[MRCA] PRC-74 Active Duty 1995

Fri Mar 23 11:04:05 EDT 2018

I was active in CAP as a communicator from 1978 to the early 90s. It was a lot of fun and a useful outlet for radio skills. I was frustrated towards the end by encroaching ‘thou shalt nots’ that made no sense and just hampered our efforts. I was the net control for our 4 Meg state SSB net one night each week. The Florida net was the half hour before mine. In the winter, the 4 Mhz band would go long before net time and I couldn’t hear any stations in TN and the NCS for Florida couldn’t hear any of his, but of course we could hear each other fine … so we just swapped duty. I would call the Florida net and he would call TN. This served us well and went on for over a year .. then the Florida wing commander issued an order that Florida stations were prohibited from contacting stations outside of Florida. No reason given or obvious to anyone.
The last time I was on a CAP net was at a squadron campout. I was asked by the squadron commander to put on a commo class and have the members with Radio Operator Cards and callsigns check in to the evening SSB net from the campsite. The class went well and the net started up .. the NCS got to our group and all my students checked in in order doing a wonderful job. The NCS was one of the old elite guys that had been in CAP since the war and got all upset asking who were all those stations checking in? I told him I was having a class and they were all with me and he replies that didn’t matter. They were ‘not authorized for HF operation.’  I told him back that they passed the same test that I did and they had the same radio operator card that I did. He said that didn’t matter.. they were not authorized …. So I told him (on the air ) that I guess that meant I was not authorized as well and gave my full callsign and asked him to show my station closed. Out. I switched off the power and never went back. CAP was a great thing but, like the BSA .. has been brought down by legislation.
73,
Conard, WS4S ex Blue Chip 196

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________________________________
From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Peter Gottlieb <kb2vtl at gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2018 9:19:06 AM
To: mkdorney at aol.com
Cc: mrca at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [MRCA] PRC-74 Active Duty 1995

I was able to show that my RF-350K met specs, and that the Micom 2 did not, but to no avail. The CAP NTIA list is not based on tests but manufacturer spec sheet and no exceptions were being granted. There was supposed to be a grandfather clause but that was at the discretion of each wing I heard and in any case I was out. As I was involved in the early MARS-ALE development effort I was able to run ALE as well, and indeed for a while later operated in receive-only mode logging activity.

As for VHF, at one point they changed freqs and then wouldn’t let anyone know them, but eventually they got out and some of us bought cheap surplus radios (like the Motorola Visar) that we’re on the approved list and resold to other members at cost. CAP did accept those for use. I used an Astro Saber which I programmed for CAP P25 as well (which was a learning curve and effort!) but despite many missions never used that capability.

They would assign the EFJ portables but one got stolen from a member’s car and CAP held him liable. His insurance wouldn’t pay as it wasn’t his property so basically everyone returned their radios to CAP.

Peter

On Mar 23, 2018, at 10:05 AM, mkdorney at aol.com<mailto:mkdorney at aol.com> wrote:

I thought that local CAP squadrons in reality might operate outside the realm of the ignorant bean counters, especially when the alternative is an inability to operate at all.  It's one thing when radio equipment is supplied and maintained by the government - then you use that equipment almost exclusively ( by the way, we weren't totally exclusive even when I was on active duty in the Army.  Our radios were supplemented by our privately owned CB radios when their use would not effect security and the mission called for their use.  We didn't ask permission to do that, either).  But it's a totally different ball game if volunteers have to supply their own gear.  You have to use what is available via the volunteers, who will use what works best for them, and to hell with those who exist echelons above reality.  And there's no way for CAP to test or certify?  Oh yeah, CAP volunteers are going to spend a whole lot more of their own hard earned paychecks on overpriced radio gear because some radio geek in Washington DC told them to.  Believe that, and there's some oceanfront property in Missouri that I like to sell you.

Mark D.
WW2RDO

" In matters of style, swim with the current.  In matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson

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In a message dated 3/23/2018 7:49:35 AM Eastern Standard Time, jeepp at comcast.net<mailto:jeepp at comcast.net> writes:

Well, let me let the cat peek out of the bag.  Many do, in fact, use other than NTIA compliant gear.  By that, I mean gear that operates benignly in the affected spectrum.  Frequency, bandwidth, harmonics, et al are totally compliant, however.  CAP has no capability to test and measure, much less certify equipment, although they have a "list".  NTIA disavows any such lists.  At any rate, There have been incredibly few, complaints filed from a user or adjacent user over the past 30 years.  Now, we did have a jammer or two come up.  Bottom line, and paraphrasing one of Geo. Patton's comments..."Well, they have their schedules, and I have mine.
K3HVG

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-------- Original message --------
From: Scott Johnson <scottjohnson1 at cox.net<mailto:scottjohnson1 at cox.net>>
Date: 3/22/18 23:08 (GMT-05:00)
To: 'Mkdorney' <mkdorney at aol.com<mailto:mkdorney at aol.com>>, 'Peter Gottlieb' <kb2vtl at gmail.com<mailto:kb2vtl at gmail.com>>, mrca at mailman.qth.net<mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] PRC-74 Active Duty 1995

The CAP is an auxiliary of the USAF, so that would probably be the end of the management for that particular squadron.

Scott V. Johnson W7SVJ
5111 E. Sharon Dr.
Scottsdale, AZ 85254-3636
H (602) 953-5779
C (480) 550-2358
scottjohnson1 at cox.net<mailto:scottjohnson1 at cox.net>
scott.johnson at ieee.org<mailto:scott.johnson at ieee.org>

From: mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:bounces at mailman.qth.net> <mrca-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:bounces at mailman.qth.net>> On Behalf Of Mkdorney via MRCA
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2018 2:34 PM
To: Peter Gottlieb <kb2vtl at gmail.com<mailto:kb2vtl at gmail.com>>
Cc: mrca at mailman.qth.net<mailto:mrca at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [MRCA] PRC-74 Active Duty 1995

I wonder what’s would happen if the individual wings in CAP simply told the powers that be that they weren’t going to use the crap that the stuffed shirts in Washington wanted them to use.

Mark
WW2RDO

On March 22, 2018 at 3:16 PM DSP3 <jeepp at comcast.net<mailto:jeepp at comcast.net>> wrote:

Concur with other comments....   Good question, though.  I've been around and around with them for a long time, now.  To no avail.  CAP opted not to even try and get partial waivers, not for stability or transmit spectrum of course, but some onerous specs, especially for both HF and VHF for receivers.  Bottom line, 99% of really good ham gear is no longer said to be usable (truth told, for the last 25 years).  The amateur population in CAP is about nil.  There are some great folks who are hams and have stuck it out, though.  CAP mortgaged its soul with the AF and had them buy $2000 Motorola 100 watt rigs with a some B&W "flying dummy loads" (no tuners, of course, so ERP is about 20-60 watts), some with ALE.  ALE program has no computer interface so radios must be attended for any traffic be passed.  There is no "ALE message system".  VHF FM (NB) were procured from EFJ for over $1k, each.  I have both Kenwood and other ham-type FM with NB capability that will run the pants off the EFJ.  Of course, the EFJ's have P25 digital mode, but its never really used.  On missions, in the air-ground scenario, the Kenwood would copy aircraft much further out that the EFJs.  Interesting note, though, many State and Federal plus MARS entities use "ham" gear and it works fine in the SHARES and other comms programs.  Go figure.  But, after 56 years, I elected to retire but with no regrets, whatever.  Things changed, better and worse, since 1957 but a good ride!!!

Jeep K3HVG

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