[MRCA] RE: Field Operatons Debrief

[Rob Flory]

Well, don't I have my tail between my legs.

Rob

-----Original Message-----
>From: "B. Smith" <smithab11 at comcast.net>
>Sent: Sep 30, 2006 8:50 AM
>To: Military Radio Collectors Association <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
>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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