From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: military radio collectors#3 Fcc: Sent Date: Tue, 8 Jun 1999 03:32:36 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, June 8/99 Message-ID: <19990608.033142.2559.4.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, June 8/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; SPECIAL EVENT REPORT; Houston Mo. Hamfest WHATSITS; BC-657A? RT-122B/APW-11? NEW MEMBER; Rob Rice HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; *********************************************** SPECIAL EVENT REPORT; Houston Mo. Hamfest Hamfest Host; A Heavy Drain on Physical Resources By Bob Simpson N0NTC It was my idea to hold a hamfest at Houston, MO. The purpose was to raise funds for the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 364, used to further various charitable programs. Our fund-raiser chairman was considering asking local farmers to donate the proceeds from their second hay-cutting. I'm also in Houston's ham club, the OZARK MOUNTAIN REPEATER GROUP, so I brought up the idea of a hamfest hosted by both organizations. I enthused about how hams generally make their own show, all we do is provide a place, charge admission, and sell food. Everybody liked the idea, so I got appointed hamfest chairman in both groups. Since there were only three months until the assigned date, I got a crash course in how to publicise a hamfest. Get it in the magazines, got it on the Web, get it sanctioned by ARRL and get free mailing labels. Get flyers printed and mailed. Look into insurance for the event, (Oh, boy, there's a quagmire for you!) Dennis helped out with Web info, and offered to set up a display of historic U.S. Army communications equipment. The ARRL sent 10,000 address labels in a big box. We could only afford to use 300 of them, and ten percent came back undeliverable/outdated addresses. The day arrived; I got up at 0400, fed the horses, got to the fairgrounds where Dennis was camping out, deployed the big signs with Dennis' help. I unlocked the building and started getting ready to handle admissions. Our concessions guy arrived with supplies for five-hundred people. Our vendors started showing up at 0600, the one really-commercial vendor being Jim Thorpe with the big hat-and-badge machines. Our outside area had four tailgate traders who should have been inside; it was hot out there. The building stayed relatively cool due to a white roof and heavy insulation, and some box fans. I kept my eyes open, but NOBODY had military stuff except me and Dennis, and mine was only a SRR-13 and a J-45 Key! Our FRA guys were not particularly interested in radio stuff, so we exploited them as gatekeepers. About a hundred people actually attended, I'm told that that's not bad for a first hamfest. It didn't make us any money, though, so I'm glad everybody had fun. The stuff we saw for sale; the club table had bunches of old computer monitors, mostly mono. The next table was a mix of new VHF antennas, some small test equipment, used mobile VHF, small accessories. Dennis had trays of variable capacitors, PRT-4's and PRR-9's, VHF amplifiers from the MO Highway Patrol, springy antenna bases, in addition to his great display of Army Radios Through History(1910-1990). He had some seldom-seen wireline telegraph sets made before WW-1. Old veterans were going down the row and stopping at their particular equipment era. Mine was PRC-25. It's sad to have to say, the supply of good old green stuff is getting mighty thin. The crowd started to thin about noon, so we accelerated the drawings for door-prizes and gave out the grand prize, (125-watt VHF amplifier donated by Dennis) at 1300. Some of the other prizes were donated by various merchants around Houston, so we gave out combinations of things, (Y2K Generator-radio with two free McDonald's Super Belly-buster meals). The cocession stand had a melt-down; nobody was going over there for lunch! I ate three of those burgers, trying to get folks interested. In the end, I bought 90 pounds of unused beef patties and a bunch of little bags of chips just to cut the losses. After all that running around, I'll have to take three days just to recover. I'm not really that scatterbrained, Dennis. In the words of another Simps on, "Every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain!" Bob Simpson ed) In all, despite the lack of large quantities of goodies, it was not a bad hamfest for a maiden effort, especially with the limited planning that went into it If we're all around next year, I'd love to try again(I had lotsa fun). They have a great site with lotsa room, inside & out, located where people from Missouri, Arkansas, and Illinois could all attend. We kept in contact using 2ea PRC-25's(one mine, the other Bob's), a PRC-126, and a Cherokee 6mtr HT, all on 51mc. Comms weren't bad even though the QRM was horrid. I had planned to use a PRC-6, and a PRC-10 this time, but at the last minute I couldn't fined any suitable good batteries. My old Wilson portable(WE-800) was drafted into service for use as the hamfest talk-in radio on their 2mtr repeater. I thought I'd have me a new hat made while I was there. The old black "Military Radio Guy" hat is gettin rather dingy after 15 years. But on inspection, all those provided by the vendor were made in Bangladesh, so to hell with that idea. I guess I'll just hafta buy me a hat, and take it to a hamfest to have the stuff printed on it. Can a person buy a plain black hat, made in the USA?