From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: military radio collectors#2 Fcc: Sent Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 03:01:40 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, July 2/99 Message-ID: <19990702.030045.6647.5.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, July 2/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Monthly Weekend "Post" Purge, Inverter Project/Count, PRC-25, FORGOTTEN LEGEND; Part V, By Dennis Starks MEMBERS WRITE; Open & Sniff Addict, National Archives/Manuals, THE FOURTH OF JULY; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Monthly Weekend "Post" Purge, This weekend is the first of the month, with that comes the purge of all Saturday "Paper Trail", and Sunday "Group Wants/Trades" listings. So get your listing in to me no later than Friday night. Those items received sense last weekends post need not be repeated. Inverter Project/Count, As I thought, we will not be subject to the 20% tax previously included. Below follows the prices per unit/quantity and those who have indicated that they wish to participate. As of this time two members have given conditional consent to take care of delivery/distribute in the U.S. As yet I don't know how to proceed. Pete Williams has volunteered to coordinate things in Australia. 2-10 11-99 100> PRC-6 : $30.25 $29.20 $27.50 BC-611 : $35.25 $34.00 $32.10 CPRC-26: as above PRC-10: as above BC-1000: as above PRC-6 BC-611 CPRC-26 PRC-10 BC-1000 Peter Berg 8 8 1 2 2 Ralph Hogan 1 1 1 1 1 Joe Pinner 1 1 1 1 1 Todd Huss 4 1 1 3 2 Geoff Bunza 6 6 6 2 Jeff Ciccone 2 2 2 2 Jim Hopper 2 2 1 1 Bill Howard 1 1 1 1 John Hart 1 Charles Lamb 2 Bob McCord 1 Bob Nickels 2 Lenox Caruth 2 Perry Balinger 5 Bill Jewel 2 Ron Hinze 2 Steve Hill, 2 1 Wes Gladhart 2 Roland Maruska 2 Jim Wood 1 1 1 Alan Tasker 1 1 Breck Smith 2 2 Tom Bryan 1 1 Pete Williams Kevin Hough 1 1 1 Kim Campbel 3 3 Bob Simpson 2 2 Mike Tyler 2 2 Pat Lombardi 2 4 Jim Karlow 2 5 4 PRC-6 BC-611 CPRC-26 PRC-10 BC-1000 Totals 46ea 45ea 10ea 34ea 15ea If your not on the list and want to be, let me know. If you want to amend your listing, let me know. If you don't know what we're talking about, see MCGP June 7/99, June 11/99. If we do this thing, we'll only do it once. So get your name on the list for all the supplies you need, or even think you might need someday, regardless of whether or not you actually have the particular radio for it yet. Dennis *********************************************** PRC-25, FORGOTTEN LEGEND; Part V, By Dennis Starks The PRC-25 Legacy Continues, The PRC-77, By the early 1970's, production of the PRC-25 had ceased. Over 130,000 radios had been built in the U.S. alone. Production had continued even after the advent and large scale deployment of the PRC-77. The PRC-25 had become legend, in the words of General Westmoreland himself, "the PRC-25 was the single most valuable contribution to the war effort". Not the M-16 rifle nor any other item of ordinance, but a lowly radio! Though designed for use at a platoon level, the circumstances of war and environmental conditions had made it the primary communications at every level from 10 men to 10,000. The PRC-25 had become the modern day quide-on, or flag, carried at the head of battle charges 100 years before. Just as 100 years before, the quide-on bearer was the primary target of an opposing force, but as he fell, the next soldier would gallantly take up the flag, and charge on. The simplicity of the PRC-25 allowed the same thing, should it's operator fall(as many, many, did!), the next soldier would snatch it up and carry on.(many surviving examples of the PRC-25 still retain their unit markings, not just numbers painted on them, but elaborately painted unit crest, or insignia). Even though the PRC-25 was still in the hands of troops, as it would be for many years to come, the Legacy is now carried on by it's slightly younger twin, the PRC-77. By 1973, the PRC-77 had been established the world over. It was being produced by at least four domestic manufacturers, and being distributed to at least 10 countries(some in kit form). Foreign companies had begun to build their own for both domestic use, and export. Known companies producing radios include RCA, Magnavox, E Systems, Cincinnati Electronics, Tadiran. Countries receiving radios included U.S., Germany, Spain, Norway, Korea, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Australia, and others. The average cost of the set is $1200. In the late 1970's, a viable radio for use at the squad level was finally introduced after 15 years of development, the PRC-68. It would start to make a dent in the needed quantities of PRC-77's as it would no longer be needed at this low level of the command structure.