is accumulator. This has resulted in a special unit in the Russian army referred to as an "Accumulator Loading Station". Basically this is a truck mounted battery charging station. Powered by a gasoline driven generator, it is capable of recharging many batteries. The using unit takes their depleted batteries to the station and exchanges them for fully charged batteries. Among the many items brought back from Desert Storm was a maintenance kit from such a station. Packed in three wooden chests, it held a very flimsy soldering iron, a battery load tester consisting of a meter with a load shunt mounted on a handle, and several spare parts type items. I was able to get chests No 1 and 3 but not No 2. so do not know the full list of contents. THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 727- 585-7756 *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Russian R-116 on AM? Reference your posting of T. Bryan reference to the R-116 , 16 Sept 98. The Russians were trying to "standardize" their modes of modulation. Aircraft traditionaly use AM why not make everything AM. Use same amplifiers, audio sections etc. Breck K4CHE smithab1@bellatlantic.net ed) I'd sooner think that it was simply some leftover WW-II technology. Remember, the USSR do to the extreme distrust by the other Allied nations, was not privy to all available technology. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broadcasting! HI DENNIS I DON'T KNOW WHY MIKE SENT THAT MESSAGE TO A BUNCH OF US BUT I KNOW I DON'T LIKE IT. IF HE HAS A PROBLEM WITH YOU THAT IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS BECAUSE YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FAIR WITH ME. IT IS REALLY BAD SEEING AS HOW WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE FACTS AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON. I LOOKS AS IF HE IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE YOU LOOK BAD, BUT AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IT ISN'T GOING TO WORK. TODD HUSS KA0ZDD@JUNO.COM KA0ZDD1@AOL.COM ed) I'm sure Mike's "Broadcast" was simply a mistake in his reply settings and that it won't happen again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Type TR9D? Dennis - I am still trying to identify this transmitter receiver. The Id plate reads: Transmitter/Reciever Type TR9D A (Brithish crown symbol) M The packing crate reads: Wright Airfield Dayton. 73,Wesley AA8VC ed) I don't have the time just now to search my file(I'm on the way out the door for Peoria). Will have a look when I get back. In the mean time maybe someone else has an answer for you. *********************************************** HUMOR; Suitey's Formula For Coping With Work-Related Stress: Picture yourself near a stream. Birds are singing in the crisp, cool mountain air. Nothing can bother you here. No one knows this secret place. You are in total seclusion from that place called the world. The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity. The water is clear. You can easily make out the face of the person whose head you're holding under the water. There now, feeling better? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "If humans possess one attribute that's enough to cause a migraine, it's that their ability to invent new things almost always exceeds their capacity to make them function correctly." -Samuel Greengard, writer, America West Airlines Magazine ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Real events to start you thinking: Louisiana: A man walked into a Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer? Fifteen dollars. [If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, was a crime committed?] ---------- Florida: [Uh, pardon our English] A thief burst into the bank one day wearing a ski mask and carrying a gun. Aiming his gun at the guard, the thief yelled, "FREEZE, MOTHER-STICKERS, THIS IS A F-K UP!" For a moment, everyone was silent. Then the snickers started. The guard completely lost it and doubled over laughing. It probably saved his life, because he'd been about to draw his gun. He couldn't have drawn and fired before the thief got him. The thief ran away and is still at large. In memory of the event, the bank later put a plaque on the wall engraved "Freeze,mother-stickers, this is a fxxk-up!" ---------- Arkansas: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided that he'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. Seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on videotape. ---------- New York: As a female shopper exited a convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, the police had apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied "Yes Officer...that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from." ---------- Seattle : When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motor home parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motor home near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motor home's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had. ---------- Ann Arbor : The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 5 am, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. When the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away. ---------- Newark: A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone, and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested. ************ Will the Real Dummy Please Stand Up?! AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked "intellectual leadership." He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence... ---------- With a Little Help from Our Friends! Police in Oakland, California spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them, shouting pleas to come out and give himself up... ---------- And What Was Plan B? An Illinois man pretending to have a gun kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines. The kidnapper then proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts. Fire investigators on Maui have determined the cause of a blaze that destroyed a $127,000 home last month - a short in the homeowner's newly installed fire prevention alarm system. "This is even worse than last year," said the distraught homeowner, "when someone broke in and stole my new security system..." ---------- The Getaway A man walked in to a Topeka, Kansas, Kwik Shop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him. ---------- Have I Got a Deal for You! More than 600 people in Italy wanted to ride in a spaceship badly enough to pay $10,000 a piece for the first tourist flight to Mars. According to the Italian police, the would-be space travelers were told to spend their "next vacation on Mars, amid the splendors of ruined temples and painted deserts. Ride a Martian camel from oasis to oasis and enjoy the incredible Martian sunsets. Explore mysterious canals and marvel at the views. Trips to the moon also available." Authorities believe that the con men running this scam made off with over six million dollars... ---------- Too Well-Educated In Medford, Oregon, a 27-year-old jobless man with an MBA blamed his college degree for his murder of three people. "There are too many business grads out there," he said. "If I had chosen another field, all this may not have happened..." ---------- Did I Say That?! Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words, "Give me all your money or I'll shoot," the man shouted, "That's not what I said!" ---------- Are We Not Communicating? A man spoke frantically into the phone: "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!" "Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No, you idiot!" the man shouted. "This is her husband!" ---------- Not the Sharpest Knife in the Drawer! In Modesto, CA, Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun, but unfortunately, he failed to keep his hand in his pocket. Hmmm...wonder what he uses for a knife? --------------- Murphy, a dishonest lawyer, bribed a man on his client's jury to hold out for a charge of manslaughter, as opposed to the charge of murder which was brought by the state. The jury was out for several days before they returned with the manslaughter verdict. When Murphy paid the corrupt juror, he asked him if he had a very difficult time convincing the other jurors to see things his way. "Sure did," the juror replied, "the other eleven wanted to acquit." Submitted by: Whattadeal @ aol.com \\|// (o o) ORACLE SERVICE HUMOR MAILING LIST -------oOOo-(_)-oOOo----------- And, from Joke-A-Day So it seems that these four rabbis had a series of theological arguments, and three were always in accord against the fourth. One day, the odd rabbi out, after the usual "3 to 1, majority rules" statement that signified that he had lost again, decided to appeal to a higher authority. "Oh, God!" he cried. "I know in my heart that I am right and they are wrong! Please give me a sign to prove it to them!" It was a beautiful, sunny day. As soon as the rabbi finished his prayer, a storm cloud moved across the sky above the four. It rumbled once and dissolved. "A sign from God! See, I'm right, I knew it!" But the other three disagreed, pointing out that storm clouds form on hot days. So the rabbi prayed again: "Oh, God, I need a bigger sign to show that I am right and they are wrong. So please, God, a bigger sign!" This time four storm clouds appeared, rushed toward each other to form one big cloud, and a bolt of lightning slammed into a tree on a nearby hill. "I told you I was right!" cried the rabbi, but his friends insisted that nothing had happened that could not be explained by natural causes. The rabbi was getting ready to ask for a *very big* sign, but just as he said, "Oh God...," the sky turned pitch black, the earth shook, and a deep, booming voice intoned, "HEEEEEEEE'S RIIIIIIIGHT!" The rabbi put his hands on his hips, turned to the other three, and said, "Well?" "So," shrugged one of the other rabbis, "now it's 3 to 2." *********************************************** (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) ***********************************************