[Milsurplus] New and need info

[Gerald Chafee]

Hi all,

I'm obviously new to the list and looking to assistance.

I was wondering if it might be possible to browse older messages ( is there
an archive?).

I have been trying to get a MRC-108 radio pallet together. I have most of
what I need for the main radios (except I have a 618T-2 and need a
618T-3 ).

However, and this is a BIG however, I need the complete antenna tuner box
(coffin) and contents ( I believe it was a 490T-1 or similar antenna
coupler with control circuits for 400HZ). I also need the backup radios and
containers. I do have the antenna loading coil and whip antenna assembly.

I do not have a manual for the MRC-108 (or MRC-107), but I used to work on
them at the 3rd Mobile Communications Squadron - Tinker AFB, OK. and a
mobile squadron in Germany before the wall came down. We had to keep
MRC-107's running in the 70's and they were being replaced with MRC-108's
when we had a bad enough unit like when someone took a curve too fast and
rolled the jeep, and the radio "coffins" became the "roll bar" and were
damaged.  I never could figure why they did not wholesale replace the 107's
with 108's. WE di dget a change that had the Wilcox 807 aircraft
transceivers to Collins 618M-1(or 2) A

That M151A1 was scary to drive as the radios made it more unstable
than originally designed due to being top heavy and weird center of gravity.

I was in the middle of the time where they were looking to switch certain
backup radios to replace the old PRC-41 and PRC-47. The PRC-66, even though
not made in the U.S., was considered and used for UHF. We had a strange
commercial unit that had IO believe a "Narco" Aircraft VHF radio in a carry
type unit with a battery pack (of course we painted it green, but I saw an
original unit that was beige with a aluminum cover). We did not have any
replacement for the PRC-47 as the obvious choice (the PRC-74) did not have
the power in a man-portable configuration.

I know it sounds like backwards thinking, but I m trying to get the radios
together first, then if I am successfully, I will find a jeep to put
underneath it with big alternator, and trailer with generator for extra
power. It also had space for the container for storage of the external HF
radio -PRC-47 and accessories). We also used to keep a couple of GRA-4
antenna systems which never made much sense if you ever needed this as a
F.A.C. unit. However, we did provide emergency communications during
disasters (usually tornadoes)  in Oklahoma and Kansas while I was there.

I understand there are stripped (demil?) out KY-38 and KY-57 (probably will
not find a KYK-38 fill device, but I saw one at Dayton one year), but also
are missing them. I think I remember something where another person stated
a KG-84 was used on the HF for data, but I do not know what could be used
to provide secure com over a HF link due to fading and other typical HF
issues.

So my priorities are :
HF antenna coupler assembly (complete)
618T-3 transceiver
UHF, VHF - Aircraft, VHF - FM low-band, HF, man-portable backup transceivers


What are the chances of getting this project together? I will not be able
to do anything unless I can find that antenna coupler coffin assembly ( I
can always buy a 490T coupler to insert later).

Any ideas out there?

Thanks,

Jerry Chafee