(Neither the PRC-25 nor -77 had ever been intended for use as a squad level radio. Lack of a viable radio, and the limitations of range in a dense jungle environment had forced them into this service). By 1980, E-System alone(a Johnny come lately) had delivered 25,000 sets to the U.S. military, and exported over 12,000. By 1985, they had delivered 40,000 to the U.S. military alone, and had exported equipment to 50 countries. In 1981, Sentinel Electronics was added to the list with a U.S. order of over 12,000 radios at a cost of $900 per radio. In 1983, another order was placed with Sentinel for $3 mil, and NAPCO was added as a supplier with $2.09 mil order. In 1984, C & G Associates was awarded a contract worth $1.84 mil for over 2000 radios. By 1986, Iran had begun exporting PRC-77's(six years after their disassociation with the U.S.). In 1989, Lucas Hazelton(AN/COMM) received a contract for $22 mil(the same year that the PRC-119 begins deployment). The above listed data is only the tip of the iceberg. By the mid 1980's, the success of the various generations of the PRC-68(including the PRC-126) had proved good enough that they could be used at higher levels than they had been intended, this too would reduce the quantities of PRC-77's needed in the field. Also by this time, there were many usurpers that claimed to be the successor to the vulnerable old PRC-77 both foreign and domestic. They would all prove false. Logic might suggest that with all these attacks on the domain of the PRC-77, it would begin a decline from the military seen, but the reverse is true. There were still not enough radios sets in service to meet the demand. Some units of the National Guard and Reserve had to resort to alternate equipment to meet their needs. Radios like the Trans-World PRC-1077 would appear in their inventories. Not because it was an authorized replacement for the PRC-77, but because it was all they could get, and it had been approved for purchases. In 1987 the official successor to the PRC-77 was adopted, the PRC-119. It was grossly over complicated and required the constant attention of well trained operators. It's extremely complicated/sophisticated design required service personnel to make regular rounds of the units equipped with them to keep radios running. The supposed benefits of Singars, and frequency hopping were lost in the operators inability to set up or maintain these modes, and the radio's frequent failures. In 1990, Desert Storm, the U.S. military was sorrily lacking in field communications equipment to outfit it's hurriedly mobilized forces. There are not enough PRC-119's nor it's sister systems to go around. Again, the PRC-77 is put into action, and again there are not enough. Orders are placed with every company known to still produce the radios. Domestic production wasn't enough, and radios had to be imported from Israel, and Germany(VRC-12 systems were similarly acquired). Units that are issued the PRC-77 vice the PRC-119 don't yet realize how lucky they were. By 1992 it was estimated that over 500,000 radios had been built in the U.S. alone, and it was still in production for the U.S. Army as of 1994 by NAPCO(six years after the adoption and deployment of it's successor, the PRC-119). By the mid 1990's, units that had been issued their new PRC-119's, and had been forced to turned in their old PRC-77's were begging to get their old PRC-77's back. Experiences during Desert Storm, and after, had proved the new PRC-119 to be too complicated to be operable by the common soldier, and it's temperamental nature required constant servicing. The hard won lessons of Vietnam which had spelled the extreme success of the PRC-25 and -77 had been forgotten! The 40 year old proven philosophy of "ultimate simplicity" as apposed to "ultimate versatility" has yet to be re-learned. It's most impressive, that after 42 years, the story of the PRC-25, and the PRC-77 cannot be concluded, nor my account of it. Because they still serve on. Many thousands of PRC-25's still languish in storage awaiting a call to duty, or are used in a diminished capacity every day. And the PRC-77 is still in production(in one form or another), and still in use, all over the world. The age of some radios being nerely twice that of their operators! Here is a summary of the longest lived military radios(none would ever approach the production numbers or widespread use of the PRC-25 & -77): Navy TCS, 1939 to approx 1969, 30 years. BC-610, 1940 to 1969, 29 years. Gibson Girl, 1942 to approx 1985, 43 years VRC-12, 1960 to now, 39 years(and still going) PRC-25 & PRC-77, 1961 to now, 38 years(and still going) Dennis Starks; Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum email: military-radio-guy@juno.com References: #1, Sig 3, List of Current Issue Items, Oct. 1953. (Illustrations of the PRC-10 are of the experimental prototypes) #2, Communication Manual, Dec. 1950, published by the Communications Department, Ft Benning Georgia.