[Milsurplus] PRC-74

[Mike Morrow]

>> Nope.  You won't be doing *anything* on 17 meters.
>
>As built, you're right.  But, clever people like Mark have addressed
>that problem with not only a USB/LSB mod but also a way to recrystal
>the rig for 17 and 160m  and a variable tuning mod for those tweener
>frequencies.

In which case it is no longer a piece of military gear, and it deserves
no consideration beyond being some ham's franken-radio.  Hey, wouldn't it
be wonderful if some ham found an A.R.C. Type K transmitter and "cleverly"
converted it to 20 meter SSB?  He could work contests on 20m with it.
What an improvement to an old piece of gear!

IMHO, half-ass ham-ball kludges of the original military design are
both pointless and offensive, unless the gear is considered to be just
so much electronic junk that is to be shaped to the whims of some ham's
"bright" mind.  That has much left earlier vintage gear as trash today.

IMHO, there is only one sane reason to operate vintage gear, and that is to
experience the capabilities and limitations of the design as used by the
original operators.

When I was looking for an AN/PRC-74B several years ago, I was willing to
spend several hundred dollars for one.  But I would not have given $10 for
one with such ham "improvements."

A ham has every right to turn his gear into junk, but I won't sing praises.

Mike / KK5F