[MRCA] PRC-25's converted to PRC-77's: (was Re: CH-54 -> CAP Radios 50 years ago)

Wed Sep 4 12:10:39 EDT 2019

Hi Mark - That's very interesting! I've never heard of that.  Do you have
any details on how, why or where this updating was done?
In service, did you ever use a radio tagged PRC-25 with a KY-38 for example?
I would agree that it's likely the US gave older PRC-25's to various allies
later on..

Thanks..Tim
N6CC

On Tue, Sep 3, 2019 at 10:35 PM Mkdorney via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
wrote:

> We had sets in the late 1990’s in 10th Mountain Division that still had
> their AN/PRC-25 data plates on them, but had been updated to AN/PRC-77
> standard ( this was just before SINGARS radios replaced all our Vietnam
> Vintage stuff). I would guess that the scarcity of seeing AN/PRC-25 sets
> now is that unless it was sold to allies, in storage or just plain missed,
> most of those sets were upgraded to PRC-77s in the 70s through the 90s.
>
> Mark D.
> WW2RDO
>
> “In matters of style, float with the current. In matters of Principle,
> stand like a rock. “.   -   Thomas Jefferson
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> > On Sep 4, 2019, at 12:19 AM, Mike Morrow <kk5f at earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > Gene,
> >
> > I was a CAP senior member in the late 1960s and early 1970s in Arkansas,
> and had some sort of card as a communicator.  About all I did technical was
> set up temporary antennas on 4630/4627 kHz for the HW-18-1 two-channel USB
> transceiver we had at an encampment at Blytheville AFB in 1970.
> >
> > I don't recall any CAP allocations in the 30 to 76 MHz coverage of the
> AN/PRC-25.  Even if there were, and even though the Army had quickly
> transitioned to the AN/PRC-77 after 1968, I don't think there were many
> AN/PRC-25 sets available to the fringe groups associated with the US
> military.  But maybe so...the Army ROTC armory at Georgia Tech in 1970 had
> some AN/PRC-25 sets in addition to several hundred fully functional M14
> rifles, most without the full-auto selector installed.  (The Navy ROTC
> there had only M1903 30-06 rifles, and I don't think Air Force ROTC had any
> weapons.)
> >
> > The Heath HW-18-1 and the Colins KWM-2A on 4630 kHz, VHF-AM aircraft
> radios, and the odd CB set with crystals for 26.62 MHz were the only radio
> gear in Arkansas CAP that I recall.  We had in our stores about a hundred
> useless T-278/U VHF-FM high-band transmitters for the old AN/VRC-19 set,
> but nothing else.  We'd have been fascinated by access to an AN/PRC-25.
> >
> > That's why it surprises me to hear of CAP use of VHF tactical FM sets,
> and also of the use of military-style tactical callsigns outside the CAP
> norms of calls like "Razorback 17" (an Arkansas CAP station, of course).
> >
> > Mike / KK5F
> > (For no good reason except nostalgia I recently bought for a few bucks
> an almost pristine unhacked HW-18-1 on 4585/4582 kHz, including its scarce
> manual.  It's an interesting efficient design that uses 17 active devices
> in 12 tubes and gets 200W PEP input from two small 6GE5 Compactron finals.
> It uses no relays, not even for antenna switching.  It sold alone with no
> power supply in 1968 as a kit for $120 ($885 in 2019), or factory built for
> $180 ($1325 in 2019).  Weren't those the good ol' days!
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Gene Smar via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Sent: Sep 3, 2019 9:21 PM
> >> To: 'MICHAEL ALUZZO' <bellgrove2 at aol.com>, "'B. Smith'" <
> smithab11 at comcast.net>, mrca at mailman.qth.net
> >> Subject: Re: [MRCA] CH-54
> >>
> >> Gents:
> >>
> >>    "IGMR" brings back memories for me about my first encounter with a
> Prick 25.  Back in 1972-ish, I was the Commo Officer for CAP Squadron 305
> at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, where I was an EE student.  Our
> squadron was asked to provide flightline service for Army ROTC Rangers one
