[ARC5] "Geoff" on VHF vs HF

[D. Platt]

The "High Bird" concept for air-to-air and air-to-ground relay and 
command/control was very active in VN.  Callsigns such as CROWN, KING, 
and FANFARE might be familiar to some, here.  These relays and C/C were 
on UHF.  These C-135s had HF-SSB, of course.  I'll assume they may have 
had FM, also, although I personally never heard any chatter from them, 
at least with those common callsigns.  The high-birds had multiple 
pushes and used "high power", as I understand.   I wonder which sets did 
that? FAC aircraft had VHF-FM and UHF. The twin Cessna 337s (O-2s) and 
O-1Es had UHF and FM (typically an ARC-44).  Most O-1s had ARC Type 12 
equipment as well.  Its my understanding from the folks at Egland that 
some of the 337s actually were originally delivered with Cessna (ARC) 
civilian-type VHF comm sets in addition to to MIL suite.  A series of 
these Cessna sets covered the /similar/ frequencies as the ARC-73 
(VHF-101), that is, 118 to 150 MHz AM.  The OV's came later and not on 
my watch........  I first saw the OV-10 at Mother Rucker but no idea 
what they had on board, although they talked to the same folks as before.

Jeep K3HVG

Echo-Lima




On 7/9/2012 3:50 PM, Bob Macklin wrote:
> In October 1956 SAC responded to the Suez Crisis by putting B-47s on station
> over the Caribbean.
>
> I was the Special Weapons NCO in the 27th SFW. We were using F-84Fs at the
> time. The 27th as stationed at Bergstrom AFB, Austin Tx.
>
> We were flying cover for the B47s. On one mission our Wing Commander was the
> commander of the escorts.
>
> The F-84Fs has ARC-33 UHF Command radios. The escorts were flying at 39000'
> and could not get to the same altitude as the bomber.
>
> Our Wing Commander called 27th Operation at Bergstrom and instructed them to
> call McDill and request the B-47s descend to 39000' where the escorts could
> cover them. The B-47 command declined and the escorts returned to Bergstrom.
>
> This is using what the USAF called a UHF radio.
>
> On other long distance missions the fighters communicate through the
> tankers. The fighters talk to the tankers on the Command Radios and the
> tankers communicate with operations on the HF Liaison radios.
>
> I had supervisors in the USAF that had been 8th AF radio operators in WWII.
> One of them taught me CW.
>
> Bob Macklin
> K5MYJ
>