[Milsurplus] MRC-20

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Ray,

These comments aren't aimed at either you or Breck.

That would appear to be a bastardized version of the AN/VRC-1.  The gear is 
mounted on what may be a sheet of plywood, instead of in the normal steel 
cabinet.  The transmitter (at least judging by its tube cover) is a BC-375, the 
receiver probably a BC-348 and the VHF set presumably an SCR-522.  The green box 
in the rear with the post-war Kelly AFB sticker might be a BC-221 (not part of 
the AN/VRC-1).  AN/VRC-1 used BC-191, BC-312 and SCR-542.  I don't see 
anything looking like antennas.  The two aluminum rods sticking out of the 2x4's 
look like they might be holding up a sign.

There may have been 24 volt versions of AN/VRC-1 fielded.  The radios would 
have been probably available and a BC-348 could have been substituted instead 
of a BC-312-*X.  I don't have any info on availability of the 24 volt aux 
generator but I know that some were built.  I've seen at least one.  But the thing 
in the photos wouldn't have survived a week in either the mountains of Italy 
or in France.

My guess is that someone with only an Internet education put it together in 
maybe the 90's.  The Jeep looks OK, though.


In a message dated 3/7/2009 2:02:09 PM Central Standard Time, 
rafantini at salisbury.edu writes: 
> A primitive version of the MRC-20 can be seen at the Air force Museum at 
> Wright Patterson, thought it may be a MRC-20 but looking at the photos posted 
> on Mr. Smiths site show it to be something older, maybe the first version that 
> the MRC-20 was modeled on. See it for your self at:
> http://solo11.abac.com/zorroab1/WrightPat/WrightPatterson.html
> 

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480