[MRCA] Able Archer 83 AAR

Mon Nov 11 12:59:55 EST 2019

Thanks for the report Ray, I could tell you were there but could not copy
well enough to communicate, thank you Dean KK1K for the relay.

On Mon, Nov 11, 2019 at 11:32 AM Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu>
wrote:

> What was supposed to be achieved by this project?
>
>
>
> The annual Able Archer 83 event is an opportunity to set up and operate
> military radios from the sixties, seventies and eighties and make contacts
> with other Ham stations during a twenty four hour period. The event has a
> special issue call sign, W3A and takes place at a former Nike Missile site
> (W-25) in Davidsonville Maryland.
>
> Although we are hosted by the Anne Arundel Radio Club we do not use any of
> the modern equipment that’s located at their club station. All equipment is
> brought to the site and set up that day.
>
> All equipment is period correct.
>
>
>
> What was actually achieved?
>
>
>
> I departed Salisbury around six in the morning to arrive at Davidsonville
> just after eight. Two things I wanted to accomplish were working the MMRCG
> Net on 7296 (USB) at ten in the morning and the MRCA M&S Net on 5357 (USB)
> at noon.
>
> I unloaded the M151 with the GRC-106 on board and set up the mutt mounted
> antennas for HF, 51.0 and 147.105 for the local repeater. Six fiberglass
> poles were used to support an inverted V antenna for operating the nets.
>
> Checked into the MMRCG Net with no issues and did copy all stations. I
> used my call for the MMRCG net and not the W3A call sign at that time. At
> noon using the W3A call I operated as net control for the Moose and
> Squirrel Cold-War Clandestine and Long-Range-Reconnaissance-Patrol Net.
> This was also the unofficial kickoff for the operations at Davidsonville
> with the W3A call for this year.
>
> Walt (KB3SBC) arrived around eleven that morning and set up a push up mast
> system for supporting the VHF antenna for 51.0 that provided a great way to
> get the inverted V antenna higher off the ground then my fiberglass poles.
> We installed the inverted V and used that on forty for an hour or two
> before we were allowed to occupy the AARC building. They were doing a VE
> session and we were not allowed to use that space until it was over.
>
> Being forty meters tends to be a band that most Hams insist on using LSB
> and the GRC-106 is USB only I had a KWM-2A and we set that up just above
> the GRC-106 in the mutt and Walt operated around a dozen stations using
> that set up. I was able to complete a total of one contact on 51.0 and that
> was to a local at the site using a PRC-77 that Walt brought. Later in the
> afternoon Walt decided to operate on twenty meters running the GRC-106 into
> the whip antenna on the mutt and I decided to drag the KWM-2A out and set
> it up on the hood of the mutt and we were able to have two stations
> operating at the same time.
>
> Around three or four that afternoon we were allowed to set up the main
> operating position in the AARC building. With great difficulty we drug the
> Harris RF-350k into the building along with the Collins KWM-2A and set the
> radios up using a Windom antenna connected to the big Harris.
>
> I spent much time before the event playing around with a pair of analog
> four wired field telephones. Had to do some repairs along with finding a
> bunch of D cell batteries and all that with the idea of setting up a phone
> system between the mutt and the main operating position in the building.
> The problem was by the time we were able to set up in the building it was
> getting late and I was planning on departing before it got too late so the
> phone system was never put into operation. I did set it up so we were at
> least able to play with them and several of the people at the event got to
> talk on them. But did notice that the one that had a bad connection on the
> receive side that I thought I had fixed had started having issues again so
> looks like I will need to do more work on them.
>
> Around five that evening I loaded up the mutt and departed the site
> leaving Walt and the crew to carry on for the rest of the event. I did
> return around noon the next day to collect up a radio and was told that
> they did at least another thirty or so contacts overnight. That gave us a
> total of just under a hundred contacts for the event, but it is important
> to understand that’s it’s not about the number of contacts as much as it is
> an excuse to drag out all the radios and play with them.
>
>
>
> What aspects of the project work?
>
>
>
> The M151/GRC-106 set up worked great. This time the VRC-43 (RT-246) worked
> and did not fail although we did not have much activity on that other than
> one contact and calling CQ.
>
> The KWM-2A worked surprising well out in the field. Having LSB
> capabilities was a big plus. The big Harris worked without issues but man
> that thing is heavy. Thinking that maybe I can pair the 500 watt amplifier
> with it also but have no ways how to make all that weight portable.
>
>
>
> What didn't work and why?
>
>
>
> Think the biggest issue is getting others to come out and take part. It’s
> a twenty four hour event and I was only on site for around ten hours. If we
> had more people take part I am certain that we can push the contact count
> way up. Back when this was on top of a mountain up in Hamburg PA they had a
> larger turn out but moving down to Davidsonville has resulted in a smaller
> turnout and additional operators are needed, It would also be an
> opportunity for people to bring out and show off their radios in a field
> environment along with demonstrating operating skills, and we are located
> right between Baltimore and Washington but none of that crowd shows up.
>
> Hardware failures were limited to small things like the field phones and a
> short problem with the push to talk switch on the Collins needing a field
> repair. And there were poor band conditions overnight.
>
> What would you change if given a second chance?
>
>
>
> Unlike Gilbert MRCA and the Aberdeen MVPA shows we use shore power or
> battery power so no generator noise but I could have used another hundred
> feet of extension cord. Also I use an external AC power supply that feeds
> the mutt twenty eight volts for running all the radios and may look at
> adding an AC power outlet to the big power supply so any additional
> equipment like the KWM-2A that may show up can be powered. Ended up using a
> modern plug strip and that takes away from the base idea of the event
> seeing a plastic plug strip.
>
> Side panels for the mutt may be good for keeping the wind and cold out,
> know that the back window dose help so may add a panel or two on the sides.
>
> And maybe the idea that if we added a backpack or field exercise that
> would generate additional interest? Its nice country around the site and
> would give the opportunity for all the people who have PRC-25/77, PRC-74 or
> 104 sets or anything else a chance to take the radios out in the field and
> use them.
>
>
>
> Submitted by Ray F/KA3EKH
>
>
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