(demonstrates the transition from WW-II type equipment to the new generation. Includes many pictures of then experimental equipment including the PRC-6, -10, RT-68, -70 etc) #3, Military Radio Data Vol. I, PRC Designated Radio Equipment, by Dennis Starks (contains detailed discriptions of all known PRC designated military radio equipment from every country of the world) #41 TC24-24, 1988, Signal Data References: Communications-Electronics Equipment. #9.FM24-24,20 May 1977,Radio & Radar Reference Data. #9A.FM24-24,Dec 1983. (each of the above contain data and pictures of the PRC-25 & -77 as well as all other current equipment of the time) #10.Janes,1979/80,Military Communications. #11.Janes,1981,Military Communications. #12.Janes,1988,Military Communications. A.Janes,1985,Military Communications. B.Janes,1994/1995,Military Communications. C.Janes,1996/1997,Military Communications. (each of the above contain sales/production data, descriptions, pictures and other info for the PRC-25, PRC-77 or both. Also data on non-U.S. clones of these radios) #14.ECOM 4451,Nov 1976,History of the Squad Radio. (Contains info on the development of the squad radio including the PRC-35) #18.Military Communications,A TEST FOR TECHNOLOGY, The US Army in Vietnam by John D.Bergen,CMH Pub 91-12. (contains a detailed account of the development and war time use of the PRC-25 & PRC-77) #23.Items contained in my personal collection of equipment. #28.Federal Logistics Data on Compac Disc(Fed Log).1995 #29.AFP 100-14,May 1980. #29A,AFM 100-14,Feb.1969 (each contains short descriptions of all current equipment in use by the Air Force at that time. The 1969 edition does not include the PRC-77) #30.Associated equipments technical manual. #31, Military Collector Group Post: Backmail #52 CURRENT AUSSIE RADIO EQUIPMENT; Circa 1966, from Dave Prince #40 FM24-19, 1991, Radio Operator's Handbook. (contains installation & operational instructions for all current equipment of the time) *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Open & Sniff Addict, Dennis, i understand perfectly Menno's comments about aroma. take for an example, a little used RU receiver, lift the tube cover and sniff the glyptol, the insulation, and the component smell. it's great! and the German equipment, it has it's own unique smell too. and it's not cabbage smell, hi! their enamel paint has its own unique smell. (just as do German books from the pre 1945 years - due to the kind of wood used, they have a kind of light pinewood smell) and then there's always the supreme kick, of opening a factory fresh packed WW2 equipment, and getting a rare sniff of 1940s air. happy sniffing, hue ed) CAUTION! That God-awful stink found in all our old treasures is addictive. As with most addictive substances, like cigarettes, your first experience with it might repulse you. But after continued exposure, your hooked! A good sign that your in trouble is when even though you've had that replacement panel meter for your R-392, or RT-68, for a couple years you've not yet installed it. You tell yourself it's because of limitations on your time. The real truth is, that vacant hole in the radio's panel is needed to get yourself a periodic Fix(the panel meters vacant hole being just the right size to allow access of the human nose). There are other signs, like an unmanly willingness to change baby diapers, clean litter boxes, or burn the trash. Lingering in the bathroom several minutes after your business is done. Radio carcasses a strewn all over the place(including maybe the kitchen table) with no idea of where their cabinets might be. You might be compelled to spend vast quantities of money, or drive many thousands of miles, endangering life limb and marriage, in attempts to fuel this addiction. Be warned! While this addiction itself might not be directly hazardous to you health, females are generally immune. As such, they will not understand your misery, and their countermeasures might sometimes be dangerous, or at least distasteful/painful. There is no known cure, and the only comfort you might find will be with the family dog who is the only