[MRCA] AN/GRC-106

[WA5CAB--- via MRCA]

In addition to what Jeep wrote, 

The U-79/U et al are 10-contact connectors.  The ones used on the Vietnam 
era VHF FM sets only have 5 contacts.
The T-195 (AN/GRC-19) never saw service in Korea (at least not before the 
cease-fire).  But did see extensive service in Vietnam.
The other HF sets such as AN/PRC-47 used the 10-contact family.
The 5-contact connectors are a PITA to work with compared to the 
10-contact.

Robert Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480

In a message dated 02/02/2015 17:50:02 PM Central Standard Time, 
jeepp at comcast.net writes: 
> On 2/2/2015 4:36 PM, Ray Fantini wrote:
> 
> >> For the last month or so have been working on an AN/GRC-106 and have 
>> just about all the issues resolved now. The radio works fairly well and is 
>> almost as useable as some of the newer radios that I have been using like 
>> the Sunair GSB-800 or my favorite radio right now the huge and heavy Harris 
>> URC-92(RF-280) but a couple questions keep coming to mind. First why did 
>> they use obsolete audio connectors that were more suited to a T-195 or a 
>> RT-68? I would assume that the GRC-106 was in production around the same 
>> time as the VRC-12/PRC-25/77 family of radios with the smaller modern style 
>> audio connector. But still the 106 has those huge audio connectors from 
>> the Korean War.
>> 
>>  I intend to install the GRC-106 alongside a VRC-89 in the back of my 
>> M-151 but the more I think about it may have to get rid of the RT-1439/VRC-89 
>> setup and find a VRC-12 to more closely match the GRC-106, but looking at 
>> the audio cables and accessories wonder if a way old RT-68/VRC-10 may be 
>> a more appropriate match.
>> 
>>  Second, how are you supposed to operate around that radio when the 
>> amplifier is running? The mechanical noise the fans in the transmitter produce 
>> are way annoying. Fortunately you can turn the amplifier off when not 
>> expecting to transmit but when its running you can only hear with the headset, 
>> and then that’s not all that well using the stock headset. I am thinking 
>> of modifying a newer series VRC headset with proper headset as opposed to 
>> the poor quality one ear telephone style headset that came with the radio. 
>> Cannot imagine how anyone would be able to stand being in a little S-250 
>> style shelter with one of those screaming and the old mechanical teletypes 
>> banging away. 
>> 
>> Don’t get me wrong, the radio has its good points, low power drain in 
>> receive and standby, easy to work on after you build or buy all the cables 
>> and produces buckets of power but the ergonomics of the radio appear to be 
>> lacking. Maybe radio operators were just tougher back then?
>> 
>>   
>> 
>>  Ray F
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> 
> Ray, FWIW, a couple of comments.  The '106 and the GRC-19 were primarily 
> RATT rigs and, hence, the noise was not an issue most of the time as the 
> operator would probably step out of the "ratt-rig" and/or wear phones.  The 
> connectors were old family and were "carbon compatible" and interchangeable 
> with all radio of that vintage; that is, post PL-55/PJ-068.  The new, 
> smaller connectors were for dynamic mics.  It hard to get the wrong audio device 
> hooked up with such different connectors... Anyway, perhaps the comments 
> were what you already knew?
> Jeep K3HVG
> 
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