From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: military radio collectors#1 Fcc: Sent Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999 04:37:51 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Apr.20/99 Message-ID: <19990420.043655.11399.7.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Apr.20/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Little Rock Ar. Hamfest, Dallas Hamcom, Ebay Sabre Rattling, WW-II IFF RADAR; from Ron Gillen MILITARY & SHORT WAVE FREQS OF THE BALKANS; MEMBERS WRITE; Navy RCH? British WW-II Radio Web Site, Pot Metal Disease, NEW MEMBER; Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow, KA1KAQ HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Little Rock Ar. Hamfest, Next weekend Ike and I will be off for the Little Rock Arkansas hamfest. Again this year they've swelled my head with the offer of unlimited free tables to put on a display, so we go. This year the selection will be clandestine equipment from WW-II till 1980, and captured enemy radio equipment dating from WW-II through Desert Storm. I'm frantically trying to get things together for the show, and ready the old Power Wagon for the trip. So if I become lax in getting out the Post, or answering your messages, please cut me some slack. In the tradition that we started last year, we will have a radio up on 51mc to talk to anyone that shows up. If you do not yet have a radio up on 51mc, shame on you! But let me know an alternate freq(any band) and I'll put something on it. Dallas Hamcom, I'm currently in negotiations with the sponsors of Dallas Hamcom(in Texas). They've approached me to come down there and put an a display(June 11-13). I've been reluctant to wanna drive this distance(around 500 miles) especially in a 36 year old 1 ton front line ambulance, but if I might make the acquaintance of some Group members, this outlook could change. So let me know if you might be able to attend. Ebay Sabre Rattling, In the last week there has been some sabre rattling over the conduct of some while making bids on Ebay. Personally, I think if your inclined to partake in that mediums madness, you deserve whatever frustration you might encounter. Ebay is a free-for-all, dog-eat-dog environment for which I want no part. Trying to adopt a set of ethics, or rules of chivalry would be fruitless. Dennis *********************************************** WW-II IFF RADAR; from Ron Gillen Many years ago, in the late 50s, I interviewed an ex-Luftwaffe officer up in Jutland. During the WWII he was on detached service as an engineering officer and assigned to collect parts from Allied planes downed in his sector of Greece. Early on the Germans couldn't figure out what the IFF units were used for and they feared that it was a secret navigational device used in bombing, a high priority was put on to cracking this nut. When they later found out it was to identify a plane as a friend or foe they were amazed that the Americans would waste all that technology on such a trivial device. I had worked on IFF transponder devices earlier and their most notable claim to fame was their unreliability and difficulty in getting pilots to cooperate in the squawking process. The German and I had a common bond, we both owned Auto Union DKW's. He was happily employed in a factory in Jutland designing imitation Danish Furniture. I am afraid that I really got along well and liked the Germans, many were drafted into the service and had no choice in what went on. They didn't imprison many dissidents, they were either shot or sent to the Eastern front as cannon fodder, few returned. We had a policy that was similar to that in the Korean war, does anyone remember it? Regards ..... Ron Gillen *********************************************** MILITARY & SHORT WAVE FREQS OF THE BALKANS; English Language Shortwave Broadcasts from the Balkans Radio Tirana International, Tirana, Albania 0145-0200 -- 6115/7160 to North America (daily) 0230-0300 -- 6115/7160 to North America (daily) 1915-1930 -- 7180/9510 to Europe (daily) 2130-2200 -- 1215/7160/9635 to Europe (daily) Radio Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria 0200-0300 -- 9400/11700 to North America (daily) 1100-1200 -- 15700/17500 to Europe (daily) 1900-2000 -- 9400/11720 to Europe (daily) 2100-2200 -- 9400/11720 to Europe (daily) 2300-0000 -- 9400/11700 to North America (daily) Croatian Radio, Croatia 0705-0710 -- 9830 to Europe and 13820 to Africa (Monday-Friday) 0805-0810 -- 9830 to Europe and 13820 to Australia (Sunday) 0905-0910 -- 13820 to Africa (Monday-Friday) 1305-1310 -- 6130 to Europe Radio Prague, Prague, Czech Republic 0000-0027 -- 11615/13580 to North America (daily) 0100-0127 -- 7345/11615 to North America (daily) 0200-0230 -- Via WRN Galaxy 5 Satellite, transponder 6, 6.80 MHz audio 0300-0327 -- 7345/9955/11615 to North America (daily) 0330-0357 -- 11600/15530 to Middle East/Asia (daily) 0700-0727 -- 9880/11600 to Europe (daily) 0900-0930 -- Via WRN Astra 1B Satellite/21745 to Africa/Asia (daily) 1030-1057 -- 9880/11615 to Europe (daily) 1300-1327 -- 