MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, MAR.12/98 INDEX: MAKING CONNECTIONS; Power Connectors In a Pinch, by Dennis Starks MEMBERS WRITE; WHATSIT; Type 76-F-3A Speaker? ON THE COMMERCIAL FRONT; HUMOR; *********************************************** MAKING CONNECTIONS; Power Connectors In a Pinch, by Dennis Starks Lately I've seen numerous request for the connectors needed to power up our old favorites. Also I've seen a lot of equipment, that came from knowledgable people that have had wires tack-soldered to their connector's. Don't do this, please. Though it is often times reversible, it still looks like shit. There's always a way that we can make expedient connectors for our radios until the real thing comes along, heres a couple examples. OLD TUBE SOCKETS, are our most valued source for expedient connectors. Their common and dirt cheap, you can get junk boxes full for a couple dollars at most any hamfest. Be careful what you tear up for your needs though, as some are rare, and in demand by other old radio affectionate's. For the most part, all you'll need to do is collect up some various sizes, Octals(most useful), 7 and 9 pin miniatures, and vibrator sockets for the larger pins. The individual pins are removed from the tube sockets, then used to slip over the pins of your project connector. If you want, you can use some heat shrink over each connection for added safety, or make a board using the dummy method of PC board making to support the pins in your new connector. Even the smaller tube sockets will be useful. If your making up a battery for a PRC-6, your in luck, this is just a standard 7 pin miniature tube socket. But believe it or not, we've had several members include in their want list old BA-270's so they could rob the connector from it. My first PRC-47 connector was made from miniature tube sockets, and they will work in many other applications. Other useable materials include old defunct batteries, finishing nails, telescoping antennas from portable radios or TVs, junk radios, tube bases from bad tubes, Your limited only by your imagination. Some specific examples: PRC-8,9,10, connectors can be made from old batteries(but these are getting pretty scarce), alternately octal tube sockets can be dissected. The best come from junk radios, the chassis to cabinet mating connector is the same as the battery connector. PRT-4, & PRR-9, use defunct batteries, or dissected miniature, and octal tube sockets to make your connections. The receiver may need parts from an old vibrator socket for one pin. CPRC-26, one of the harder connectors to make, it will need a bunch of old vibrator tube socket parts due to it's larger pin size. You can also drag out your Dremel tool, and slice off the appropriate size of an old telescoping TV antenna. Then cut a slit down one or two sides of you little piece of tubing to allow a friction fit. If you don't have a Dremel, get one! And stock up on the cut off wheels, you'll use a lot of them. BC-1000, another of the harder connector to make. But you can use the same method for it, as the PRC-10. GRR-5, easy, just two pin sockets from an octal tube socket. If it's for a 110vac cord, use some heat shrink over them. PRC-25/77, defunct and good batteries are still very common. The sockets from these can be scavenged, and used again on the PRC-25, or dissected them for use elsewhere. PRC-68, 126 etc. These use a snap connector like those on a 9volt transistor radio battery but larger. It was a common type connection for "B" batteries in the 50's. They can be had from several sources. The first, Radio Shack once stocked them. The second, and best, PDR-27 batteries from Fair Radio, their only about $12.00 a dozen, and are 67.5 volt. You steel the connectors for your PRC-68, then use the cells to make batteries for your other project radios, like the PRC-6 or BC-611. BTW the battery as-is will also operate your RBZ with the addition of a foam spacer. TCS, miniature tube sockets, and finishing nails can be used. Or you can keep an eye out at Hamfest. Both Motorola, and GE used the same connectors on their motorcycle radios in the 60's and 70's. Buy the whole radio set to get them, their power supplies can later be used to operate other radios. GRC-9, and BC-1306, use the smaller banana jacks usually of Oriental origin, or the sliced up TV antenna. RT-70, 68, R-109, 110 etc, Finishing nails, and the dummy method of PC board making. For the Aux connector on a PP-1175, use an octal tube base with the center, and all unused pins broken off. For 50's generation equipment like the GRR-5, R-392, T-195, RT-70 etc. These radios use a common type connector housing with interchangeable inserts. You can often times