> Saturday during the fall of that year.  PANG were sending Hueys to our
> football fields over the hill from the main campus to pick up the Rangers
> at zero dark thirty and take them to IGMR for a day of Ranger "play", then
> return them more or less safe and sound that evening.
> >>
> >>    We arranged with the local FD to have a foam fire truck, ambulance
> and other apparatus on site for the arrival of the Hueys.  The Rangers were
> on the field as well, somewhat awake after breakfast.  Also on site were
> about a half dozen of us CAPers.  A couple of guys were at the far end of
> the field where the first helo would touch down; others were near the
> emergency vehicles; and I was on the sidelines between both crews.  We all
> had PRC-25s, to talk amongst ourselves on the flightline.  I also had a
> second -25 set on the air-to-ground 35 MHz (I think) PANG channel used by
> the helos.
> >>
> >>    At some point after sunrise we heard a low rumble off in the
> distance.  After a few minutes the ruble turned into the familiar
> whop-whop-whop of a stick of 10 Hueys approaching us from the west (from
> IGMR.)  As they made their final, they turned back to the west and split
> into two sticks for landing.  They hovered about a half-mile away from the
> field at maybe 500 feet.
> >>
> >>    I got a call over my -25 something like, "Joplin Blend Six this is
> Tango Six.  Pop smoke for our landing.  Over."  I answered, "This is Joplin
> Blend Six.  Wilco.  Out."  I hit the PTT on the other -25 and asked the
> touch down crew to set off one of the ROTC-provided smoke canisters.  They
> did.  It was green - on a football field!
> >>
> >>    My ATG radio blared, "Joplin Blend Six, do you have any other color?
> Over."
> >>
> >>    "This is Joplin Blend Six.  Negative.  That's all Army ROTC gave
> us.  Over."
> >>
> >>    "This is Tango Six.  Figures.  Out."
> >>
> >>    The two sticks landed quite professionally on the fields.  They were
> loud.  Twenty minutes later, after the ROTC Rangers were loaded on board,
> my radio opened up once again, "Joplin Blend Six, this is Tango Six.
> [Something about requesting permission to get on our way.]  Over."  I hit
> the PTT, "This is Joplin Blend Six.  Clear for takeoff.  Will maintain
> emergency equipment at this location for twenty minutes after your
> departure.  Over."  "This is Tango Six.  Roger. Out."
> >>
> >>    And in 60 seconds only the rumbling from their rotors was left to
> remind us of their brief visit.
> >>
> >>    Later, near dusk, we were back on the same field, fire apparatus at
> the ready, when my -25's squelch opened up with, "Joplin Blend Six, this is
> Tango Six.  We will be doing an assault landing.  Over."  I didn't want to
> show my ignorance so I hit the PTT and said, "This is Joplin Blend Six.
> Roger.  Out."
> >>
> >>    The next three minutes scared the bejesus out of me.  (Remember:  I
> was not yet 21 years old and had never served in uniform.)  What we all
> witnessed was two Hueys begin rapidly circling directly overhead at fifty
> feet, rolled onto their sides so their guns (Ma Deuces?) were pointed down
> at the LZ.  One orbited clockwise, the other the other way.  The noise was
> deafening.  These two gunships continued this maneuver as the ten original
> helos skimmed slowly across the ground at a foot above it in two sticks
> while the Rangers jumped out of both doors onto the playing field.  Within
> a couple of minutes the entire airborne group was on its way back to IGMR.
> >>
> >>    I got on the -25 one final time and said, "Tango Six, this is Joplin
> Blend Six.  Will maintain emergency equipment this location for twenty
> minutes after your departure.  Over."  The PANG lead helo radio'ed, "This
> is Tango Six.  Roger.  Thanks.  Out."  And that was the last time I used a
> Prick 25 until I bought one of my own in 2004 or so.
> >>
> >>    Next time you see me, ask me about my CAP use of PRT-4's and
> PRR-9's.
> >>
> >> 73 de
> >> Gene Smar  AD3F
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