[MRCA] Gilbert Red Ball Event AAR

[Ray Fantini]

What was supposed to be achieved by this project?

 The annual MRCA Gilbert event in cooperation with Red Ball Military Vehicle Collectors event was this past weekend. Friday September 24th and Saturday the 25th.
 This event includes both field exercises and setting up exhibits of military radio equipment in the Howell building.
 Friday’s exercise centers on field radios, Man pack portables and systems as large as my M151/GRC-106 operating around the Beltsville Lake State park and for a first time this year a night operation at the Gilbert Fairgrounds.
 Several of us also wanted to take part in the MMRCG Net on 7.296 USB at the Fair Grounds on Saturday.
Frequencies would include 3.57 MHz CW, 3.885MHz AM, 3.875 USB, 5.357MHz USB, 51.0MHz FM and 144.25MHz AM.

 What was actually achieved?

 I arrived Thursday afternoon. Set up the crew tent that I would be staying in while at the event. Many MRCA members arrive on Thursday and set up, the vendors are for the most part all set up on Thursday despite the rain earlier that day.
On Friday morning I checked out the vendor’s stuff that was for sale at the event. Red Ball is not only a military vehicle show but also a military equipment sale and swap fest. A number of military radios were for sale that included VRC-12 family of radios, tons of accessories and things like intercom and field telephone equipment. Saw lots of field wire this year including a five thousand foot reel of two pair wire. Did see a WS-52 receiver that I would like to have had but it was a bit too much for my budget. Also saw couple PRC-1319 radios in unknown condition for $300 to 400 each along with someone else selling a known good one for $1,400
Did manage to give away the ARC-5 sets I bought and sold one of the two radios I had up for sale.
 Around eleven Walt (KB3SBC) and I transported the mutt from Gilbert to Beltsville and set up in advance of the day’s nets.
Walt operated the GRC-106 on the mutt on 14.335 and activated Beltsville State Park as a “Parks on the Air” station from noon to around one local and did around thirty contacts including two European stations for another successful NOPA session.
1400 to 1500 operated the 60 meter (5.357 USB) with at least a dozen or so stations around Beltsville Park.  Walt operated the mutt on the GRC-106 while I took the AN/PRC-108 and headed out for a remote location for pedestrian mobile.
1500 to 1530 operated on the 3.885 AM Net, Walt ran the 106 with the vertical antenna on the mutt and I had the PRC-108 on my back with the whip antenna and a drag behind counterpoise and was able to work multiple stations on 60 and 80 meters without issue.
1530 to 1600 operated on the 3.875 USB Net, think we all QSY up to 3.885 being some of the stations were rock bound.
1600 to 1630 CW Net, did not take part being I have no CW skills and we did not have a Key onboard the mutt.
1630 to 1700 operated on 51.0 FM using the RT-524 on the mutt or the PRC-68 out of the mutt. Only about six people participated on this net.
Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of this exercise is that we have time to experiment with different antennas and antenna configurations while operating within a group. It’s amazing the things you discover doing this. It's also great to be able to net with other military field radios and see them working in their natural environment.
Upon return to the Howell building discovered that I had lost part of the FM antenna on the road.
Walt KB3SBC was appointed head cook for the group and proceeded to make us all Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers and Hot Dogs and proved he is not just a capable radio operator but also a good short order cook.
That night around nineteen hundred hours we had the first Night Net operation at the event. A number of stations dispersed around the Fair Grounds and the local community, and we all operated on first sixty meters using 5.371.5 (channel 4) with around six or seven stations, then 3.885 AM and finally some close in local operations on 144.250 AM with the URC-4 crowd.
We did have one BC-611 but it failed to transmit.
Saturday morning Walt produced quantities of sausage and egg biscuits for the group. He had a huge outdoor grill or cook top that was the source of all this stuff. We also had the usual donuts and coffee.
Using the GRC-106 and inverted V antenna set up about five hundred feet from the Howell building worked the MMRCG Net on 7.296 with solid copy of all stations.
K9WT as usual was booming in at forty over, Joe W4VAG checked into the net using his new “Mini Radio” that’s smaller than the battery packs for most small radios.
Did not see the Show and Tell operation this year but we did not have many showing stuff, almost all activity was in operating radios and not looking at them.

What aspects of the project work?

The M151/GRC-106 set up worked great. Accomplished Parks on the Air activation worked all HF Nets without issue including Friday Night and Saturdays MMRCG Net using the inverted V antenna.
Used URC-110 for VHF AM and the RT-524 for FM communications from the mutt and the PRC-108 for backpack operation.

What didn't work and why?

 My MEP-035 28 volt DC generator failed, the gasket on the glass fuel bowel dry rotted and leaked bad so did not try to get it running for fear of a fire.  Ended up running the engine in the mutt every now and then but discovered that the batteries on the mutt last about a net and a half before you end up having to push start the mutt to get the engine going again and charge the onboard batteries.
I also discovered that if you are not careful that things fall off during transit. And last but not least learned that the PRC-68 is piss week and useless for anything beyond line of sight. The huge Heavy PRC-108 worked good for HF but the PRC-68 was useless for anything beyond talking to someone who you can see.

What would you change if given a second chance?

Tests run everything. Did run all the equipment on the mutt a couple weeks before the event but not the generator so ended up loading and unloading that for nothing being it was non operative.
Bring a better VHF/FM radio with a real antenna, not the duck. Did not imagine just how poorly the PRC with its duck antenna preformed.
Still need assistance from a good CW operator. Walt is great for doing the voice operations but would like to be able to support CW operations from Beltsville Lake.

Ray F/KA3EKH

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