[Milsurplus] Aberdeen Report

[B Smith]

Aberdeen Report 

 What a great meet CAVOK WX and lots of friends and equipment.  A quick run
down.  First a certain MRCA member acquired- - - or  should I say stole  a
rack mounted HR0-60 for $55 or where they all 60's rack mounted? W2OBR
showed up with a refurbished ambulance with at least 17 radios installed to
include wall mounted hand cranked gen sets for several radios to include the
 GRC-9 and outside was a remote controlled Honda OD gen set. Rich was the
only one there that managed to deploy a full size doublet antenna in the
flea market area exposing everyone to RF with the GRC-106. Rich and the
Phantom of Smyrna W3OWE  gave me a gift wrapped T shirt ----OD paper
wrapping with 300 twin lead for ribbon etc. The Phantom of Smyrna  had at
least 6 hugh tables and was selling everything from ARN-6 test consoles to
GRC-106 sets. He parked his duce and a half behind the tables along side of
OBR's commo truck, it was quiet a show.
 
 Emido WA3FSX(Jeff's KG2BX's father) was there and had lots of Monmouth and 
Radio Row" stories. I should have recorded some of them.

    I found a couple of DAV's in a box. Anyone want to trade a MAB for a
DAV?  Then I saw several ARC-5 VHF sets laying in a pile but only picked up
a  BC-453 chassis that was  junked and stripped,I will use the IF  coils for
another HBR receiver project. I did purchase an ARC-1 complete with front
cover. Flory do you want my other ARC-1?

   Dave K3BLT has a huge box of rubber ear cushions that were  made in Japan
for a U.S contract and a tent full of exotic equipment. Everyone donated a
buck and bought a pair of the ear cushions. Dave has lots of plans for
future displays and needs operators.  Joe  W3KJT showed up early and bought
everything. I stopped writing down the ham calls  at around 30 - -there must
have been 50 hams there. 

       On Thursday some one was selling PRC6-6s cheap but I missed out. 
  I manage to check into the Old Military Radio Net on 3885  Saturday at oh
dark thirty using CW thanks to KKIK with a sharp ear. CW always works----
then I utilized the PRC-47 with the k4che RIT mod to check into the USAF
MARS nets that required a half Kc frequency.  I did listen on 60 meters Ch4
using the SGC-715 as a "guard" receiver but no joy. Two meters was alive and
well ,Al N3FRQ showed up with a URC-14 with a very small and unique  
switching" power supply. Now I want a URC-14 and of course I will have to
make a copy of his supply. Al knows how to do stuff and make it work. 

I am not taking a GRC-9 to a meet anymore as I can not see the neon tuning
lamp in bright sun light. 

 Lots of GI's stopped by my jeep and remarked that they had operated the
equipment in Vietnam it was interesting  watching them touch the sets and 
you could see the memories rekindled.

 One of my personal high lights of the event was when I deployed the 51.0
simplex repeater and then went over the OBR's commo truck carrying my little
FSE-38 and asked him to give me a radio check. He pushed the make button and
gave  his call and the "parrot" answer back. OBR then gave a test count and
the "parrot" answer back. OBR then rechanneled his RT-246 and gave out a
test count and the "parrot" answered  back "test one two three four" hmmmmm
he then checked output power and reflected and then when he released the
mike button the "parrot" answer back with a carrier. "Hmmmm" he turns to me
and - - says "that somehow everything is on repeat"- - -then he looked at me
and guessed. "I love it when a plan comes together".

 However another high light was watching Al N3FRQ take that Officers Chest
and stuff it in the back seat of his small car returning across the bridge
to New Jersey and probably will get stopped for restricted vision.
 
 On Saturday Radio bunker was there with tons of equipment all "one of a
kind" and "you will never find one of these". He did have a couple of
BC-1000's in fair to poor shape for $150 but I passed.

 Jeff KG2BZ showed up with his fire trucks and naturally won first place in
his category in the vehicle judging -his equipment got a lot of attention
however the chap that brought the UH1 Huey on a flat bed  also got attention
  I took a ride in the fire truck and Jeff gave a short demo how to spray
500 gallons of H2O.

 The Flea Market has an interesting concept the public is free no admission.


I will try to post pictures sooner or later.  

Great show
"Its not the stuff its the people, old friends and new ones."

73
k4che