What was supposed to be achieved by this project?

Every year the MRCA (military Radio Collectors Association) gets together in cooperation with the Red Ball MVPA Show in Gilbert PA. We have access to the Howell building and for some years now we have had displays of equipment along with a field exercise that takes place on Friday.

What was actually achieved?

I arrived Thursday afternoon, at that time there were already several other members of the MRCA on site. Some displays were already set up in the Howell building. Set up my tent and display that included a couple receivers and field radios and used that time as an opportunity to go out and browse the market space. Friday morning had another chance to go out and see the sellers, saw lots of stuff for sale that also included things like an old Navy TDT VHF AM transmitter that was marked $100 and had been crossed thru with the word “Free” written in along with a lot of other telephone and radio stuff. It’s not a Ham Fest but think there was more than enough there.

Just after noon departed the site and drove over to the boat ramp at Beltsville Lake and set up. Did an inverted V antenna and used the AN/GRC-106 on the mutt for the 5357 and 3885 Nets.

Also used 51.0 as a tactical network to maintain communications between many of the stations. By four that afternoon packed up and headed back to the Fair grounds. Between the MRCA cookout and everything else did the 51.0 and 144.25 nets using the radios onboard the mutt as NCS.

Noticed that many of the people who had set up displays packed up and left Friday night? Couple more brought out stuff on Saturday but why come and set up Thursday, stay Friday and take off before Saturday?

On Saturday morning cranked up the V and worked the 7087 RTTY Net at 0900 with solid copy all around. At 1000 tried to do the 7296 USB Net but had an issue with an unidentified AM station that wanted to drive us off the 7295 AM QSO Window.  Did have a QSO with WF2U and K4NYW but no one else was around. Packed up the mutt afterword’s and did a run thru of the market and spent way too much money. A number items from Kens estate (KD2GFM) followed me home.

What aspects of the project work?

All the radios and equipment onboard the mutt worked without issue, also brought couple radios for field use and that worked out well. The Sunair PRC-108 and the URC-200 were used by several people to check into the nets. The old WS-52 receiver was a lot of fun on my display table, although there never did use the BC-652 receiver.

What didn't work and why?

All MRCA Nets were a success, the MMRCG RTTY Net was good but did have the weird thing with the unknown “Guardian of the AM passband” on 7296 There was a QSO going on 7295 and I did check in with those stations and told them about the regularly scheduled net and they had no issues moving down to 7290 or whatever but then when I tried to start the net this unidentified station came on and had a huge problem with why we were not down in the SSB segment of the band and why we are on the wrong sideband and just about everything else you can imagine. Of course, the guardian of the passband did not identify or use his call or anything like that? Maybe with such righteous indignation identifying isn’t necessary.

Apart from the field exercise that was a success the quantity and quality of displays in the Howell building were good although we did not have the best turn out this year, no idea why a lot of the people who set up Thursday depart Friday night? Did have a couple new people come in and set up Saturday but after waiting and planning for weeks why do some cut out early?

What would you change if given a second chance?

Starting to consider if I want to keep doing the 7296 USB Net, think this is the third time we have had unknown people harassing the net. I always thought the AM Calling frequency was and is 7290 but they now say its 7290 and 7295, know from experience that trying to operate down further below causes more problems with all those people who want to tell you that somehow you can only operate LSB on forty. Just starting to think that this is getting a little old. For some reason the same thing happened last year at Gilbert. Wonder if it’s a local?

Don’t know how to get people to come out and stay beyond Friday? By noon on Saturday the Howell building was empty, couple people stopped by while I was loading and wondered where the radios were and I had to tell them that they had all packed up and went home. Think I was last to leave having packed everything up and being ready to go by three but hung around for an extra hour but have to admit that I was up in the market almost all the time after two that afternoon.

Submitted by Ray F/KA3EKH