[Milsurplus] RE:Complete GRC-109

[Mike Morrow]

Robert wrote:

> ... the AN/GRC-109 was definitely used by US troops in Vietnam....
> Come to think of it, I'm not sure what set is considered as having 
> replaced the AN/GRC-109. 

I wonder if anything really officially was intended to replace the AN/GRC-109.  The closest thing I can think of would be the VN-era AN/TRC-77, and maybe its rather rare SSB descendent, the AN/TRC-88.  There have been reports of a fair amount of ARVN use of the AN/TRC-77.  It's amazing that new AN/GRC-109A sets were being made in 1969 (contract date), and maybe later.

> Not the AN/PRC-47. That replaced the AN/GRC-9 

I always thought the AN/PRC-47 was pretty much a USMC/USN item, while the AN/GRC-109 and AN/GRC-9 were principally US Army sets.

As an aside, the riverine partol craft (PCFs) in VN were generally equiped with an AN/PRC-41 UHF-AM, AN/VRC-46 (RT-524) VHF-FM, and AN/URC-58 HF SSB (which was just a Harris 301 or AN/GRC-165 in Navy gray paint).  I never understood why they didn't use the AN/PRC-47, since it could use the same AC or DC input power as the AN/URC-58, covered about the same frequencies, and had better weatherproofing.

73,
Mike / KK5F