[GreenKeys] AN/MRC-32 RATT

[Duncan Brown]

Robert,

Are you saying that the MRC-32 is a GRC-26A with transport truck?  If 
so, then that answers my question.  The Navy-radio site description of 
the MRC-32 that I saw was not very specific about whether the truck was 
included or not.


Ken,

Late in WWII, the Army & Navy came up with a joint equipment numbering 
system: "AN/XYZ-nn"  The 1st letter designates the installation type; 
the 2nd letter designates type of equipment and the 3rd letter 
designates the purpose. Thus,
ARC = Airborne Radio Communications
GRC = Ground Radio Communications
FRC = Fixed Radio Communications
MRC = Mobile Radio Communications
PRC = Portable Radio Communications
TRC = Transportable Radio Communications
VRC = Vehicular Radio Communications

etc.   see http://pages.cthome.net/fwc/AN-NOMEN.HTM for details & examples

There is a lot of overlap between "GRC", "MRC" & "TRC" systems; often 
hard to figure out why they designated things the way they did.  Most 
"GRC", "MRC" & "TRC" systems were mounted in shelters and designed to be 
carried on a vehicle (of course they could also be operated with the 
shelter just sitting on the ground).  The GRC-9 comes to mind as one 
that was not shelter mounted and maybe should have had a "PRC" 
nomenclature.  (It could not be operated in motion, but neither could 
the AN/PGC-1 [major component: TT-4] or the AN/PRD-1 [a 350 lb DF set 
packed in four wooden boxes])

I was going to make some sort of comment about getting the Greenkeys 
discussions back to TTYs (from computers) but I guess it has digressed 
into military communications now.

Have fun,

Duncan


On 03-Apr-11 16:32, WA5CAB at cs.com wrote:
> In a message dated 4/3/2011 3:15:20 PM Central Daylight Time,
> t47ecdab at gmail.com writes:
>> So that means I am incorrect in implying that the MRC-32 necessarily had
>> to be sitting on the ground. Clearly, Duncan's photos show it on a truck (a
>> WW2 CCKW?). My manuals also show the GRC-26 on the ground with two widely
>> separated dipoles.
> Yes.  Ref TM 11-487A (AKA MIL HDBK 161) 1959 edition "This equipment
> consists essentially of Radio Set AN/GRC-26A mounted on a 2-1/2 ton cargo Truck
> M35 and a trailer mounted Power Unit PU-290/MR.  All components except the
> power unit are contained in Shelter S-69/GRC.".  If you dismount the shelter
> and contents and set it on the ground, you have an AN/GRC-26A.  Legally,
> anyway.  FWIW, AN/GRC-26 was in Shelter S-55/GRC.  S-69 came with the A-model.
> Possibly due to changes in the equipment load.  11-487A describes the GRC-26
> in similar terms but does not specify the truck.  I guess in Logistics terms
> it had to be requisitioned separately.  :-)
>
>> So Robert, does GRC stand for ground radio comm ( something not quite FRC)
>> and MRC stand for mobile radio comm?
> Yes.
>
>> 73,
>>
>> Ken
>> W2EWL
> Robert&  Susan Downs - Houston
> wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
> MVPA 9480
>