[Milsurplus] Milsurplus Digest, Vol 223, Issue 1, Helicopter comms.

Tue Nov 1 07:57:04 EDT 2022

When I was in the USMC in Vietnam('70-'71) in a CH-46 helicopter squadron, part of my duties was to change the code on the KY-28 voice scramblers every night a midnight.  They worked with the FM comm radios, ARC-54's in most of our ships. When the KY-28 was on, and you keyed the mic., there would be momentary pause then a beep in the headset telling you it was ready to encrypt your outgoing transmission. The infantry guys on the ground had to have a KY-28 or similar on their comm. radios also is what I was told.  We kept the code pamphlets, changed every month, in a safe in the avionics shop.  Along with two thermite grenades to set on top of the safe and melt it if we were overrun. It was Marble Mountain Air Facility a few miles east of Da Nang.

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Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 3:52:08 AM
Subject: Milsurplus Digest, Vol 223, Issue 1

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: [MMRCG] Any TBY People Still On This Side of the	Grass?
      (David Stinson)
   2. Re: RDO receiver with 3 APR-1 plug-ins - Atlanta area
      (Kenneth G. Gordon)
   3. Looking for a radiosonde. (KD7JYK DM09)
   4. Helicopter Comms Intercept as referenced in "The	Greatest
      Beer Run Ever" (Rob Flory)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Message: 1
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 15:42:11 -0500
From: David Stinson <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
To: MMRCG at groups.io, TCS-Radios <TCS-Radios at groups.io>,
	"milsurplus at mailman" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] [MMRCG] Any TBY People Still On This Side of
	the	Grass?
Message-ID: <e6ea2a7c-b753-2231-8bd1-ef3719c2a927 at ix.netcom.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

I passed along a set of Merchant Marine Radioman log books
to someone on the reflectors years ago.  Don't remember who
but could probably find it by digging through the emails.

The books covered several convoy trips with several ships
over many months.  They absolutely document the continual use
of TBY between merchant ships in convoy, probably for the very reason
that it is short range and low power.  The expensive TBS
was for the Navy vessels. The Radioman had to "calibrate TBY"
every few hours around the clock as the TBY net was used
as a "convoy intercom."  Were constantly checking that they had
enough batteries.  Perhaps the AC power supplies were in too-
short supply (pun there) and that's why they are so rarely seen.
These merchant ship installs were doubtless where the
"TBY Ground Plane" antennas one used to see at Fair Radio
back just before the Exodus from Egypt.

One cool passage was a long "QST" butt-chewing over the TBY
"Convoy Intercom" because some unknown op was goofing-around
and using foul language on the TBY. :-D

  I wrote several postings with details of the logs, which
including Flag Hoists, Colored Lights and Flashing Light
messages and codes, and believe-it-or-not, ZB directing
finding "discs of the day" which proves they were using
ZB to form on the Commodore if they got lost.
I have a Code Book and could "de-code" some of the
Flashing Light and Flag Hoist messages, like directing
them the next "zig" would be a "zag" or turn to some
bearing, followed by "Execute."  Submarine sightings,
picking-up survivors from attacks, etc. I thought the books
excellent, especially figuring-out what the messages were saying.

I posted some long pieces on it all,
and no one said diddly-boo. Crickets.

  I assumed few people gave a
rat's about it, so I stopped spending time on it,
found one of the very few who showed
interest and gave him the books.  Too many other projects
to waste time on one no one cares about.
I do hope that might have changed.

GL OM DE Dave AB5S

On 10/31/2022 9:50 AM, Ray Fantini wrote:
> Cant help that the TBY is a technological dead end, did not say it did 
> not get used. Navy convoy ships they used radios like the TBS that 
> resolved the issues of stability, sensitivity and power...

