[MRCA] Field opps and frequencies

[Anthony Clare]

Ray, 

There is a wire that needs to be disconnected internally to allow the
clarifier control to affect both receive and transmit on the PRC-74. It's easy
to do. I can get you a photo of that when I get home.

n3kcb

------ Original Message ------
Received: Mon, 22 Jul 2024 09:23:14 AM EDT
From: Ray Fantini via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
To: "MMRCG at groups.io" <MMRCG at groups.io>, "mrca at mailman.qth.net"
<mrca at mailman.qth.net>Cc: "milsurplus at mailman.qth.net"
<milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [MRCA] Field opps and frequencies

As stated before was up in PA Hamburg, or Port Clinton or whatever it's called
with the PRC-74.
Not a lot of experience with that radio and still learning the finer points
like how to set the frequency but did have some fun.  At ten local that
morning attempted to operate on 7296 for the MMRCG USB net but no love there.
Did hear WF2U and a couple other stations but they never did hear me. I was
running the whip on the radio so imagine that's not that efficient of forty.
Did hang the dipole antenna for the MRCA M&S net at noon. I remember Joe
telling me about doing NVIS with low dipoles so I ran the one leg of the
antenna from the radio to a tree maybe six or so feet off the ground with the
other leg just running acrost the parking lot. The antenna loaded without
issue and did discover that the length of the "cold" side of the dipole makes
a difference between getting a good match in transmit but did not hear any
difference between if it was attached on receive.
Dean, KK1K as NCS had a big signal, N2MS running portable was also solid on
the low dipole and was able to copy most stations without issue. The PRC-74
has a good receiver, did find that it was off frequency and did adjust but
think I need to review the procedures for calibration in the field. Did pull
that radio apart and do a alignment of all the osculators that set the
different frequencies a couple months back but the internal field calibration
and clarifier are still a mystery to me.
Before M&S net did hear W2HX and K3TZJ but they never heard me, maybe because
I was off frequency or whatever because I was not able to set the frequency
until I started talking with N2MS just before the net.
Think the issue is that you set the frequency on the radio and then use the
clarifier knob and that's gets good copy on the receiver but the transmitter
is still somewhere else, use to modern radios where you just crank in the
channel and go.
Also have to wonder on the feeder cable that came with the radio that allows
you to set the antenna up in the field that appears to be some sort of ladder
line and maybe if both ends of the antenna were up in the air it would have
worked better. Do have to say I like the little hand reels that have the
calibration charts on them for laying out the dipole but have to wonder what
the significance of the numbers are printed on the chart and line, it's not
frequency or anything like that. One thing about this PRC-74 is when I got it
had a huge bag of stuff that came with it, antennas, CW keys, adapters and all
sorts of stuff to play with in the field. For fun I did try running the whip
antenna on sixty meters and had maybe a half to a third of reception level
with the stick. And as far as power goes have been using an 8 AH gel cell,
although it's kind of small for that radio it fits into the battery box well.
As far as frequencies go, will remind everyone that MMRCG has been running a
Saturday net on 7296 USB for years now at ten eastern, I have also had issues
with 5357 just not making it up north. Can work people like Ron K3TZJ or N2MS
but WB2JWU as NCS for M&S has been poor copy at my QTH for almost a year now.

Ray F/KA3EKH




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