From: Dennis R Starks To: arc5@ix.netcom.com,glphilli@mail.isbe.state.il.us,frw@gvi.net, hasse@mailer.Uni-Marburg.DE,ralph.hogan@vmic.com, Duece6x6@aol.com,tc0654@mesh.net,jh@mhztech.com, wb0aaq@juno.com,carlos@cie-eng.com,OLDRADIOS@aol.com, jim.mahaffey@gtri.gatech.edu,kenscom@juno.com, swheaton@sky.net, gjang@mail.portup.com,smithr8@juno.com, MARK1G@AOL.COM, garandguy@hotmail.com,david.ward@nist.gov, WLHOWARD@GTE.NET, ka0zdd@juno.com,kc5ijd@sprintmail.com, SHILL@onaustralia.com.au, gah@koyote.com, ezeran@concentric.net, carruth@geo-thermal.com, johnkidd@ozemail.com.au, wood_jim@hotmail.com, aa7jv@hypercom.com,yir@scn.org, lhunter@alleg.edu, mack@melbpc.org.au,gbunza@synopsys.com, Mikhael_Brown@hp.com, mblair1@home.net,sarge@nist.gov, bwhiting@oeminc.com, tbryan@nova.org,richard@wizard.com, Rmaruska@juno.com, stimber@lakemartin.net, jim_karlow@takata.com, kb9olm@yahoo.com, lambmd-ce@salem.ge.com, johnmb@mindspring.com,mblom@mitre.org, NBroline@aol.com, n0ntc@train.missouri.org, rmccord@skyblue.ocn.ne.jp, saipan59@juno.com Date: Wed, 8 Dec 1999 05:16:29 -0600 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Dec.8/99 Message-ID: <19991208.051630.-139761.8.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Mailer: Juno 3.0.13 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Full-Name: Dennis R Starks X-Status: Sent X-Juno-Line-Breaks: 0-14,16,18-19,21-22,24-27,29,31-36,38-42,44-53,66,85,90-92,94-98,105-109,111,113-115,120-155,157-160,162-175,178-185,187-377,379-392,394-408,415-417 X-Juno-Att: 0 X-Juno-Fcc: Sent Items X-Juno-Size: 18822 X-Juno-RefParts: 0 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Dec.8/99 Index: FSE 38/58 GROUP PROJECT UPDATE; MEMBERS WRITE; URC-10 Vest, Re: Sabotage at German war factory B-24 Web Site, MCGP WANT'S & TRADE'S(Addenda Dec.5/99) HUMOR; *********************************************** FSE 38/58 GROUP PROJECT UPDATE; FSE Group Project, Report at the half way point. We are about halfway thru the Group Project for the FSE transceivers. We have 13 members who ordered a total of 17 units. About half have been shipped from Germany so far. As I had said in the last post, Harald has run into severe Y2K and other equipment breakdown issues at the hospital where he works. One of the problems of being good at what you do is they keep giving you more, especially where people's health is concerned. He has been working 7 days a week, which doesn't give him much time for "the Green things" in life. He has also run into some personal problems which further compounds the situation. And, if that wasn't enough, the locals have drafted him into helping set up emergency communication networks for the possible Y2K problems this coming January 1st. Never the less. Harald expects to ship the remaining units within the next two weeks. Please keep in mind that shipments from Europe can take from 2 to 4 weeks this time of year, unless you happen to live on that "little" island in the South Pacific, in which case......? Please bear with us as we work our way through this situation. Meanwhile, I continue to collect parts to make up the battery adapters. I seem to have fewer names on the list of people ordering the adapters than I thought should be there, so if you ordered some, please let me know how many and of what type so I can be sure to get yours to you. Harald will send along some documentation on the FSE in due time. I will let you all know when it is available. After that, he hopes to get back to the SEM 52-A translation. So far, he has done all the figures, and has finished 50 pages of text with 20 to go. Either he or I will let you know when this is available. Thank you all for both your participation and your patience. Alan ----------------------------------------------------------------- I have been working with the FSE 38 to align it on 51.0 Mcs but have aborted the effort until I can obtain a schematic of the receiver and transmitter. I was just not happy with the operation of the internal alignment controls marked "3" and "4" and trying to guess the the operational ranges of the internal "A , B" switches as well as the test connection pins. I am sure that Dennis can appreciate the problem, and how you can destroy circuit components by actually tuning them back and forth to destruction. It looks like the load capacitance for the crystals is around 25 pf but I believe I will send a couple of the FSE 38's original crystals off to JAN Crystal and pay their fee to have them evaluate it and actually put it in their data base for the FSE 38, that is unless some one else has a better idea or a better vendor other that International Crystal. Incidentally if you just want to experiment with crystals and take your