13580/17485 to Europe/Asia (daily) 1600-1627 -- 5930/21745 to Europe/Africa (daily) 1700-1727 -- 5930/21745 to Europe/Africa (daily) 2000-2027 -- 5930/11600 to Europe/Asia/Australia (daily) 2130-2157 -- 11600/15545 to Africa/Asia/Australia (daily) 2230-2300 -- 11600/15545 to North America (daily) Voice of Greece, Athens, Greece 0140-0150 -- 7450/7475/9375/9420 to North America (daily) 0250-0300 -- 7450/7475/9375/9420 to North America (Sunday/Friday) 0340-0350 -- 7450/9375/9420 to North America (daily) 0700-0715 -- 7430/7450/9375/9420 to Europe and 9775 to Australia(Friday) 0730-0740 -- 7430/7450/9375 to Europe, 9420 to North America and 9775 to Australia (daily) 1240-1250 -- 15630 to Africa (daily) 1410-1420 -- 7450 to Europe and 9425 to North America (daily) 1800-1815 -- 7450/9425 to Europe, 15485 to North America and 17705 to South America (daily) 1840-1850 -- 12105/15630 to Africa (daily) 1900-1910 -- 7475/9375 to Europe (daily) 2240-2250 -- 7475/9425 to Australia (daily) 2340-2350 -- 7450/9400/11645 to South America (daily) Radio Budapest, Budapest, Hungary 0100-0130 -- 9560 to North America (daily) 0230-0300 -- 9840 to North America (daily) 1900-1930 -- 6025/7170 to Europe (daily) 2100-2130 -- 6025 to Europe (daily) 2130-2200 -- 975 to Europe (daily) Radio Romania International, Bucharest, Romania 0200-0300 -- 5990/9570/11830 to North America and 11740/11940/15380 to Asia(daily) 0400-0500 -- 9570/11940 to North America and 15325/17720 to Asia (daily) 0600-0700 -- 7105/9625/11775 to Europe, 9510/21480 to North America and 17790 to Africa (daily) 0641-0656 -- 9550/9625/9665/11885 to Europe (daily) 0700-0800 -- 17735/21480 to Africa (daily) 1300-1400 -- 15335/17805 to Europe and 17745 to North America (daily) 1700-1800 -- 9510/11940/15250 to Europe (daily) 2100-2200 -- 7105/9550/9690 to Europe (daily) 2300-0000 -- 6130/7195 to Europe and 9570/11830 to North America (daily) Radio Slovakia International, Bratslava, Slovakia 0100-0130 -- 5930/7300/9440 to North America (daily) 0700-0730 -- 9940/15460/17550 to Australia (daily) 1630-1700 -- 5920/6055/7345 to Europe (daily) 1830-1900 -- 5920/6055/7345 to Europe (daily) Radio Yugoslavia, Belgrade, Serbia 0100-0130 -- 9580 to Europe/North America (daily except Sunday) 0530-0600 -- 9580 to North America (daily) 1830-1900 -- 6100 to Europe and 9720 to Africa (daily) 1900-1930 -- 7230 to Australia (daily) 2100-2130 -- 6100/6185 to Europe (daily) Voice of Turkey, Ankara, Turkey 0300-0400 -- 7240/9655/21715 Various (daily) 1230-1300 -- 15295/17815 to Asia (daily) 1300-1330 -- 15295/17815 to Asia (daily) 1830-1900 -- 9630 to Asia and 9655 Various (daily) 1900-1930 -- 9630 to Asia and 9655 Various (daily) 2030-2100 -- 9525 Various (daily) 2100-2130 -- 9525 Various (daily) 2200-2300 -- 7280 to Europe and 9655 Various (daily) NATO E-3 AWACS "Magic" HF Frequencies Channel Frequency ?? 3900 ?? 5691 ?? 23214 A4 8980 (See XD) A9 10315 AA 6700 AB 11228 AC 8971 KD 6760 KF 6695 NB 3081 NC 3225 NE 4542 NF 4720 NH 4758 NI 6762.5 NJ 8986.5 NK 11270.5 NL 15050 NM 17996.5 XC 6754 XD 8980 XE 10315 According to some European sources the X-designators/frequencies is replacing N-designators/frequencies although the N-designators are sometimes still used. Miscellaneous NATO HF Frequencies 3097.5 4777.5 5267.0 5349.0 (NATO Training Net 661G) Operation Allied Force Active Frequencies 3178 Bookshelf Net Push Unknown 4724 USAF Global HF System Primary 5218 Bookshelf Net Push Unknown 6693 USN Voice Coordination Net 6712 USAF Global HF System Primary 6728 NATO AWACS Net 6739 USAF Global HF System Primary 6761 USAF Air Refueling Primary 6865 Bookshelf Net Push 81A 6932.5 Bookshelf Net Push 81B 8046 Bookshelf Net Push 81V 8992 USAF Global HF System Primary 9118.5 Bookshelf Net Push 82A 9260 Bookshelf Net Push 82B 10315 NATO Naval Net 11173 Bookshelf Net Push 83A 11175 USAF Global HF System Primary 13200 USAF Global HF System Primary 15016 USAF Global HF System Primary 16442.4 Naval Voice Coordination Hotel Tracking Net NATO Common VHF/UHF Frequencies 122.1 NATO Common VHF Tower/GCA/Approach Control 123.1 Search and Rescue (VHF Primary) 123.3 NATO Common VHF Low Level/GCA/Final Approach 130.425 Search and Rescue (Unicom) 138.7 Search and Rescue (VHF Secondary) 156.3 Marine VHF Channel 06 (Air/Ship) 156.8 Marine VHF Channel 16 (Distress) 160.6 Marine VHF Channel 00 (Emergency) 241.9 Helicopter Common 243.0 International Calling/Emergency (Worldwide) 243.4 Guard/Watch 244.6 Search and Rescue (Scene of Search) 249.875 NATO Discrete Operations 252.8 Search and Rescue (Training) 257.8 NATO Common Tower 277.8 US Navy Fleet Common 278.3 Helicopter Common 279.4 Combat Scene of Action 280.6 Jamming/Strike Safety 282.1 Search and Rescue (Secondary) 282.8 Search and Rescue (Primary) 300.8 NATO Common Low Level 317.5 NATO Common Radar Fix 337.8 Transit Control 344.0 NATO Common Radar/Director 356.4 Jamming/Strike Safety 362.3 NATO Common Approach Control 369.1 Helicopter Common 385.4 NATO Common Radar/Final Approach ...although, I really don't think you're gonna' hear the UHF stuff, ya' know? *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Navy RCH? Dennis: I have been offered an RCH from someone who called on the LL. (no, not the unit of tiny electronic measurement we learned from the old chief in ET School....