[Milsurplus] PRC-6?

[Mike Morrow]

Eugene wrote:

>Hi there. I have an opportunity to purchase a pair of PRC-6's with handsets
>(H33?)  and antennas. From the pictures, they appear to be in decent condx.
>Working condx is unknown. I was wondering what folks think of these to play
>around with when milradio folks get together on 51 MHz?

I'll just add some more detail to the info that Alan has provided.

The small alignment indicator that plugs in to the RT chassis is the
ID-292/PRC-6.  However, the technical manuals provide instructions for
alignment with a VTVM if the ID-292 is not available.

An early maintenace manual (1952) can be downloaded free at:

http://www.radioamateur.eu/schemi/surplus_nato/AN_PRC-6_TM_11-4069.pdf

>Do folks power these up for milradio hamfests? Are they reliable (assuming
>the power can be lashed up)?

IMHO, the AN/PRC-6 looks a lot more interesting that the AN/PRC-68
and SEM-52 type of sets that one can see at larger hamfests.

As Alan mentioned, there is a fellow in Italy whose claim to fame is the
DC-to-DC converters he sells for the AN/PRC-6, 8, 9, 10, 28, and BC-611.
He sells on ebay, such as this current auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/POWER-SUPPLY-UNIT-PRC-6-PRC-6-6-Radio-Military-Vietnam_W0QQitemZ160497721737

I purchased this PRC-6 PSU model from him recently.  It arrived within
a couple of weeks.  I've not yet had time to test it.

>Also what is a going price for a pair of PRC-6's? in unknown working condx? 

Typically, ebay prices for an RT-196/PRC-6 seem to be in the $50 to $100 range
if it is complete, not missing labels/nameplates, and not beat to hell.  If
it already has a 51.0 MHz crystal, all the better.

>And for purely collector appeal (I know they are on different bands), wow do
>folks like these as compared to the BC-611 HT?

The BC-611 has overwhelmingly more collector appeal.  For some reason,
the Korean War US military VHF-FM gear has greatly undeserved lack of
appreciation with hams and collectors.  The AN/PRC-6 is a much better
radio set, though, for service use.  I last saw the AN/PRC-6 being used
by a US Marine at Little Creek Virginia in 1972!  My personal favorites
are the RT-196A/PRC-6 units that were given a nomenclature plate in
Hebrew and used by Israel.  Most of these were re-imported to the US
and sold for around $30 by Sportsman Guide about 15 years ago.

I've played around with AN/PRC-6 sets since I first got one in Navy MARS
in 1969.  It was a stunning triumph of miniaturization for 1951, in which
a circuit using 13 vacuum tubes is packed into a chassis that only takes 
up about one-third the length of the case.

I like the AN/PRC-6 for the technology advance that it represented 60 years
ago.

Mike / KK5F