[Milsurplus] GRC109/R-1004A arrived!

[Bry Carling]

Great information on the GRC109, Greg.  Does anyone know what the "CRYSTAL" socket
 (with a screwed-on metal cover) on the front of the "reciever" is for?

On 13 Sep 2011 at 18:32, greg mijal wrote:

>  Hello there: I was a participant in the South East Asia disaster
> and can fill you in on some of the questions you raised in the Email
> about the 109 set.If anyone wants to see a very good display of one,
> go the the Airborne and Special Operations located just outside Ft.
> Bragg, in the city of Fayetteville.It's  a well light display and
> staffed by a rubber Seargeant First Class  forever teaching a class.
> My connection to the 109 is that I was trained at the JFK Center for
> Military Assistance and graduated as MOS 05B4S.  A field radio
> supervisior and the right MOS for the original 12 man A teams that
> SF was organized as back then.  I was later assigned to the 6th then
> the 5th SFG recently returned from overseas and settle back into
> it's original digs on Smoke Bomb Hill. When we jumped with the
> radios, it took three guys to carry the load.  The chief RO would
> jump with the transmitter, crystals and  the Diana  hand cipher
> system one time pad. the rest would carry whatever power supply was
> specified for the mission and the receiver.My class trained hard on
> the 109 and the GRC - 9.  The GRC - 9 was no longer part of the Army
> inventory but was handed out to foreign units as a cheap way to
> adjust artillery  fire or any traffic not more than 75 miles away. I
> found that the best antenna for the GRC 9 was a random longwire with
> a counterpoise following beneath the antenna and full lenght. The
> tuner just loves that one, easy and fast to load up.After school, I
> never saw the 109again.  They just weren't used but were part of the
> SF inventory up to around 1972.  In Viet Nam the actual radios we
> used was the FRC-93 and a new synthesized radio with MHZ, 100's of
> KHZ, 10's and 1's.  about 10 w output.  very slick and light weight
> too.So why is the 109 so heavy? It makes the radio nearly
> indistructable. Same concept that the BC 342 receiver has. The 109
> receiver is sensitive but on the broad side. Sounds nearly identical
> to the GRC-9 receiver.  There is a rubber gasket that allows the box
> to float for extended periods.  Also there is a little space to keep
> water absorbing rocks in a small tube. In rainy season areas it is a
> radio saver. The radios is very reliable if maintained. Even a
> minium amount will be just fine.  It's more or less in the same
> league as the AK 47 auto rifle.  Simple, heavy and highly reliable. 
> If anyone want more information or can pass along contact
> information for members of an organization called FANK please shoot
> me and email.Enjoy your piece of military history in good health and
> perfect peace.73's GregWA7LYOKinston, NC
>  > From: wh7hg.hi at gmail.com
> > To: milsurplus at mailman.qth.net
> > Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:10:36 -1000
> > Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] GRC109/R-1004A arrived!
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> > [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Mike
> Morrow
> > > I've never really warmed up to the AN/GRC-109.  I bought a
> complete
> > > set at Dayton 15 years ago when they were still cheap, but I
> find
> > > that the old AN/GRC-9 is much more attractive.
> > 
> > I've never really quite understood why they had to be so heavy. 
> It makes
> > them harder to destroy if capture is a sure thing and far harder
> to lug
> > around.  I agree about the RT-77/GRC-9.  It's a far better looking
> and
> > reasonable radio.  
> > 
> > It might be fun someday to get a damaged set - no cases, maybe no
> tubes,
> > cracked panels etc - to rebuild the way I would have produced it
> in the
> > first place.  
> > 
> > > The nomenclature plate for the R-1004A/GRC-109
> > > incorrectly spells "RECEIVER" as "RECIEVER".  American public
> > > education rears its ugly head!
> > 
> > "I before E except ... hmmm ... what's that rule again?  Oh, well.
> Probably
> > doesn't apply here."
> > 
> > Best regards,
> >  
> > Michael, WH7HG ex-K3MXO, ex-KN3MXO, WPE3ARS, BL01xh ex-Mensa A&P
> PP BGI 
> > I am me.  I´m the only one who´s qualified.
> > http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/NTH/index.aspx
> > http://wh7hg.blogspot.com/
> > http://kludges-other-blog.blogspot.com
> > Hiki Nô! 
> > 
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