[red cunt hair], but something either by Scott or National..... Is it the NC-100 series adaptations? If I knew I can't remember. Tnx/73, Perry w8au ed) I can't now find my pictures to confirm it(I took them of a set on display at the Little Rock Hamfest last year), but I think the RCH was that real little pre-war National. I agree with the general description as it allies to chief ET's! ----------------------------------------------------------------- British WW-II Radio Web Site, For those of you who are interested in British Radio sets of WW 2, You may know about this already but Louis Meulstee has a web page up. He has some interesting pictures in his gallery. http://home.wxs.nl/~meuls003/home.html William L. Howard e-mail wlhoward@gte.net ed)Louis Meulstee is the author of "Wireless for the Warrior", a very fine book! ----------------------------------------------------------------- Pot Metal Disease, Hi Dennis , The condition Ray VK2ILV describes sounds like Pot Metal Disease . It is found in zink castings and is caused by inpurities in the metal (oxides of tin, lead, and silver .. There is no cure ,other than a new casting .This is common in older castings pre-1950 . The metal just swells , crumbles and breaks along the metals crystal joints . Old castings can be reinforced from the back with fiberglass cloth and resin but this generally renders the equipment non workable . Lionel Toy Train Collectors and Toy Collectors have been fighting this problem for years . They would be good people to approach about cosmetic fixes and they are easy to find , Toy and Train Shows , model RR Clubs and Toy Clubs brings them out of the wood work . We have pretty much done away with the inpuritys in zink for castings. IN the USA the use of aluminum has pretty much replaced zink but it comes into the country in the form of cheap import hardware and plumbing supplys.. I studied metalurgy and engineering back the early 70's and worked for Cominco American producing high purity metal castings, wire and parts for the budding electronic revolution .We would melt metals in a vacuum furnace and then zone freeze it to produce a single crystal of metal . We would the draw the metal into wire or roll it into sheets and the punch out the need parts . We produced metals so pure they were 99.9999 fine .Just the sodium from a fingers touch could ruin a batch of metal. I hope that helps . best Wishes , lee Lee Orsborn , lee@vtw.net *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow, KA1KAQ Hello Dennis - Thank you for this invitation to join the group. I have seen a few messages from this group, as well as talked to a few members. This seems to be a very knowledgable, resourceful group that enjoys the aspects of this hobby without the commercialism and 'gold digging' approach found in so many other lists/reflectors. This is what I have observed from the few postings I have seen in the last year or so. I myself have been a radio nut since high school, getting started with shortwave and CB(until it became so incredibly stupid in the late 70's), then moved on to get my amateur license in 1983. My first shortwave receiver was a Hallicrafters S-40B, followed by a National RAO-7/NC-127 from a WWII B-29(at least that's what the old timer told me). I have always been interested in mililtary gear of all types, mostly radio-related, but I do have a few nice old flight jackets, a leather flight helmet w/mask, some other army helmets and misc. trinkets. I'm basically a packrat. The radio gear that I have of a military nature includes several of the ARC5 receivers and transmitters, a BC-191, 2 ART-13's, RAK-8, RAO-7(or 8?),Hallicrafters RBK-13, RCA CR91A and AR88LF, two R-390's, one by each manufacturer, one R-390A by Parametrics/Teledyne, CU-286/FRR-33 multicoupler, two SP-600's and a BC-779. One area where I have become extremely interest recently is the area of covert/clandestine radio gear. I recently got my hands on a GRC-109 set up with both supplies, although the recevier is actually the CIA RR-2B. I am amazed not only at the compact size of this gear for it's design age, but also by how well it works! I've put together a kit from a 20mm ammo can with the small power supply and T/R as well as the manual and other odds and ends. I hope to find the GRA-71 code burst unit as well as the spares box with the spare parts. I'd also like to find other models, but I don't hold out much hope for this since it seems that 'spy radios' are becoming 'fashionable' now too, like Collins gear did. As far as the business end of things, I do believe you have it right - people should be able to buy/sell/trade their military wares on the list, but not make it a business. The purpose should always be to further ones own knowledge and gear, not their bank account. I have always preferred trading for this reason, since it allows