[MRCA] RE: Field Operations Debrief

[Robert Flory]

Now that I have withdrawn my tail from between my legs, I'll slink back to
the campfire.

There is nothing wrong with being crystal-controlled or weak or on AM, but
all of the above is a recipe for frustration especially if your crystal is
for the busiest frequency on the band.  Dale managed some contacts to base
with low power sets because he was frequency agile.  The solder-to-talk
crowd has never left 75m.  Putting all your hopes into stretching the
limits of the capability of low-powered sets on the busiest frequency on
the band is a little like tilting at windmills. 

We had a perfect demonstration of one of the important communications
lessons of WWII.  Given that high frequencies are subject to skywave
propagation, there were not enough channels there to support tactical comms
without interference and the solution was to move to VHF.  We had
effortless comms between low-power sets from base to the mountain.

I had a particular appliance in mind that I was simulating with my 15-watt
TCS set in the car, which I installed to get a feel for the performance of
the MZ radio jeep as used by the USMC in the latter portion of WWII.  I'd
love to replace the Japanese station wagon with a proper jeep, but I've
learned at these vehicle rallies that I would probably have to sell all of
my radios to fund such a project.  In any case, its very much a field set,
and not totally out of the league of an 8-watt GRC-9 or BC-474.  Heck,
we've had a BC-191 on the mountain in the past.

I'm sorry you didn't have fun, Breck, but making your happiness dependant
on the kindness of the frequency hogs on 3885kc will just lead to a frown.

Rob Flory
robandpj at earthlink.net
www.home.earthlink.net/~navyradio  WWII Navy Radio
www.home.earthlink.net/~robandpj    Les Flory Television and Electronics