rob the inserts or odd hardware from one connector, for use on another thus making the one you need. TBY mic connectors, this is a very old style Amphenol connector, variants of it lived on into the mid 70's, though reversed. Connectors can be made from mic connectors of old Motorola, and GE business band equipment. Use the housing from the mic connector, and the insert from the mating connector on the control head. The battery connector for this radio, and the BC-222/322 is a standard tube socket. PRC-47 coaxial antenna connector, get one of those CB type antenna mounts usually used as part of mirror mounts on trucks, the one with an SO-239 base. The thread of these is the standard 3/8 x 24, just chuck it in a vice and run a 3/8 x 20 die over the original threads. This make a fine SO-239 adapter for your radio, and mimics the original government type which is an "N" connection. For the ground, use a copper clip removed from an old buse fuse holder, snap this over the PL-259 once attached. With a ground wire to the radios nearby ground post. Another hint for users of this radio, I carry in my Hill Billy RV(a military 1963 Dodge Power Wagon Ambulance), a universal antenna kit composed of standard AB, and MS mast sections, along with home brew adapters to allow these to be used with about anything that comes along. A nice adapter for the PRC-47 can be made from an old AB-15 spring. Their very common, and cheep, often found with the porcelain insulator broken. Just remove the spring, cut off all the but what's needed of it's end, then run your 3/8 x 20 die over it, works great. You might need to turn down the end of this spring before cutting it off, and re-threading. If so, use your poor boy's lathe, and a file. I/E stick the spring in a 1/2" drill and hold a file against it while turning, then cut it off, and re-thread. BC-611, expedient connections can be made to this radio's battery connections without soldering to them for the purpose of testing with an external power supply. Just get a couple of the clips from a standard fuse holder. I've also used these as quiky's with home made batteries, but the results were not all that reliable. Need to duplicate a cable? Used the control cables from old trunk mount business band radio equipment if you need a lot of wires. If you don't need a lot of wires, use 5 or 8 conductor rotor control wire slipped inside a length of automotive vacuum hose, or rubber fuel line, this will look pretty much like the real thing. If there are markings on the hose that give it away, give it the magic marker treatment. Dennis Starks; MILITARY RADIO COLLECTOR/HISTORIAN military-radio-guy@juno.com Related topics: Backmail #28, PC board makeing for dummies. Backmail #27, So Now You Have a PRC-47 Backmail #32, Alternate Power Sources *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; Do you know of any minature 7 pin, 6 volt filament tube that will do the same job as the 50C5 as a power amplifier in the final out put stage of a receiver. See the RCA receiving tube manual, page 673 for the circuit in question. (29-1) Thanks Bill Howard THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net Telephone AC 813 585-7756 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For those of you with full internet capabilities, check out this site. It is a collection of WWII posters. Woodie http://www.library.nwu.edu/govpub/collections/wwii-posters/ ********************************************** WHATSIT; Type 76-F-3A Speaker? Its a speaker amplifier in a cast aluminum case, and is 5"X5"X4" high nice OD Green Type76-F-3A, NSN 5965-00-929-4536, serial number 314, it appears to be new. What's if For? *********************************************** ON THE COMMERCIAL FRONT; Haney Electronic Company: J-45, leg iron CW keys, Correct for BC-1306, GRC-9, GRC-109, and PRC-47. These are new old stock units most still in original packaging, several contract dates from 1968 to 1980's. They include cord CD-201A with PJ-055B connector. The member price is $20.00ea, plus shipping. ed) except for the cord, the J-45 is identical to the KY-? used with the latter model equipment like the GRC-106. AS-2975, PRC-70 dipole antenna kit. Unused Similar to that use with the PRC-74 differing mainly in the balun it uses. The member price is $25.00ea, plus shipping ed) as the freq range of the PRC-70 is 2-79mc, and it's output 50ohms, these antennas should be good for just about any portable radio application. Quoted prices are good to group members only. To place an order contact Steve Haney at , If you have trouble with this address, call 817-496-3346. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello folks, we have just received our '98 W7FG Vintage Manuals Catalogs, and wish to distrubute them to clubs, hamfests and Swapfests. Free of course - If interested in passing our catalogs out, please let me know how many you need and by what date. Plus your address!! Thanks for your time, 73's Gary W7FG Vintage Manuals We will provide Free Catalogs for 3300 Wayside Drive Handing out at Hamfests or Clubs. Bartlesville, Ok. 74006 Let us know how many, where to Tel - 800-807-6146 Send them and when they need to be - 918-333-3754 in your hands. Http://www.w7fg.com 73's Gary Email: w7fg@w7fg.com *********************************************** HUMOR; The passengers on a commercial airliner have been seated and are awaiting the cockpit crew to get them under way. A murmur is heard in the back of the plane, and a few passengers on the aisle glance back to see the pilot and copilot, both wearing large, dark sunglasses, making their way up to the cockpit. However, the pilot is using a white cane, bumping into passengers right & left as he stumbles down the aisle, and the copilot is using a seeing-eye guide dog. As they pass by the rows of passengers there are nervous giggles heard, as people are thinking that it must be some sort of practical joke. But a few minutes after the cokpit door has closed behind them the engines start spooling up and the airplane taxis out to the runway. The passengers look at each other with some uneasiness, whispering among themselves and shifting uneasily or gripping the armrests more tightly. As the airplane starts accelerating rapidly, people begin panicking. Some passengers are praying, and as the plane gets closer and closer to the end of the runway, passengers become more and more hysterical! Finally, when the airplane has less only a few seconds of runway left, the shouts of horror fill the cabin as everyone screams at once, but at the very last moment the airplane lifts off and is airborne!!! ...Up in the cockpit, the copilot breathes a sigh of relief and turns to the Captain: "You know, one of these days the passengers are going to scream too late, and we're gonna get killed!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Father was coming up the stairs with five gallons of elderberry wine, and he slipped and fell clear down into the basement. Fortunately, he didn't spill a drop--he kept his mouth closed. --Charley Weaver (Cliff Arquette) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A man walks into the front door of a bar. He is obviously drunk, and staggers up to the bar, seats himself on a stool and, with a belch, asks the bartender for a drink. The bartender politely informs the man that it appears that he has already had plenty to drink, he could not be served additional liquor at this bar, and could a cab be called for him? The drunk is briefly surprised, then softly scoffs, grumbles, climbs down off the bar stool and staggers out the front door. A few minutes later, the same drunk stumbles in the SIDE door of the bar. He wobbles up to the bar and hollers for a drink. The bartender comes over and, still politely - but more firmly, refuses service to the man due to his inebriation, and again offers to call a cab. The drunk looks at the bartender for a moment angrily, curses, and shows himself out the side door, all the while grumbling and shaking his head. A few minutes later, the same drunk bursts in through the BACK door of the bar. He plops himself up on a bar stool, gathers his wits and belligerently orders a drink. The bartender comes over and emphatically reminds the man that he is clearly drunk, will be served no drinks, and either a cab or the police will be called immediately. The surprised drunk looks at the bartender, and in hopeless anguish, cries "MAAAN! How many bars do you work at? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Ten Changes at Made NASA in Huntsville, Alabama to Accommodate 76 Year-Old John Glenn's Return to Space Aboard the Shuttle 'Discovery' 10. All important devices now operated by the Clapper. 9. Shuttle's thermostat set at 80 degrees. 8. Shuffle board installed in cargo bay. 7. "Early Bird" specials from Carrows included on menu. 6. One monitor specifically designated for Matlock. 5. Little bowls of candy scattered randomly about the ship. 4. Top speed of shuttle set at 25 miles per hour. 3. Installed a new bifocal windshield. 2. Space pants now go up to armpits. 1. Left-blinker left on for entire mission. *********************************************** (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 are included. For more information conserning this group contact Dennis Starks at, military-radio-guy@juno.com) *********************************************** --------- End forwarded message ----------