[Milsurplus] Question about EMP

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

On 11/27/06, D C *Mac* Macdonald <k2gkk at hotmail.com> wrote:
> I can tell you for sure, that the FRC-93 (KWM-2A) gear
> that I last worked on in 1981 was certainly reaching the
> end of its useful life.  I certainly would not have wanted
> to own any of those and many of them were better than
> those being used in mobile units such as 3d Combat Comm
> Group at Tinker AFB here in Oklahoma City.

Just from the pictures and descriptions, I doubt any of the units
Dennis worked on were even close to 'primo'. They were dinged up,
dented, scraped, and looked tired. Which might have contributed to
their being surplussed. His task was to bring them up to spec
electronically, not do any cosmetic restoration. It's all written up
somewhere, just can't remember where. I do still have the Davilyn
catalog buried in a box of books.

> When you consider that was 25+ years ago, I seriously
> doubt if any great quantity of "primo" items remained.

OTOH, I have a KWM-2A that came out of Plattsburgh when they closed it
down, and looked over another. Other than being dirty and nicotene
stained, they were in pretty decent shape. Like the R-390s or anything
else, it would depend more on where and how they were used than
anything else. But I suspect your experience is in line with the
majority of them. After all, they were procured as tools to use, not
collectibles to be preserved.

~ Todd,  KA1KAQ