one that will be able to sympathize with you. How can this be you ask? Why else would they go around sniffing each other's ass's! My name is Dennis. I'm a MFP-holic! Perhaps there should be a new unofficial name for our group, "MFP-Holic's Anonymous"? ----------------------------------------------------------------- National Archives/Manuals, Dennis: I have been searching for manuals for the ASB series of RADARS for some time. I had came to the conclusion that they were all at the bottom of the Pacific! I finally found a source for a copy of the ASB 5. This was from the National Archives. The Phone number is 202 501 5350. They are very helpful. The copies are priced fairly, especially if you have been hunting as long as I had been. The copies are of good quality and complete. My manual, which was 255 pages long with "B" size schematics, cost $70.00 including shipping. I think it was a bargain! You do need the TM, TO or other manual ID numbers to expedite the process. Everyone was very helpful. This may be a source of Last Resort for some of the more obscure manuals. Rich Wurtzinger *********************************************** THE FOURTH OF JULY; Here's something to ponder as you spend July 4th. The Declaration of Independence I wonder if the politicians today would sacrifice as much??? Few Americans are aware of the tremendous sacrifices made by the brave and selfless men who signed the Declaration of Independence. Have you ever wondered what happened to those men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by British as traitors and were tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked or burned. Two lost their sons in the Revolutionary army. Another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or the hardships of war. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants. Nine were farmers and large plantation owners-men of means and well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well the penalty would be death if they were captured. They signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by British navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts and died in rags. Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers or both looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, Gwinnett, Hetward, Rutledge and Middleton. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, after which she died within a few months. At the Battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. The owner quickly urged General Washington to open fire on the dwelling. The home was destroyed. Nelson died a bankrupt man. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and gristmill were laid waste. For more than a year, he lived in the forests and in caves, returning home after the war to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later, he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. Morris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians; they were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. They pledged: "For the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." The 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence are: Connecticut & New York: Huntington, Samuel; Floyd, William; Sherman, Roger; Lewis, Francis; Williams, William; Livingston, Philip; Wolcott, Oliver; Morris, Lewis. Delaware & North Carolina: McKean, Thomas; Hewes, Joseph; Read, George; Hooper, William; Rodney, Caesar; Penn, John. Georgia & Pennsylvania: Gwinnett, Button; Clymer, George; Hall, Lyman; Franklin, Benjamin; Walton, George; Morris, Robert. Maryland: Morton, Robert; Carroll, Charles; Ross, George; Chase, Samuel; Rush, Benjamin; Paca, William; Smith, James; Stone, Thomas; Taylor, George. Massachusetts: Wilson, James; Adams, John. Rhode Island: Adams, Samuel; Ellery, William; Gerry, Elbridge; Hopkins, Stephen; Hancock, John. South Carolina: Paine, Robert T.; Heyward, Thomas Jr.. New Hampshire: Lynch, Thomas Jr.; Bartlett, Josiah; Middleton, Arthur; Thornton, Matthew; Rutledge, Edward; Whipple, William. Virginia & New Jersey: Braxton, Carter; Clark, Abraham; Harrison, Benjamin; Hart, John; Jefferson, Thomas; Hopkinson, Francis; Lee, Francis Lightfoot; Stockton, Richard; Lee, Richard Henry; Witherspoon, John; Nelson, Thomas Jr.; Wythe, George Taken from Veteran of Foreign Wars Magazine dated June/July 1999. I am truly grateful for men such these. This Fourth of July tell someone you know about one of these men. Happy Fourth of July, *********************************************** 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 ***********************************************