[Milsurplus] thoughts on the SRR family of radios

[Mike Morrow]

Ray wrote:

> Question - Back in the seventies and eighties there were a lot of these radios in
> the Ham fest circuit, I am going to assume that because anywhere that they were
> deployed in active duty they were quickly replaced by R-1051 receivers and many
> were deployed thru Navy MARS? Any thoughts?

In the late 1960s, Eight Naval District (AR-LA-NM-OK-TX) Navy-Marine Corps MARS had quite a few AN/SRR-13, AN/SRR-13A, and AN/FRR-23 receivers for issue.  I got a R-441A/SRR-13A that also had the latest solid-state power supply conversion that got rid of the 6X4.  Unlike Army and USAF MARS, US NAVMARCORMARS retained ownership of issued equipment unless it was authorized (very rarely) for cannibalization.  A fair number of these receivers were cannibalized for parts to get the other receivers functional.  These receivers were thus fairly common, yet none could legally be sold unless MARS formally dropped accountability.  That happened around 1974, so I still have mine.  I never saw a VLF/LF/MF AN/SRR-11 being issued in NMC-MARS, nor have I ever seen in person a MF/HF AN/SRR-12.

I was on USN active duty then.  I carried the R-441A from duty station to duty station my whole time in the USN.  It was my first and only general-coverage HF receiver.  It was very handy when I got home from late shifts at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho, where all the TV and most AM and FM radio stations closed down each midnight.  I listened to a lot of VOA and BBC and Armed Forces Radio shortwave on the R-441A.  I found it reliable and reasonably stable.  I often used it to listen to Andrews AFB on 11176 kHz USB, plus many ARINC USB aircraft circuits.

I had to replace several modules as tubes failed.  I didn't find it all that difficult to troubleshoot.  Spare modules were initially available through MARS, but that only lasted a few years.  In 1972, a 5902 failed in my unit and no module was available through MARS.  I was able to talk a supply sergeant at Blytheville AFB to issue me a new 5902 from base stocks, since the USN still owned the receiver at that time.

The major inconvenience with the AN/SRR-13A was its size and weight (70 lb).  I traveled thousands of miles from East Coast to West Coast to East Coast (south to north and back) with that receiver occupying a large volume in the back seat of my small Opel Manta.  I've had it for 47 years now.  I need to pull it from storage and see if it still works.

I was N0LTD in NMC-MARS.  I believe Robert was also in NMC-MARS in the 1960s.  Perhaps he has some related comments about these receivers.

Mike / KK5F