both parties to get what they want, no(or very little) cash needs to change hands, and it moves items which are surplus to one person into the hands of someone else to use and enjoy. Myself, I have a fairly large collection(I hate to use that term because of the 'hoarder' or 'money maker' implications)of radio gear, ranging from amateur to military, to old braodcast radios, keys, tubes, etc. One item I have recently gotten hold of in an estate deal is extremely interesting, but I can find no one with any knowledge of it. It is a WWI British MK III 'shortwave' military crystal receiver. Apparently it was used by the field artillery to receive transmissions from spotter aircraft, but aside from the clipping included in the case, that is all I can find on it. The date on it is 1918. Hopefully someone on this list will know more. Finally, as far as contributing, I'm not too sure just how much I'll be able to help, as I don't have a lot of knowledge, but I do enjoy learning and will no doubt have a lot of questions over time. Perhaps I'll even have an answer now and then. Oh, about me, myself....I'm 38 years old, I am not a yuppy, nor am I 'politically correct' - quite the opposite, I tend to use common sense and be somewhat outspoken at times. I do agree with the terms you have described and I look forward to learning more. Thank you very much for this opportunity! Todd 'Boomer' Bigelow, KA1KAQ Randolph, VT *********************************************** HUMOR; TO MY DEAR WIFE, During the past year I have tried to make love to you 365 times. I have succeeded 36 times,which is an average of once every ten days. The following is a list of why I did not succeed more often: 54 times the sheets were clean 17 times it was too late 49 times you were too tired 20 times it was too hot 15 times you pretended to be asleep 22 times you had a headache 17 times you were afraid of waking the baby 16 times you said you were too sore 12 times it was the wrong time of the month 19 times you had to get up early 9 times you said weren't in the mood 7 times you were sunburned 6 times you were watching the late show 5 times you didn't want to muss your new hair-do 3 times you said the neighbors would hear us 9 times you said your mother would hear us Of the 36 times I did succeed, the activity was not satisfactory because 6 times you just layed there, 8 times you reminded me there's a crack in the ceiling, 4 times you told me to hurry up and get it over with, 7 times I had to wake you and tell you I finished, and one time I was afraid I had hurt you because I felt you move. *u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u*u* TO MY DEAR HUSBAND: I think you have things a little confused. Here are the reasons you didn't get more than you did: 5 times you came home drunk and tried to fuck the cat 36 times you did not come home at all 21 times you didn't cum 33 times you came too soon 19 times you went soft before you got in 38 times you worked too late 10 times you got cramps in your toes 29 times you had to get up early to play golf 2 times you were in a fight and someone kicked you in the balls 4 times you got it stuck in your zipper 3 times you had a cold and your nose was running 2 times you had a splinter in your finger 20 times you lost the notion after thinking about it all day 6 times you came in your pajamas while reading a dirty book 98 times you were too busy watching football, baseball, etc. on TV Of the times we did get together the reason I laid still was because you missed and were fucking the sheets. I wasn't talking about the crack in the ceiling, what I said was ,"Would you prefer me on my back or kneeling?" The time you felt me move was because you farted and I was trying to breathe. ------------------------------------------------------------------ What do you get when you cross a crooked politician and a crooked lawyer? Chelsea ------------------------------------------------------------------ Words To Live By * If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. * A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. * Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. * For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism. * He who hesitates is probably right. * Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with. * No one is listening until you make a mistake. * Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view. * The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required on it. * The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the bread. * The severity of the itch is proportional to the reach. * To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is re search. * To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles. * Two wrongs are only the beginning. * You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. * The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard. * Monday is an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life. * The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up. * A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory. * If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before. * Change