[MRCA] Gilbert Red Ball Event AAR

[MilComm Guy]

Thanks Ray, good aar.

On Monday, September 27, 2021, Ray Fantini <RAFANTINI at salisbury.edu> wrote:

> 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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