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------------------------------

Message: 2
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 14:03:06 -0700
From: "Kenneth G. Gordon" <kgordon2006 at frontier.com>
To: "milsurplus at mailman.qth.net" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>,	Nick
	England <navy.radio at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Milsurplus] RDO receiver with 3 APR-1 plug-ins - Atlanta
	area
Message-ID: <6360380A.22059.4372FE67 at kgordon2006.frontier.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

On 31 Oct 2022 at 14:06, Nick England wrote:

> 
> Posting this for a friend - contact Allen with questions, etc.
> He is info at mgs4u.com
> 
> Some RDO Info is at https://maritime.org/doc/ecat/cat-0978.php
> Photos that he sent me are at
> https://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/ww2/rdo/IMG_9749.jpg
> https://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/ww2/rdo/IMG_9748jpg
> https://www.navy-radio.com/rcvrs/ww2/rdo/IMG_9747.jpg

Nick:

I have two RDOs here, but with no scope. I have several sets of plug-ins for them. For the 
last many years, they have been inside a dry shed in my back yard. Previous to that, they 
had been stored outside, bur were well-covered. I suspect these were originally bought from 
Fair Radio Sales in the late 1960s.

I would give these away to anyone who wanted them, if they would arrange shipping for 
them.

The items are all very beautifully-built.

Ken W7EKB

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 31 Oct 2022 15:32:39 -0700
From: KD7JYK DM09 <kd7jyk at earthlink.net>
To: "'milsurplus at mailman'" <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Milsurplus] Looking for a radiosonde.
Message-ID: <7ae5020b-a5da-d38f-f2d9-8a4c1e6a2e74 at earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed

I know some of us collect radiosondes, and various bits and pieces.

I'm looking for a somewhat common older military model, the ML-659(V)2, 
whole, or in part.

There was a V1 and a V2, the difference being what type of VLF 
navigation receiver was inside.

There is a listing on ebay, to see an example of what these look like, 
if one isn't familiar with the model:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/173844566820

What I am looking for, specifically, is the 403 MHz transmitting 
antenna.  The model on eBay has a little single wire whip antenna, which 
can be seen further down the page.  This is NOT the type I'm looking for.

What I'm trying to find, is the antenna with crossed elements, known as 
a Lindenblad Antenna.

The different antennas don't seem to track with the V number of the 
sonde, so unless one eyeballs the antenna, the sonde could have either 
one inside.

I've can directly send a picture of the type of antenna I'm looking for, 
along with the antenna I'm NOT looking for.  The images are labeled, 
with arrows.

If anyone has complete sonde with the crossed element antenna they'd 
like to sell for a reasonable price, I'm interested.  Or, if one has 
some of these funny little antennas that aren't bent up, or mangled, I'm 
interested in just that one part, actually, not the entire sonde.

Let me know what you have, if anything, or, maybe some sources.

Kurt

------------------------------

Message: 4
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2022 03:51:44 -0400
From: Rob Flory <farmer.rob.flory at gmail.com>
To: milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Milsurplus] Helicopter Comms Intercept as referenced in "The
	Greatest Beer Run Ever"
Message-ID:
	<CAFcNxxW_nv6S-ZHY2XD6FBisHkBRB1r65aZVznuguX9vvy6G=w at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

I recently read this book, quite a story, and it had some radio content.

One of the author's friends had a job installing upgraded comms gear in
helicopters because VC or NVA were intercepting or at least detecting
helicopter comms with an ordinary FM radio.

What was not clear was whether that meant a broadcast radio or an FM field
radio of some kind.

I believe helos were equipped with low band FM gear and that either:

1)captured or interoperable sets were used or
2)harmonics of the low band FM gear were detected on a relatively empty FM
broadcast band.

Option 1 would give legit intercept capability, which could be defeated by
encryption.  Option 2 might give enough early warning capability to either
disappear or assume a defensive posture.  Presence of signal, encrypted or
not, might give the necessary warning.

Encryption would require the ground pounders to be encrypted also.

Anyone know anything that might flesh out the story?

RF
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End of Milsurplus Digest, Vol 223, Issue 1
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