is inevitable....except from vending machines. * Don't sweat petty things....or pet sweaty things. * A fool and his money are soon partying. * Money can't buy love. But it CAN rent a very close imitation. * Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow. * Always try to be modest. And be damn proud of it! * If you think nobody cares about you, try missing a couple of payments. * How many of you believe in telekinesis? Raise my hands.... * Attempt to get a new car for your spouse--it'll be a great trade! * Drugs may lead to nowhere, but at least it's the scenic route. * I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize. * Everybody repeat after me....."We are all individuals." * Death to all fanatics! * Guests who kill talk show hosts--On the last Geraldo.. * Chastity is curable, if detected early. * Don't be sexist; broads hate that! * Love may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener. * Hell hath no fury like the lawyer of a woman scorned. * Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks. * Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now. * Eagles may soar, but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines. * Borrow money from pessimists --they don't expect it back. * Beware of geeks bearing gifts. * Half the people you know are below average. * 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name. * 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot. * A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good. * If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely ------------------------------------------------------------------ Interesting Tidbits The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched." "Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt". Almonds are members of the peach family. The symbol on the "pound" key (#) is called an octothorpe. The dot over the letter 'i' is called a tittle. Ingrown toenails are hereditary. The word "set" has more definitions than any other word in the English language. "Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und." There are only four words in the English language which end in"-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous. The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. The only other word with the same amount of letters is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconioses, its plural. The longest place-name still in use is Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwenuakitnatahu, a New Zealand hill. Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula" and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, "L.A." An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur. Alfred Hitchcock didn't have a belly button. It was eliminated when he was sewn up after surgery. Telly Savalas and Louis Armstrong died on their birthdays. Donald Duck's middle name is Fauntleroy. The muzzle of a lion is like a fingerprint - no two lions have the same pattern of whiskers. Steely Dan got their name from a sexual device depicted in the book 'The Naked Lunch'. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit. The Ramses brand condom is named after the great phaoroh Ramses II who fathered over 160 children. There is a seven letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters, "therein": the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein. Duelling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors. John Larroquette of "Night Court" and "The John Larroquette Show" was the narrator of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds. It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. Cranberries are sorted for ripeness by bouncing them; a fully ripened cranberry can be dribbled like a basketball. The male gypsy moth can "smell" the virgin female gypsy moth from 1.8 miles away. [DeJonghe, Chris] (But does he CALL? NOOOOOO...) The letters KGB stand for Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti. "Stewardesses" is the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand. To "testify" was based on men in the Roman court swearing to a statement made by swearing on their testicles. The combination "ough" can be pronounced in nine different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed." The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable. Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning "containing arsenic." Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason. Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten. The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the king is dead." The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases. The first episode of "Joanie Loves Chachi" was the highest rated American program in the history of Korean television. "Chachi" is Korean for "penis." *********************************************** (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) ***********************************************