[Milsurplus] thoughts on the SRR family of radios

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

Nick,

Thanks for the information on the latest generation of receivers. I figured they were using SDR architecture but I didn't know the manufacturer.

Ray,

I had a an RF-590 and wasn't impressed with it. It was in the 1990's and I forgot the reason. I was moving and had to get rid of that and other solid state boatanchors. Be sure you get the preselector board with it if you pick one up.

Mike N2MS
----- Original Message -----
From: Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
To: Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com>, Military Surplus Mail List <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Tue, 10 May 2016 17:31:41 -0000 (UTC)
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] thoughts on the SRR family of radios

The Harris RF-590 or its military version the R-2368/URR or R-2557 is one receiver that I have not owned yet! But it’s on the list of what I want. I have a Harris RF-280 (AN/URC-94) and do love that radio being all you do is set the frequency and go, well you do have to tune the preselector but it preforms better than any of the other transceivers that I played around with although I do have to say that I have been having fun with the General Dynamics AN/GRC-106 despite its size and blower noise. But the RF-590 looks like it would be the receiver to get. Thinking I may take my PRC-119 along with all its accessories out to Aberdeen and see if I can sell that to generate the massive amounts of money that I would need to buy a RF-590 at Dayton.
Right now “King” receiver at the QTH is a Watkins Johnson WJ-8888 but have already been thru SP-600, R-390A, R-1051B,G and H and WJ-8718(AN/URR-74) and others not worth mentioning like the Racal bubble membrane junk or god awful Wadley loops!

Ray F/KA3EKH

From: Milsurplus [mailto:milsurplus-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Nick England
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 12:55 PM
To: mstangelo at comcast.net; Military Surplus Mail List
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] thoughts on the SRR family of radios

Oops, forgot the HFRG photos
http://www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/hfrg-01.JPG
http://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/images/hfrg-cvn75-2010.jpg
http://www.navy-radio.com/xmtrs/hfrg-02.JPG

Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com<http://www.navy-radio.com>

On Tue, May 10, 2016 at 12:52 PM, Nick England <navy.radio at gmail.com<mailto:navy.radio at gmail.com>> wrote:
I don't know about today's installations, but as of 2007 many surface ships were being fitted with Harris AN/URC-131(V) (HFRG High Frequency Radio Group) systems which included the R-2557/URC, a version of the Harris RF-590
http://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/images/r2557-61.jpg
Here's a little info - From "Jane's Military Communications"- The AN/URC-131(V) High Frequency Radio Group (HFRG) system is an integrated, solid-state naval communications suite, designed to provide a balance between transmitter and receiver performance in a co-located shipboard environment. The three main communications components of the AN/URC-131 (V) are the Broadband Transmit Group (BTG), the Narrowband Transmit Group (NTG) and the receive system. The third-generation BTG is of solid-state design and provides coverage of the 2 to 30 MHz band. Three BTG variants have been produced - a 4 kW (8 circuit) system, an 8 kW (17 circuit) system and a 12 kW (26 circuit) system. All three systems use only two topside broadband antennas. The NTG consists of up to three solid-state 1 kW transmitters with power post-selectors and digital antenna couplers. The NTG can be tuned in the presence of adjacent antenna interference and offers completely silent tuning. It has a rapid-tune digital antenna coupler. It can also serve as a stand-alone system aboard small ship platforms. The receive system's R-2557A/URC receiver operates over the full LF, MF and HF frequency range from 10 kHz to 30 MHz. Other features include: up to 49 receive circuits; passive antennas, which require no electronics topside; and an atmospheric noise-limited design. The HFRG's HFRG Remote Control/ Monitor Subsystem (RCMS) is designed for 'lights out' operation in the transmitter and receiver compartments. Its features include: a ruggedized, PC workstation with full ASCII keyboard and pointer for function selection/ activation; redundant control buses and subsystem controllers for system survivability.

Nick England K4NYW
www.navy-radio.com<http://www.navy-radio.com>

On Tue, May 10, 2016 at 11:33 AM, <mstangelo at comcast.net<mailto:mstangelo at comcast.net>> wrote:
Mike,
Mike,

That's another good analogy.

Would you know the answer to the question I posed? Who is manufacturing the HF receivers and transmitters used by the Navy today?

Mike N2MS