[MRCA] SCR-284 PE-103

Tue Oct 3 13:55:58 EDT 2017

The noise problem isn't limited to WW2 or even Vietnam era radios.  When our Field Artillery Battalion in 10th Mountain was issued the Light TACFIRE system, the vehicle radios made the distinctive loud hum that a burst digital signal makes when sent. It wasn't as big a problem with the PRC-77's that the FO's had, but it was still a concern. This was before the issue of SINGARS - We were using Vietnam era radios that were tuned specially for digital operations, and were being used with KY-57 VINSON gear ( all antiques now).

Mark
WW2RDO

In a message dated 10/3/2017 1:33:22 PM Eastern Standard Time, mrca at mailman.qth.net writes:

    There is nothing wrong with the bearings on the PE-103s I've run ( two of them), and they were freshly lubed.  The PE-103 just makes too much noise, period.  Like I said, OK if you're "in the rear with the gear" - not good if you're withing hearing range of an enemy.  A vehicle, when running, makes more noise, and if inside a parked vehicle, the vehicle itself may act as a noise baffle, but if I'm in the infantry, and I'm living in a hole in the ground, and  my life is on the line, if I can get a radio that's quiet ( read most battery powered transceivers , like a TBY or a BC-100o. or the more modern PCR-77), that's what I'm using.

Mark
WW2RDO

In a message dated 10/3/2017 12:54:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
duvallddennis at gmail.com writes:

I would agree, very quiet.  A set of bad bearings is another matter…..

Dennis DuVall, W7QHO

*****************
On Oct 3, 2017, at 4:15 AM, Garret Scott <scottgs at bellsouth.net> wrote:
Surprised to hear this. The two PE-103's I have are exceptionally quiet, more so than even some hand crank generators. You can barely hear them outside a tent. Compared to other dynamotors, they seem the quietest of all.  

Perhaps there's differences among them?

Garret
W8BUG

On October 3, 2017 12:41:53 AM EDT, WW2RDO via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
Hello Mike,
     I have powered up a PE-103 with my BC-654.  There is no way I would want that thing in any forward position I was serving in - the noise would attract way too much attention at night ( I served with the 10th Mountain Division in the early 1990s).   Like I said, Hellen Keller could find you in the dark when that thing fired up.

Mark
WW2RDO

In a message dated 10/2/2017 2:55:47 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
kk5f at earthlink.net writes:

Mark wrote:

>> As far as the noise made by the PE-103, I would have to agree with
>> the Marines - way too noisy, especially at night. Hellen Keller
>> could find you in the dark when that thing fires up

Robert wrote:

> The PE-103 (or at least the two that I used to run regularly)
> is pretty quiet as medium size dynamotors go.

I spent many an hour and a mile in an old Ford when I was a kid in the 1950s and 1960s with my dad (W5WRR/SK) using a PE-103 for his Multi-Elmac AF-67.

The PE-103 was probably THE most desirable surplus dynamotor ever for hams operating mobile for twenty years after WWII and were pretty expensive in surplus. I don't recall any particularly notable objectionable noise levels from it, compared to any other similar-size dynamotor... like a DY-31/ARC-2.

I have not powered up the PE-103 for my SCR-284.

Mike / KK5F
______________________________________________________________
MRCA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

-- 
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.______________________________________________________________
MRCA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
______________________________________________________________
MRCA mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/mrca
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:MRCA at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.qth.net/pipermail/mrca/attachments/20171003/f522d5c4/attachment-0001.html>