chances, JAN is one of the few companies that will accept an order for a crystal just using load and crystal holder data. The load factor is very important. Using a crystal in the manner that the FSE 38 oscillator uses its crystal, i.e. no multiplying scheme and just a straight IF of 10.7, then it is very easy to "assume" a load factor and order crystals but when your crystals arrive and actually put into operation they wind up 10 to 15 Kcs off of the target frequency or in the worst case scenario they wont oscillate at all. Even on wide band FM, 10 to 15 Kcs will cause some distortion.On the FSE 38 internal alignment position one (1) varies the frequency slightly plus or minus 200 cycles but as you "swing" the crystal you will start to loose drive and also may experience "start up" problems when the unit is first turned on. There is no free lunch. The PRT-4 crystals may oscillate but are they on frequency? I would be interested if someone could evaluate the PRT-4 crystals in the FSE 38, are they on the "stamped" frequency and if so is there specifications available for the crystals.(I obviously don't have a PRT-4) If someone wants to send me a couple of the PRT-4 crystals I would be glad to evaluate them and return same. I will be glad to write up a tune up procedure but will need a schematic first. I envision a "simple"tune up procedure that would involve monitoring the test socket pin and peaking the oscillator and then perhaps backing each of the alignment controls out a preset number of turns to get you close but we will just have to see how it works out. Breck K4CHE, in Dover Delaware P.S. Not much activity on the 51.6 Mcs simplex repeater, only a very few local users. Its still sending out a CW beacon every 5 minutes. Breck Smith Ed) I traded for a manual on these radios last month. Though it's in German, it does include enough info, and a schematic, that you would be able to figure everything out. I suppose I could be enticed to loan it to one of you, but hen you'd be obligated to do two things. #1, write us up your results, #2, make copies for other Group Members in need. Rumor has it that International Xtal has lowered their prices from a gasp, $20, to a very manageable $10. Is this true? *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; URC-10 Vest, I did a quick check of "United States Combat Aircrew Survival Equipment", 1995, by Michael S. Breuninger, an excellent reference on the subject,and see no mention of the URC-10.Perhaps some branches used it with different nomenclature. Larry Ed) Indeed, the URC-10 family did include several radios that were either the same thing, or at least externally identical. Some of these include the ACR-RT-10, PRC-93(just off the top of my head). Alan's series of articles "US MILITARY PORTABLE RADIOS" (Backmail #50), list them in more detail. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Re: Sabotage at German war factory Some years back i read a book by a Christian evangelist writer, Korrie Ten Boom. She was arrested and sent to a German slave labor camp. In the book she says she worked assembling aircraft radios and sometimes she sabotaged the work by slipping in a wiring error. Perhaps occasional errors work just accounted to the malnourished tired condition of the workers. We know sabotage was not looked at with mercy. At the Dora Works, which manufactured V rockets, there were multiple hangings of slave workers who didn't meet the production quotas, as an example to others. Hue Miller ----------------------------------------------------------------- B-24 Web Site, Hi Folks, For those interested in military aircraft radios, I've updated my personal Web page with a listing of the radio gear and accessories that were fitted in a B24D Liberator bomber circa 1943. The direct URL is: http://webhome.idirect.com/~jproc/ve3fab/b24rfit.html -- Regards, Jerry Proc VE3FAB jproc@idirect.com Web: www3.sympatico.ca/hrc/haida HMCS HAIDA Historic Naval Ship, Toronto Ontario *********************************************** MCGP WANT'S & TRADE'S(Addenda Dec.5/99) As I've been out of town ever sense last Thursday night, I neglected to include these items in the weekend post. Sorry. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Jack Needs a Battery Box & Antenna For a PRC-10. I need a battery box and antenna for the PRC-10 I got from you. If you have either or both, let me know. Thanks and 73, Jack WA2HWJ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Found the Needed PRC-47 Screws. Found the screws. Thanks. Fair had them. Gary ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ed Wants a PRC-68 Battery Charger. I am looking for a charging unit for the PRC-68A radio Nicad batteries. I would also like an original military manual for this radio. Can you or anyone on the list help? Thanks, Ed Kirkley ----------------------------------------------------------------- Breck Wants a G-77. Does anyone know of a source for the G-77 handcranked generator that supplies 12 to 17 volts DC? Breck Dover DE 19901 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hal Wants an H-138 & PRC-25 Battery Info. Wanted plans or battery conversions to run PRC-25 on civilan batteries. Also still looking for H-138 Handsets. Thanks Hal *********************************************** HUMOR; Barbie's Letter to Santa: Dear Santa, Listen you fat troll, I've been saving your ass every year, being the perfect Christmas Present, wearing skimpy bathing suits in December and dressing in fake Channel at sappy tea parties. I hate to break it to ya', Santa, but it's payback time. There had better be some changes around here, or I'm gonna call for a nationwide meltdown, and trust me, you don't wanna be around to smell it. These are my demands for Christmas 1999: 1. Sweat pants and an oversized sweatshirt. I'm sick of looking like a hooker in hot pink bikinis. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have nylon and Velcro up your butt? I don't suppose you do. 2. Real underwear that can be pulled on and off. That cheap-o molded underwear some genius at Mattel came up with looks like cellulite! 3. A REAL man... I don't care if you have to go to Hasbro to get him, bring me GI JOE. Hell, I'd take Tickle-Me-Elmo over that pathetic bump of a boytoy, Ken. And what was up with that earring anyway? HULLO!?! 4. It's about time you made us all anatomically correct. Give me arms that actually bend so I can push the aforementioned Ken-wimp away once he is anatomically correct. 5. Breast reduction surgery. 'Nuff said. 6. A sports bra. To wear until I get the surgery. 7. A new career. Pet doctor and school teacher make real money. 8. A new, more 90s persona. Maybe "PMS Barbie," complete with a pint of cookie dough ice cream and a bag of chips. 9. No more McDonald's endorsements. The grease is wrecking my vinyl complexion. 10. Mattel stock options. It's been 40 years - I think I deserve a piece of the action. Considering my valuable contribution to society and Mattel, I think these demands are reasonable. If you don't like it, you can find yourself a new bitch for next Christmas. It's that simple. As ever, Barbie Ken's Letter To Santa: Dear Santa, It has come to my attention that one of my colleagues has petitioned you for changes in her contract, specifically asking for anatomical and career changes. In addition, it is my understanding that disparaging remarks were made about me, my sexuality, and some of my fashion choices. I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of issues concerning Ms. Barbie, as well as some of my own needs and desires: First, I, along with several of my colleagues, feel Ms. Barbie DOES NOT deserve the preferential treatment she has received over the years. That bitch has everything. Neither I, Joe, nor The Raggedys, Ann & Andy, have dream houses, Corvettes, dune buggies, or evening gowns, and some of us do not even have the ability to change our hairstyle. I have had a limited wardrobe, obviously designed to complement, but never upstage Ms. Barbie. My decision to accessorize with an earring was immediately quashed, which I protest, for it was my decision and reflects my lifestyle choice. I would like a change in my career to further explore my creative nature. Some options which could be considered are "Decorator Ken," "Beauty Salon Ken," or "Broadway Ken." Other avenues which could be considered are:"Go-Go Ken," "Impersonator Ken" (with wigs and gowns), or "West Hollywood Ken." These would more accurately reflect my interests and, I believe, open up markets that have been underserved. As for Ms. Barbie needing bendable arms so she can "push me away", I need bendable knees so I can kick the bitch to the curb. Bendable knees would also be helpful in other situations of which I'm sure you are aware. In closing, further concessions to the Blonde Bimbo from Hell, while the needs of others within my coalition are ignored, will result in legal action to be taken by myself and others. And kindly tell Ms. Barbie she can forget about G.I. Joe...he's mine, at least that's what he said last night. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Letter from redneck mom to redneck son Dear Redneck Son; I'm writing this letter slow because I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles from your home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address because the last Arkansas family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so that they wouldn't have to change their address. This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure it works so well though: last week I put a load in and pulled the chain and haven't seen them since. The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice last week; the first time for three days and the second time for four days. About that coat you wanted me to send you, your Uncle Stanley said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets. John locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out. Your sister had a baby this morning; but I haven't found out what it is yet so I don't know if your an aunt or an uncle. The baby looks just like your brother.... Uncle Ted fell in a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out, but he fought them off playfully and drowned. We had him cremated and he burned for three days. Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pick-up truck. Ralph was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down. There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much has happened. Love, Mom P.S. I was going to send you some money but the envelope was already sealed. ----------------------------------------------------------------- WOMEN'S ULTIMATE FANTASY A recent sociological study has revealed that most women’s fantasy is to have two men at the same time. It appears that MOST men do not realize that in this fantasy, however, one man is cooking and the other man is cleaning. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A new teacher is trying to make use of her Psychology courses. She starts her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up." After a few seconds, little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Johnny?" "No, ma'am," he says, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself." ----------------------------------------------------------------- MARTHA STEWART'S TIPS FOR REDNECKS 1. Never take a beer to a job interview. 2. Always identify people in your yard before shooting at them. 3. It's considered tacky to take a cooler to church. 4. If you have to vacuum the bed, it is time to change the sheets. 5. Even if you're certain that you are included in the will, it is still considered tacky to drive a U-Haul to the funeral home. DINING OUT 1. When decanting wine, make sure that you tilt the paper cup, and pour slowly so as not to "bruise" the fruit of thevine. 2. If drinking directly from the bottle, always hold it with your fingers covering the label. ENTERTAINING IN YOUR HOME 1. A centerpiece for the table should never be anything prepared by a taxidermist. 2. Do not allow the dog to eat at the table...no matter how good his manners are. PERSONAL HYGIENE 1. While ears need to be cleaned regularly, this is a job that should be done in private using one's OWN truck keys. 2. Proper use of toiletries can forestall bathing for several days. However, if you live alone, deodorant is a waste of good money. 3. Dirt and grease under the fingernails is a social no-no, as they tend to detract from a woman's jewelry and alter the taste of finger foods. DATING (Outside the Family) 1. Always offer to bait your date's hook, especially on the first date. 2. Be aggressive. Let her know you're interested: "I've been wanting to go out with you since I read that stuff on the bathroom wall two years ago." 3. Establish with her parents what time she is expected back. Some will say 10:00 PM; Others might say "Monday." If the latter is the answer, it is the man's responsibility to get her to school on time. THEATER ETIQUETTE 1. Crying babies should be taken to the lobby and picked up immediately after the movie has ended. 2. Refrain from talking to characters on the screen. Tests have proven they can't hear you. WEDDINGS 1. Livestock, usually, is a poor choice for a wedding gift. 2. Kissing the bride for more than 5 seconds may get you shot. 3. For the groom, at least, rent a tux. A leisure suit with a cummerbund and a clean bowling shirt can create a tacky appearance. 4. Though uncomfortable, say "yes" to socks and shoes for this special occasion. DRIVING ETIQUETTE 1. Dim your headlights for approaching vehicles; Even if the gun is loaded, and the deer is in sight. 2. When approaching a four-way stop, the vehicle with the largest tires always has the right of way. 3. Never tow another car using panty hose and duct tape. 4. When sending your wife down the road with a gas can, it is impolite to ask her to bring back beer. 5. Do not lay rubber while traveling in a funeral procession. *********************************************** 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 ***********************************************