[MRCA] Aberdeen Vehicle Rally

[Ray Fantini]

The Aberdeen Military Vehicle Rally is located at the Irion Birds
Stadium just off I-95 in Aberdeen Maryland. There are several acres of
paved parking lot for the vehicle show, swap meet and general attendance
parking. Their is no charge to park and attend the show. Think it’s
around $50 per space for a flee market space and I do not know what it
cost to enter a vehicle in the judging. The swap meet area is huge,
about on third the size of the Dayton flee market but the emphasis is
definitely on jeep, truck and other military vehicles. I saw maybe four
or five dealers who exclusively were dealing with radio equipment and
about two dozen others who had mixtures of equipment including radios.
Prices are generally higher then hamfest for radio equipment. Their was
a very clean R-390 for $800, several GRC-106 combos ranging from very
clean like new for $1,000.00 to beat systems in the $500 to $600 range.
VRC-12 transceivers were selling for around $200 in fair condition with
mount kits for $10 to $15 Items that sell for small amounts have larger
demands with the vehicle people, RT-66/67/68 sets with different power
supplies and accessories ranged between $125 to $250 and every type of
antenna mounts with antennas can be had between $25 with most around $50
and the new complete systems for more. Some thing were expensive,
BC-1000 with straps and battery box for $550.00, those 10 meter FM tank
radios, think they may be BC-603 or something like that selling for $100
per receiver and $200 for transmitters and some things you never see at
hamfest like tons of intercom systems for reasonable prices and lots of
handsets, field phones and phone wire. Myself I only bought a night
vision scope with a blown power supply for $20, a turn and bank
indicator for $5 and a empty fragmentation grenade, be in trouble if get
stopped with that in the car! Aviation parts sell for less here,
instruments were cheap in the $5 to $25 price range, avionics control
heads were generally $5 to $10 each and Collins aircraft radios in the
$20 to $50 price range, mostly ADF, UHF and VHF NAV saw no HF but did
see a complete set of heads for a TRC-75 for $5 each, wonder what
happened to the radios and shelter? Did do some operating on 51.0, lot
more activity their then at hamfest with making three or four QSO at the
show. Mr. Smith, K4CHE was their with his M151A2 and provided couple FM
calls and did some CW work on forty with his PRC-47. I would not advise
a serious radio person the drive more then two or three hours to go
their but if you live in the Baltimore Washington area you may want to
attend on Saturday.
Ray Fantini KA3EKH