> [Original Message]
> From: B. Smith <smithab11 at comcast.net>
> To: Military Radio Collectors Association <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: 9/30/2006 8:50:33 AM
> Subject: [MRCA] RE: Field Operatons Debrief
>
> "Crystal-controlled, weak, and on AM is no way to go through life"
>
>     I would like to respond to this comment by Mr. Flory and I will try
to 
> be
> brief with my debrief.  And I must point  out that I am well aware that
this 
> comment is directed towards me. and I will respond with this brief email.
>     I have studied and digested  Mr. Flory's comments on our "Field 
> Exercise" to the mountain.
> First of all I would like to point out that there is still a lot of
crystal
> controlled transmitter activity in Amateur Radio and in the Military Radio
> collecting segment of our hobby.  And I might point out that I personally
> have operated crystal controlled
> transmitters all over the world in official and unofficial  capacities ,
in
> the air and on the ground and from different DX islands  and often  in
> somewhat of a harsh and unfriendly environment and have experienced  a
> multitude of  operational difficulties.
>
>
>
>      However---- none of these
> operational difficulties could possibly compare to operating 3885 Kcs* in
> the middle of  the afternoon here on the East Coast and banging it out and
> competing  with the 15 minute continuous monologue transmissions by the
> frequency hogs. I mean bringing back AM with carrier is great but do we
have
> to bring back the continuous 15-20 transmissions which usually consists of
> mindless babble. I mean someone send some of these troops and egg timer
from
> Wally World and include the instructions.
>
>
>
>     Often my past operations of "Crystal controlled, weak, and on AM"
> operations involved the exchange of valuable information and traffic.
>
> However operating on  3885 Kcs*  on an Amateur  Radio frequency  with   a
> "Crystal-controlled, weak, AM" transmitter  in this case in the middle of
> the afternoon during this particular Field Exercise  was really
> not an enjoyable experience. Particularly when a certain operator( and I
> dare not mention his  name)  hauls 300 pounds of TCS equipment to the top
of
> Mt. Pocono in the back of his Station Wagon, and powers these rigs  off of
> his vehicle battery.  This certain individual just stops his imported
> station wagon and
> pops the rear lid and sets up his lawn chair and calls this his  portable
> field operations.  Give me a break!  While conducting these pseudo
> operations he must have a fear or photopia that he will need a jump start
> when the descent from the summit is started and have to come crawling with
> his tail between his legs begging for assistance… I might point out to
this
> certain operator that originally the trips to the mountain involved actual
> "Field Operations" set up using portable field gear. But I guess this 
> original idea
> has some how been lost and now we have evolved to our status quo of this
> last operation. It is all most in the category of Appliance Operating,
and a
> complete lack of romance of the airwaves.  However I must point out that
> operating "Crystal-controlled, weak, and on AM" does require immense skill
> and a large amount of operator experience, ingenuity and patience. Crystal
> control actually in my humble opinion is the grass roots Amateur Radio and
> most of us started out using crystal control and used to send  out many
CQ's
> and actually tuned  off of our frequency  with our receiver
> sometimes 20-25 Kcs* searching  for any responses  to our calls.  This was
> because we only owned two rocks. This tuning up and down from the the
> transmitting frequency to listen for callers was an art and a skill that
has
> fallen alone the way side of standard Amateur Radio practice.
>
>
>
> * Kcs.  are not recognized by this station
> ** Mcs               ditto
>
> Sure --- during the Field Exercise I was "Crystal-controlled and weak, and
> on AM*** .
>
> *** AM with carrier vs. SSB which is also AM but with suppressed carrier.
>
> But life does go on. I am proud of my endeavors and at least we are out
> there trying, trying to fight the frequency hogs, trying to squeeze every
> millwatt out of our portable "field" rigs, trying to couple properly to  a
> real  "field antenna" and not just a stick on a ball mount,  trying to
> obtain maximum feed line current and trying to maximize field strength,
> trying to observe proper operating procedures and trying to promote the
> decency in our communications in order to avoid the Rettysnitch. Trying to
> listen for a break in the continuous 15 to 20 minutes of the babble
> transmission so that we could get in our 5 to 10 second call back to Base
> HQ.  But there were no breaks, just the constant continuous crazy copious
> babble. And yes this was my second try with this particular military set,
my
> second failure to communicate with Base HQ. My second failure. After our
> descent from the mountain while Mr. TCS was celebrating his so called
> communications accomplishments I had to retire to my tent and wait till
the
> revelry had subsided.
>
> Now as long as we are talking about "Field Operations", I might point out
> that while I was  participating  in the MRCA 2006 Field Exercise,  I 
really
> was making a supreme  sacrifice, above and beyond the call of duty by
> missing a lot of the flea market bargains, like that  mint ARB, many
> numerous canvas covers, the PRC-6 test set,  so while we were
participating
> in the  "Field Exercise"  and I was being "Crystal-controlled, weak, and
on
> AM"***    I was  missing out on one heck of a lot of flea market activity,
> who knows maybe I missed the BC-221 canvas cover or the much sought after
> GRR-5 canvas cover that was needed for my GRR-5 that I picked up on
Thursday
> for a mere pittance.
>
> But as I mentioned before life goes on, and obtaining those canvas items
and
> other goodies probably was not as important as the time spent
participating
> in the Field Exercise with my "Crystal controlled, weak, AM" set battling
> the babble.
>
>     Well enough of this folderol. I will get off of my soap box and just
> remind everyone that "I Shall Return", to the mountain,
>
> I shall return with my crystal controlled set, "I Shall Return" with my
weak
> signal, "I Shall Return with AM (with carrier), "I shall Return" with my
> single 3885 Kcs crystal,  "I Shall Return" with determination, dedication,
> dreams,   but on second thought . . . I think maybe next year I am going
to
> just haul ass  my Collins 18S-4 aircraft AM radio with the 813
>  up in the back of my War Wagon (86 Suburban) and feed it with my an
> external VFO.   Then I too can have a QSO with Al Klase at his home base
in
> Flemington, and Joe Cro in Washington's Crossing!  It will take an extra
12
> volt battery in series with the car battery but what the heck. Life goes
on.
> Besides I can park the War Wagon on a slight grade facing down hill and
> coast down hill for a start.    :-)
>
>  73 breck k4che
>
>
> * Kcs.  are not recognized by this station
> ** Mcs               ditto
> *** AM with carrier vs. SSB which is also AM but with suppressed carrier.
>
>
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