(no thats not an island of the coast of Japan!) Dennis *********************************************** WHATSITS; Dennis, I have posted pictures of some equipment I'd like to identify can you help? http://www.lanset.com/buzz/whatsit.html Thanks, Buzz ------------------------------------------------------------------ BC-657A? Dennis, I was asked what the BC 657A transmitter was part of. My only reference says BC 657 A - Transmitter. What was this part of or used with as a complete station. Thanks Bill Howard ----------------------------------------------------------------- RT-122B/APW-11? Got this thing in with a bunch of ARC-5 crap. It's about the size of a command set trans(but not quite as tall), and has a turns counting dial(rec. tunning) at the top/center of it's face, controls for trans tuning, rec. code, trans. code, seperate "N' connectors for rec & trans antennas, and connectors for Trig. Ind., and Telemetering. Was built by Emerson Radio & Phonograph Corp. From the APW designation, would this be some kinda aircraft weapons radar? Any guesses as to what it might have been? Used in what? For what? When? Dennis Starks; Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum email: military-radio-guy@juno.com *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; Rob Rice Dennis, Thanks for the invitation. I am very interested in participating on your group and willingly accept the membership requirements. I am currently interested in portable sets. I have the following in my collection: AN/PRC-77, AN/PRC-68B and most recently AN/TRC-77. I am on the lookout for a AN/ART-13A to work on and have recently come across an original operator's manual. I have a fair amount of documentation on the PRC-77 & PRC-68 (plain not lettered version) (including some correspondence courses on maintenance) that I would be glad to share. I think I'm about to end up with some PRT-4A's that I will be willing to trade I'll be hoping to acquire more information on my recently acquired AN/TRC-77 set. I am beating on the Marine Corps to get more information on the AN/RC-68B and if they come up with anything I'll have info to share from that. I hope that I can be a contributor to your group. It sounds just like what I've been searching for. Rob Rice *********************************************** HUMOR; Real Headlines 1. New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group 2. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft 3. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks 4. Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy 5. Arson Suspect Held in Massachusetts Fire 6. Ban On Soliciting Dead in Trotwood 7. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half 8. New Vaccine May Contain Rabies 9. Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors ----------------------------------------------------------------- Fur yer reedin' plesur... HICKBONICS The Association of Southern Schools has decided to pursue some of the seemingly endless taxpayer dollars pipelined through Washington by designating Southern slang, or Hickbonics," as a language to be taught in all Southern schools. A speaker of this language would be a Hickophone. The following are excerpts from the Hickbonics/English dictionary: HEIDI - (noun) -Greeting. HIRE YEW - Complete sentence. Remainder of greeting. Usage: Heidi, Hire yew?" BARD - (verb) - Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow." Usage: "My brother bard my pickup truck." JAWJUH - (noun) - The State north of Florida. Capitol is Lanner. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck." BAMMER - (noun) - The State west of Jawjuh. Capitol is Berminhayum. Usage: "A tornader jes went through Bammer an' left $20,000,000 in improvements." MUNTS - (noun) - A calendar division. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh bard my pickup truck, and I ain't herd from him in munts." THANK - (verb) - Ability to cognitively process. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare." BARE - (noun) - An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage: "Ah thank ah'll have a bare." IGNERT - (adjective) - Not smart. See "Arkansas native." Usage: "Them bammer boys sure are ignert!" RANCH - (noun) - A tool used for tight'nin' bolts. Usage: "I thank I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago." ALL - (noun) - A petroleum-based lubricant. Usage: "I sure hope my brother from Jawjuh puts all in my pickup truck." FAR - (noun) - A conflagration. Usage: "If my brother from Jawjuh don't change the all in my pickup truck, that thing's gonna catch far." TAR - (noun) - A rubber wheel. Usage: "Gee, I hope that brother of mine from Jawjuh don't git a flat tar in my pickup truck." TIRE - (noun) - A tall monument.. Usage: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I sure do hope to see that Eiffel Tire in Paris sometime." RETARD - (verb) - To stop working. Usage: "My grampaw retard at age 65." FAT - (noun), (verb) - a battle or combat; to engage in battle or combat. Usage: "You younguns keep fat'n, n' ah'm gonna whup y'uh." RATS - (noun) - Entitled power or privilege. Usage: "We Southerners are willin' to fat for are rats." FARN - (adjective) - Not domestic. Usage: "I cuddint unnerstand a wurd he sed...must be from some farn country." DID - (adjective) - Not alive. Usage: "He's did, Jim." EAR - (noun) - A colourless, odourless gas: Oxygen. Usage: "He cain't breathe...give 'im some ear!" BOB WAR - (noun) - A sharp, twisted cable. Usage: "Boy, stay away from that bob war fence." JEW HERE - (noun) and (verb) contraction. Usage: "Jew here that my brother from Jawjuh got a job with that bob war fence cump'ny?" HAZE - a contraction. Usage: "Is Bubba smart?" "Nah...haze ignert. He ain't thanked but a minnit'n'is laf." SEED - (verb) - past tense of "to see". VIEW - contraction: (verb) and pronoun. Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City... view?" GUBMINT - (noun) - A bureaucratic institution. Usage: "Them gubmint boys shore is ignert." ----------------------------------------------------------------- President Bill Clinton called Prime Minister Chretien with an emergency: Our largest condom factory has exploded!" the American President cried, "My people's favourite form of birth control! This is a true disaster!" "Bill, da Canadian pipple would be 'appy to do anyt'ing wit'in der power to 'elp you," replied the Prime Minister. "I do need your help," said Clinton. "Could you possibly send 1,000,000 condoms ASAP to tide us over?" "Certainment! I get right on it!" said Chretien. "Oh, and one more small favour, please?" said Clinton. "Oui?" "Could the condoms be red, white & blue in colour, at least 10" long and 4" in diameter?" said Clinton. "No problem," replied the Prime Minister and, with that, Chretien hung up and called the President of Trojan Condoms. "I need a favour, you got to make 1,000,000 condoms right away and send 'dem to Hamerica." "Consider it done," said the President of Trojan. "Great! Now listen, dey hab to be bleu, blanc et rouge in colour; at least 10" long and 4" in diameteur." "Easily done. Anything else?" "Yah," said the Prime Minister, "an' print 'MADE IN CANADA, SIZE SMALL' on each one." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Most Middle Eastern countries recognize the following Islamic law: "After having sexual relations with a lamb, it is a mortal sin to eat its flesh." In Lebanon, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female. Having sexual relations with a male animal is punishable by death. In Bahrain, a male doctor may legally examine a woman's genitals, but is forbidden from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror. Muslims are banned from looking at the genitals of a corpse. This also applies to undertakers; the sex organs of the deceased must be covered with a brick or piece of wood at all times. (...a brick?????) The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation. (wonder how they enforce that one??) There are men in Guam whose full-time job is to travel the countryside and deflower young virgins, who pay them for the privilege of having sex for the first time. Reason: under Guam law, it is expressly forbidden for virgins to marry. (now let's just think for a minute...is there any job anywhere else in the world that even comes close to this?) In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands.(the husband's lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.) Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England - but only in tropical fish stores. In Cali, Colombia, a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens her mother must be in the room to witness the act. In Santa Cruz, Bolivia it is illegal for a man to have sex with a woman and her daughter at the same time. (...we have to presume this was a big enough problem that they had to pass this law...?) In Maryland, it is illegal to sell condoms from vending machines with one exception: pro-phylactics may be dispensed from a vending machine only "in places where alcoholic beverages are sold for consumption on the premises." ----------------------------------------------------------------- Two friends, a blonde and a brunette, are walking down the street and pass a flower shop where the brunette happens to see her boyfriend buying flowers. She sighs and says, "Oh, crap, my boyfriend is buying me flowers again...for no reason." The blonde looks quizzically at her and says, "What's the big deal, don't you like getting flowers?" The brunette says, "Oh sure... but he always has expectations after getting me flowers, and I just don't feel like spending the next three days on my back with my legs in the air." The blonde says, ....."Don't you have a vase? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Old Indian, standing on the corner. Good-looking woman passes by, on the way to work. The Indian raises his hand in greeting, and says, "Chance!" The same happens several days in a row. Woman walks past... The Indian raises his hand, and says, "Chance!" Finally, one day, she can't ignore it any longer, stops, and asks, "You're an Indian, aren't you?" He nods. She says, "I always thought Indians said 'How!' as a greeting." Indian says, "Already know 'how'. Just want 'chance'." *********************************************** 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 concerning this group or membership contact Dennis Starks at, . A list of selected articles of interest to members can be seen at: http://www.softcom.net/users/buzz/backmail.html ***********************************************