[MRCA] MRCA event

Sun Sep 23 18:01:09 EDT 2012

Ray mentions the BC 653 transmitter with the $180 price tag.  That one was 
mine, along with the original packing case.  I hauled it out to the meet and 
gave it to a friend who was part of the Red Ball power elite, along with two 
of the FM tank receivers.  He had them sold in one hour because he knew who 
needed them.  I asked him to get me $150 for the -653 and that is what he 
sold it for.

Ray, or anyone, I have another -653 that is missing the dynamotor, the fuse 
panel, and a center panel.  A parts set could provide these parts...it is 
available at my home about 35 minutes from Gilbert for a very reasonable 
price if anyone wants it.

BTW, back during WW II there was a survey article in QST on that 
transmitter.  They field tested it to try to break it...ended up busting the 
vehicle some how, but the transmitter was still working.  As I recall, it 
was during 1943 or 1944.

It was a fine meet, as usual, and the weather did cooperate.  My thanks to 
all those who contributed their time and effort to make it a success.

73,  Bill   w2dgb

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Fantini" <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
To: "Al Klase" <ark at ar88.net>; <mrca at mailman.qth.net>; 
<milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2012 12:52 PM
Subject: [MRCA] MRCA event

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was involved 
with the very successful MRCA event this year at Gilbert.  Having the 
opportunity to bring out radios, operate them in along with other sets of 
the same type or age and most importantly to talk and spend time with others 
of similar interest has and will continue to make the September event at 
Gilbert a highlight of my year.
A first for me this year was not just having a QSO between my Russian R-107 
and a couple “Cold War” era tactical sets on 51.0 but for a first time I was 
able to work between my URC-110 to a soviet copy of a SCR-522 on 144.425, if 
your one of those people who work lots of HF its no big deal working one 
military set to another but for the VHF sets there are only a couple events 
a year where you can do this and the MRCA event is one of them. In respect 
to the rest of the event at Gilbert, yes the same couple dealers who 
specialize in radio equipment where there selling the same items at a 
premium price, but that’s what they do and I do not fault them for that just 
don’t want to spend any time on describing what they are selling being it’s 
the same every sale, lets talk about what’s else was for sale out in the 
swap meet. VRC-12 radios and accessories were there in good numbers with the 
average price being around $200 for a radio, shelves, speakers, handsets and 
cables being anywhere from $5.00 to $25.00, PRC-25 and 77 sets without 
accessories for around $250.00 to $350.00, lots of the dual radio adapters 
and amplifiers for the newer SINCGARS stuff like the RT-1439 in the $200.00 
to $350.00 range with the older VRC series and newer automatic vehicle 
antennas for around $50.00, no PRC-119 radios (RT-1439) although there were 
at least two being used over at MRCA but did see a very clean RT-1523 that 
sold for $2,000.00 and a URC-101 with vehicle tray, satellite antenna 
transit bag sell for $700.00, GRC-106 stuff was there but saw maybe two or 
three sets in the $400.00 to $600.00 rang, last year the place was full of 
them at around the same cost. In terms of the old stuff, did see a 
exceptionally clean BC-342 with mount all original for $250.00, a TBY set by 
itself that sold for $50 and another complete TBY package that included the 
red headsets, wet cell batteries, every other accessory all in a huge wooden 
transit case all with matching serial numbers, unused for $1,000.00 that 
also included the battery charger for the wet cells, the same person had a 
alignment jig or test set for the MAB or DAV series radios that was unused, 
with spare tubes and adapters for $200.00, in the building I saw a ASB radar 
system that included display, hood, interconnect box, transmitter and 
dynamotor for $150.00, some command sets and other items also saw a BC-653 
transmitter that’s part of the SCR-506 outside with the twelve volt inverter 
for $180.00, the SCR-506 appears to be such a primitive and underpowered set 
it was very appealing to me and gave a lot of thought to buying it but 
better senses prevailed. Did end up buying an antique Homelite generator 
with the idea that it would look good after being disassembled, sand blasted 
and maybe painted John Deer green.
Something that I have began to notice is that almost everything from the WW2 
generation is now entering into a point where if its original and unmodified 
it is being kept that way and also being priced appropriate for its age, 
starting to see items coming out from estate sales or private collections 
but due to the rarity and value of these items now most of this stuff is 
being bought by people wanting to flip it to collectors, things that I never 
thought would have a value like EE-8 field phones are now pushing $50.00 or 
higher depending on condition. If you wanted to identify the lowest value 
radios on the surplus market I would propose that the Vietnam era stuff is 
currently at the bottom of the curve. VRC-12 sets were selling for $400.00 
to $600.00 couple years ago and now you can buy them for half that much all 
day long, the PRC-47 sets are running about the same price. The WW2 stuff is 
just going up in value, the Iraq and Afghan stuff is still high value but 
looks like the Vietnam stuff is on the bottom of the curve.

Ray Fantini KA3EKH
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