[MRCA] Fw: MRCA 2009 Meet Communications Readiness Bulletin

[dean.gagnon at juno.com]

KW1I,

Looking forward to Gilbert in the next few weeks.  I plan on arriving on Thursday  (9/17) in the  afternoon hopefully in time to assist in the set up of the base station.

I am blowing the dust off of my equipment and plan to be ready to participate in field activities. Pencil me in for Beltzville or Jacobsburg on Friday as needed. I will have some HF gear / antenna makings to support one of those locations. Also expect to have some capability on 51 Mhz.

My plans for Saturday include participating in the clandestine radio activities on both HF and VHF. Oh yes, I will be first in line for breakfast.

Please keep me posted on any additional details as the event draws near.

KK1K
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
From: "Radio Station KW1I" <kw1i at earthlink.net>
To: "Military Radio Collectors Association" <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [MRCA] MRCA 2009 Meet Communications Readiness Bulletin
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:13:31 -0400

The following communications bulletin is for those amateurs planning to 
attend the annual Military Radio Collectors Association Meet at the West End 
Fairgrounds, Gilbert PA (near Stroudsburg) on Sept. 18, 19.   More 
information on the meet can be found at:

http://www.mrca.ar88.net/2009_Flyer/flyer2009.html


MRCA Meet Communications Readiness Bulletin

Tactical Radio Operations at the MRCA meet are just a few weeks away. It is 
not too soon to prepare for these important exercises. You can do two things 
ahead of time. (1) Though it isn't absolutely necessary, line up other 
amateurs to compose a comm team. This may spread the work of antenna, 
station and power source preparation, pack and set-up. (2) Pull your radios 
out of storage and make sure they work. Try to remember how to operate them, 
and check that you have packed all the antenna cables, microphones, keys, 
speaker/headsets, tuners, SWR analyzers, ground stakes, guy wires, 
connectors, adapters, etc., and charge your batteries!


Thursday, September 17 ,afternoon arrivals can help Ted, W3PWW set up the 
base station and hang antennas for 75, 60 and 6 meters.


Friday afternoon, September 18, we will be having a long range 
reconnaissance field exercise with three HF communication groups deploying 
to Big Pocono, Beltzville and Jacobsburg State Parks. Communication during 
travel will be primarily 6 meter FM with 2 meter FM as a backup. FM 
communication between the West End Fairgrounds and Big Pocono is possible, 
but line of site communication with the other two reconnaissance targets may 
be difficult. There is a need for fourth group, a VHF link team to man a 
intermediary point to provide an FM relay to the Beltzville and Jaconsburg 
teams.

HF groups will be operating principally AM on the 75/80 meter band with some 
activity on 60 meter SSB and possibly CW on 75/80 meters. Depending on the 
number of participants, more than one comm team may set up at each location. 
Comm teams should plan to deploy with vertical and horizontal antennas if 
possible.  Ideally, horizontal antennas should be erected to take advantage 
of NVIS propagation. The Gilbert Fairground base station will evaluate HF 
signal comparisons between vertical and horizontal antennas at the same 
location and between signals from other comm groups. Traffic will be passed 
between groups as well as with the fairground base station.  FM links will 
be used to coordinate activities where possible. Be sure to have either a 
frequency agile HF rig, or a couple of crystals in the 3875/3885 vicinity.


Saturday, Sept. 19 after an on site MRCA breakfast we will be sending teams 
out of our base area to clandestine sites 1 - 2 miles away. There will be 
intelligence gathering by these comm teams while on assignment.  Portable 
rigs with portable power and portable antennas will be best for this 
activity.  Traffic will be exchanged with the Gilbert base station which 
will function as net control for stations in the field and for other 
operators who will set up their field radios at the fairgrounds during this 
exercise.  HF and VHF frequencies can be utilized.


Other communication happenings will be occurring throughout the event. 
There is likely to be 2 meter AM communication capable military equipment in 
operation.  On Saturday afternoon there will be an informal walk-around 
short-range net with BC-611, MAB, and pack sets of more recent vintage.

If you are thinking of participating in any of these activities please send 
your plans (events, Friday field exercise location preference, equipment, 
antennas, comments, questions etc.) via mail to the MRCA reflector. 
Hopefully discussion on these topics over the next few weeks will encourage 
additional participation.


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